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Committees

Worship, Music, and Communion Committee  top  >


The purpose of this committee of the session is to promote the worship of God in the Reformed tradition at First Presbyterian Church.

We work closely with the pastoral staff and the Director of Music to ensure that appropriate worship is held both on a regular basis and on special occasions throughout the year. Our many responsibilities extend into the small details of the following broad categories:

We have subcommittees that focus on the needs of the sanctuary and that coordinate memorial and honorary flowers in the sanctuary during worship. See the pages on Worship and Music for more information about these aspects of our work.


Christian Education Committee  top  >


Our purpose is to teach the Word of God; to bring people into a meaningful relationship with God as revealed in Jesus Christ; to help people grow in that relationship through study and worship in fellowship with others; to encourage people to live their lives in turn with God's teachings; and to spread God’s word through our own words and deeds.

We help to direct existing Christian Education programming and to initiate new programs. We help with or are responsible for the curriculum, administration, resources, and leadership for the FPC Church School programs. To accomplish our goals and complete our responsibilities, we have occasional task forces and the following ongoing subcommittees:

Our committee is responsible for designing and directing the Christian Education program at First Presbyterian. Therefore, we are expected to aid with curriculum selection for Church School classes; to find and coordinate opportunities for teacher training within our community or in the larger Presbytery or General Assembly; and to plan and oversee the Christian Education budget.


The FPC Foundation  top  >


The First Presbyterian Church Foundation of Raleigh, Inc., was incorporated on April 30, 1991, as a non–profit entity to better support the mission of the Church through special gifts and bequests. Income from these donations is used by the Foundation Board of Directors to help the Church broaden and accomplish its mission. The Foundation corpus is invested and managed in perpetuity to provide a continuing and growing source of income to support special benevolences and church–related capital needs. Under the Foundation By–laws, the corpus must be preserved, and none of the income to the Foundation may be used to support the general operating expenses of FPC.

As of October 31, 2005, the value of the Foundation Sustaining Fund was $915,220. Since its inception, the FPC Foundation has provided from earnings a total of over $552,000 for the Church's interests: $400,000 to the Capital Campaign; $25,000 to Union Theological Seminary/PSCE; $25,000 to Peace College; $47,000 to the FPC Child Development Center; $48,765 for FPC capital needs and historical renovation; and $7,000 to several smaller–scale FPC projects. The Foundation has also made loans of $12,200 to the Visions of Tomorrow Campaign.

Growing the corpus of the Foundation through special bequests is important because such gifts extend the mission of the Church beyond the offering plate, which meets our daily operational needs. The Foundation does not compete with pledging or with targeted gift appeals like the Visions Campaign. Perhaps the greatest value of a bequest to the FPC Foundation is that it is a gift that keeps on giving. Because each donation is invested in perpetuity, the income from the donation provides a legacy of continuous support for the mission of the Church.

Please consider making a gift to the FPC Foundation as you review your personal annual charitable giving. In the process of your estate planning, whatever your age, consider the FPC Foundation when writing your will. An estate gift to the Foundation would leave a wonderful legacy and complete your lifelong cycle of stewardship to God through His Church.

If you have any questions or would like more information about the FPC Foundation, contact:

Visions Of Tomorrow  top  >


In 2002, then–senior pastor Ed Stock approached Jeff and Amy Gray and Jay and Susan Vick with a request. This request would have a major impact on our congregation; the response of these four church leaders would have an even longer–lasting effect.

The result was the formation of the Visions of Tomorrow Campaign. This campaign is not as glitzy or exciting as other capital campaigns. The sole goal of this campaign is to reduce the debt that remained following the construction of the Ed Stock Building and Edwards Family Life Center. For the Visions Campaign, there were no architectural drawings, no ground–breaking ceremonies, no bricks. Only an urgent need to retire debt so funds now allocated toward interest and principal payments could be used for other missions of the church.

After first presenting the Visions Campaign to the congregation in early 2003, the Visions Campaign Committee has implored the congregation to raise $1.9 million–the balance of the debt–by the end of 2005.

In early 2005, our debt fell below the $1 million mark, which means that FPC members and friends have given or pledged in excess of $1 million toward this debt reduction. As of December 14, 2005, our debt stood at $888,224.78.

The Visions of Tomorrow Committee is composed of the following members:

But this isn’t the entire list. Other members who represent all facets of our church have become involved in this campaign, whether by informing their church school class of our goals and successes, or by casual conversations in the hallways of our new buildings—every member of FPC is an important part of our effort. And our FPC staff has worked tirelessly on tracking, cheerleading, and overall support.

For more information on the status of the Visions Campaign, or to get involved, please contact Darcy Dye through the church office.


Congregational Unity and Well–Being Committee  top  >


This committee works through several subcommittees to promote and strengthen the family ties among the members of First Presbyterian; to foster spiritual well–being and a sense of oneness within the congregation; and to minister to all members by seeking to meet their spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational needs as members of a community of faith.

We work closely with the Associate Pastor for Nurture and Outreach to appoint ad–hoc taks forces and special event committees, coordinate the activities of our subcommittees, and report information, motions, and budget requests to the Diaconate and/or Session as appropriate. The Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults serves on our Recreation and Fellowing subcommittee.

In addition to planning and organizing several congregational gatherings, such as church night dinners, we also oversee the following:

And as if all of those activities weren't enough, we also serve as an advisory group for matters regarding the church newsletter. Information about many of our projects and programs can be found on the Activities and Ministries pages.


Evangelism Committee  top  >


Our purpose is to lead the congregation to invite others to come to Christ or to join our church (or both). We support and plan a variety of ongoing church activities, such as the following:

Welcoming and encouraging new members is our particular responsibility. We are also charged with planning the annual First Presbyterian Church Spiritual Enrichment Weekend, held in early November. This weekend of spiritual renewal, fellowship, and faith includes a guest speaker, usually a pastor from another church, and a 24–hour prayer vigil. This year’s guest speaker was Richard Boyce, a pastor turned professor with an extraordinary gift for teaching.

Stay tuned for information about next year's Spiritual Enrichment Weekend.


The Memorials Committee  top  >


We've had a very productive year.

The Memorials Committee meets on a quarterly basis to complete or review work concerning the money that has been given in memory or honor of members of our church.

This past year, we printed a brochure explaining the purpose of our committee. We have updated the four Memorial Books found in the church and have plans to complete more in the near future for the Dames Den, the Kitchen Parlor, the Penick Classroom, and the Brides' Parlor.

We are responsible for the section that appears periodically in the church bulletin that highlights entries from the Books of Remembrance.

We have added to the Sanctuary Endowment Fund; used the Outlaw Preschool money for new equipment for the Child Development Center; used interest from the Mary Romefelt Medical Mission to support the Medical Ministry Alliance and the Mulanje Mission in Malawi, Africa; used the Louise Hester Memorial and the Paul Hoover Memorial to replace the sanctuary doors. We have drawn from the Wilks Hiatt Prison Ministry Memorial several times this year for worthy causes in our ministry to newly released prisoners.

We have organized the silver closet and acquired new pieces to be used at our receptions. At the death of Henry Smith, a committee member, Dot Smith donated a large silver serving tray, which we had engraved in memory of Henry.

We are in the process of reviewing and revising the guidelines for our committee.

We all enjoy our work with this group and thank you for the opportunity to serve the church in this important capacity.

Our officers are as follows:

Budget and Finance Committee  top  >


We aid the church staff and the session in formulating the annual budget, a sizeable and significant undertaking. It is our duty to help the church leadership balance the ministry we hope to accomplish and the resources that will be available to us.

By the end of August each year, we formulate a Challenge Budget for the following year. In the final quarter of each calendar year, we consider the Estimate of Giving and Time and Talent cards that church members return on Consecration Sunday (the last Sunday in October). Based on your pledges of financial support, on the annual budget requests of each committee and each program, on the past year’s budget, and on many other considerations, we work to formulate a tentative budget. Then, once final end–of–year receipts and carryovers are in, we finalize the budget and present it to the congregation.

We consult with the pastors, Session, and Diaconate to present goals to the congregation during Stewardship Season. We also work closely with the Treasurer and with the church financial staff to monitor the budget throughout the year and to decide whether adjustments should be recommended to the Session. We also nominate candidates for appointment to the post of Director of the FPC Foundation.


Long–Range Planning Committee  top  >


Our purpose is to aid the Session in its duties of leading the congregation continually to discover what God is doing in the world and to plan for change, renewal, and reformation under the word of God.

More specifically, we perform the following functions:

To perform any of our duties, we solicit and incorporate input from the congregation, staff, and Session.


Mission Committee  top  >


Inspired by the words of theologian Dr. Emil Brunner, we believe that "the Church exists for mission as fire for burning." Our purpose is to increase congregational awareness of and involvement in the mission of the church.

We specifically encourage congregational support in the following areas:

Our long list of responsibilities includes interpretation of and publicity for mission projects of the Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly; support for the mission work of the Presbyterian Women (such as the Birthday Offering and Medical Mission); support for the works of the Capital Area Presbyterian Council (CAPCI); support for the Friendship Fund and the Presbyterian Homes of North Carolina; support for our historical ties to Peace College; coordination of special offerings that have been approved by the Session; development of special–emphasis programs that focus on local, ecumenical, and denominational activities and new mission and outreach programs; and recruitment of volunteers to assist in various mission and outreach ministries.

We also work to support the various downtown mission programs that use our facilities, such as the Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network, Linen Closet, AA, GED Program, etc.

To further our goals, we make presentations during worship services called "Minutes for Mission"; write articles for the church newsletter; and create displays for bulletin boards in the church buildings. See our Ministries page for more information about what we do.


Stewardship Committee  top  >


Our purpose is to awaken and increase in all members of the church an awareness of their responsibility to use their time, talent, money, and resources to further the Kingdom of God and to minister to all people in need, and to encourage their desire to do so.

To accomplish our goals and those of church ministries and programs, we work closely with the Finance Committee, the Church Treasurer, and the church Financial Secretary to develop and conduct a Pledge Campaign each year. And as needed, we conduct other stewardship–related programs to encourage stewardship of time and talent.


All–Church Retreat Committee  top  >


Charged with planning the annual First Presbyterian Church All–Church Retreat, we are anticipating a deeply inspirational, meaningful weekend of spiritual renewal.

This year’s all–church retreat is scheduled for Feb. 29 – Mar. 2, 2008, in Montreat, NC. We have engaged Rev. Alex Evans, Pastor of Blacksburg Presbyterian Church, Blacksburg, VA to present the weekend’s theme: Living Faithfully In These Days. More information is available here, at the Registration Booths in the main church building near the Library, or in the Stock Building. Feel free to call the 2008 Coordinators, Wayne and Peggy Campbell, or Glenn and Laurie Dennison, for more information.

Join us for a weekend of fellowship and fun!


Disaster Committee  top  >


We plan FPC’s response to natural disasters, such as last year’s Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. The Presbyterian Church (USA) has a long and proud history to responding to disasters with monetary relief, willing hands and strong backs, and spiritual support for those who have often suffered devastating loss.

This fall, we made a trip in support of the cleanup efforts of several Presbyterian churches in the St. Bernard Parish of New Orleans. Click here to read about it.


Scholarship Awards Committee  top  >


A subcommittee of the Mission Committee, we are charged with overseeing and awarding church–sponsored scholarships to qualified church members who are enrolled in academic programs leading to associate’s, baccalaureate, or graduate degrees.

Early each year, we place information in the church newsletter or bulletin announcing the availability of scholarship funds and inviting members to apply for them. In April, we meet to consider the applications we’ve received and award scholarships.

Finally, we maintain contact each year with scholarship winners as they pursue their degrees. Scholarship awards are made on the basis of financial need and academic performance.


Church Officer Nominating Committee  top  >


As set out in the Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Church Order, this committee is responsible for developing a slate of nominees for the Session (elders) and the Diaconate (deacons). We present this slate of nominees to the congregation for approval, and we oversee the balloting process. In addition, we may recommend changes in the nominating and/or election process as we see fit and put forward the names of individuals who we think should be considered for the office of Elder or Deacon Emeritus.

When we develop our slate of potential elders and deacons, we consider every member of the congregation. We also encourage the congregation to submit names of appropriate persons who would be likely to serve well in these roles. We meet with potential nominees to gauge their abilities and willingness to serve. And we gather biographical sketches of each nominee to better inform the congregation about the persons they are voting for. Finally, we prepare, collect, and tabulate the ballots before notifying all nominees and the Session of the results.


Personnel Committee  top  >


This committee establishes and administers personnel policies for the church. In this capacity, we approve job descriptions for each employee; review salaries and benefits and recommend changes to the Session; consult with the supervisor of all employees to develop a performance review for each employee; receive and act on all requests by employees to terminate their employment or to terminate the employment of another employee; make recommendations for new hiring and develop job descriptions and salary and benefit recommendations for any new positions; review and revise policies in the Personnel Handbook at least every 3 years; provide management training for supervisors, as needed; grant absences due to illness; and schedule employee vacations.

It is the policy of First Presbyterian Church to consider candidate for employment without regard for race, ethnic origin, sex, marital status, or physical handicap.


Technology and Television, Lights and Sound Committees  top  >


The Technology Committee researches, suggests, and spends available funds for any technological components the church needs, such as new computers and servers, new recording equipment to record the weekly worship services, and professional advice or expertise, when needed.

During the second half of 2005, we undertook a largescale project when we decided to renovate and expand the existing church Web site. Knowing that we had neither the time nor the required expertise to bring De Dollar’s design for the new site to life, we engaged the services of a professional Web site programmer, Elena Galanova. We hope you’re as pleased with the results as we are!

The Television, Lights and Sound Committee recruits, trains, and schedules volunteers to operate the sound, lights, and video equipment used for each Sunday worship service. Members of this committee must also make sure the necessary equipment is in good working order.


Pastoral Care to Congregation Committee  top  >


This committee works to foster unity as a church family, to identify the individual needs of members, and to minister to one another through personal contact and concern for each other. We are looking for volunteers to expand our ministry. See the Ministries page for details.

Our duties entail dividing the congregation into groups known as districts and assigning deacons to personally contact each group member; developing and maintaining a sense of fellowship within each district; and updating membership information records as a result of visitations to track the needs and concerns of members. We work closely with the Associate Pastor for Nurture and Outreach.


Property/Insurance Committee  top  >


We are responsible for all matters relating to the physical church plant, including improvements, maintenance, repairs, inventory, and insurance. We also oversee the following subcommittees:

We work closely with the Church Administrator and the Director of Maintenance on all matters relating to church buildings and property and play a leading role in understanding all such projects and advising the Session and Diaconate about them. We work to ensure that all required work is done at a reasonable price and completed as agreed. And we work with the church’s insurance consultant to make sure the church and its activities are fully covered by appropriate insurance.

bullet  Christian Education

bullet  The FPC Foundation

bullet  Visions Of Tomorrow

bullet  Congregational Unity &
     Well-Being

bullet  Evangelism

bullet  Memorials

bullet  Budget & Finance

bullet  Long–Range Planning

bullet  Mission

bullet  Stewardship

bullet  All–Church Retreat

bullet  Disaster

bullet  Scholarship Awards

bullet  Church Officer
     Nominating

bullet  Personnel

bullet  Technology & Television,
     Lights & Sound

bullet  Pastoral Care to
     Congregation

bullet  Property/Insurance