Mission Committee

Purpose: To use the talents and efforts of our church community to help alleviate hunger and provide basic needs of those who are experiencing difficulty- both in our area and throughout the world.

Contributions for the Children of Iraq

Our Church gathered gifts - notebooks, pens, paper, crayons, candy and toys for the children of Fallujah, Iraq.  They were sent to Major Ben Brown, son of Mike Brown, to be distributed to the children in this devastated city..  A total of six boxes  weighing about 22 lbs apiece were sent.

 

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

Mission Trip Planned to Pine Ridge South Dakota

Join us …

Dates: June 7 thru June 17, 2007

Leave Thursday, return Sunday 10 days later

Purpose: Cultural Exchange/Mission Trip to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in conjunction with the Re-Member organization. www.re-member.org Re-Member provides a work experience and exposure to the Lakota people.

Activities: Work crews will most likely be building beds for children, many who have never slept on a bed.

Cultural education is approached thru visits with Lakota people and trips to various sites. Trips include a visit to Wounded Knee and tours of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. These are included in the cost.

Cost: TOTAL COST will be about $600.00 per person.

This includes $325.00 to be paid to Re-Member to cover tours, housing and meals from Saturday June 9 thru Friday June 15, 2007. The additional money is needed to pay for transportation and meals during travel. Snacks at the site are not included.

Housing is dorm style with indoor showers/toilets and common kitchen.

Deposits of $162.50 per person must be submitted with completed registration packets by Sunday, Feb.18, 2007 

Participants must be at least 13 years of age and we must have one adult (21 or over) for each person under 21 years of age.

 

Temp: Average highs for early June are 84F.

Temps may drop into the 50s at night.

 

 

 

 

Complete packets with details and registration forms are available on the Missions Table by the back stairs near the library. If you have any questions, contact Donna Schwind at dschwind@comcast.net or 282-4619.

 

We will try to include a fund raiser to help offset some of the cost, but the deposits must be paid by Feb. 18 th.

This is an exciting opportunity for anyone interested in helping and learning more about the Native Americans at Pine Ridge!

 

 

Each year we gather needed items to send to this poorest area of our country. We have sent nearly 300 winter jackets for children and youth, 46 school bags filled with school supplies and simple medicines and band-aids. Recently, the Elders of First Presbyterian voted to send a $500 donation to the Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church. By mistake, the check was written for $5,000! A few days after the check was sent, the Pine Ridge Presbyterian Church's furnace exploded. It required the entire $5,000 to replace the furnace. First Presbyterian's Elders viewed the mistake as providential

 

Area Resource Ministry - A.R.M.

This local ministry, located at Broad and Sycamore Streets, serves people of Elizabethton and Carter County who are having a hard time - such as a house fire. We gather donations of non-perishable foods, baby clothes and supplies and children's clothes which are delivered, along with other churches donations, to ARM for distribution.

 

Food for the Multitude

 

First Presbyterian's next Food for the Multitude Serving Day is August 20. Volunteers are needed to prepare food onsite, serve the meal and clean up the dining facilities. You are welcome to help with any or all of our duties. We begin at 8:30 a.m. and are usually finished by noon. Our members cook and serve a hot meal to local people at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, serving 125-300 people depending on the weather. Other local churches provide the meals on other Saturdays. Contact Kathy Wing to sign up to help.

 

Three Cents A Meal

Quarterly, our members, along with most Presbyterian Churches, contribute to this effort to alleviate world hunger. Each contributor gives three cents a meal per person in the family.