Ministries
Pastoral Care
Our
Pastoral Care Committee needs to grow and
needs a few more helping partners in our
ongoing effort to reach out to folks in the congregation.
We want our members all to feel at home at FPC, very much cared
about and remembered by their church. "Pastoral Care" includes acknowledging birthdays,
anniversaries, new births, extending sympathy, and also
helping the church reach out to those in area hospitals,
retirement communities and rehab facilities.
It doesn’t take much time or effort to send a card or personal
note, or to make a brief phone call or short visit. Think of a time when someone
has reached out to you. Maybe it’s time for you to pass that care along to someone else.
In addition to caring for long-time members, we’ll be following up with new members to
make sure they are plugged in to a Church School class, church
committee, Circle, Bible study or other activity. We're looking for nice people
who enjoying reaching out to and spending time with others. If you can serve in just one aspect
of this ministry, please contact Robert Lahr, Pastoral Care Committee Moderator.
Haitian Disaster Relief
Over ten years ago, members from First Presbyterian Church traveled to Haiti to learn more about the work being done in Haiti by a local non-profit, and to visit the schools they were running there.
In the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake, we have undertaken several new projects to help Haitians. These programs are described below.
Haiti Mission Trip
Eleven individuals from FPC and nine friends from Chapel Hill made a week-long trip in June, 2010 to provide medical and reconstruction assistance to communities in Haiti.
Two medical students and two midwives joined us. Our lives were enriched in a special way by each other and our Haitian friends. Despite the challenges of heat, fatigue and sickness, we
accomplished much.
The medical clinic that we helped to furnish and staff saw approximately 800 people, while our construction crew reroofed two
homes and built 20 benches for a church. We were able to provide dry homes to two families. Many children and families have received treatment to eliminate parasites, improving their nourishment and
well-being. Several hospitals and clinics now have some needed but scarce supplies that we received as donations from FPC members and brought with us. We distributed pairs of glasses to teachers, carpenters,
and seamstresses who can now see their work.
We handed out toiletries, providing better hygiene and, perhaps most importantly, reminding many Haitians that they are
loved and valued as fellow children of God. We are truly blessed to have been a part of this trip on behalf of FPC. Thank
you all for your prayers and support. We hope more of you can accompany us next year.
Ink Jet Cartridge Recycling for Education in Haiti
Once the initial relief effort in Haiti is completed, schools will face shortages of supplies as they compete for limited funds. This project is intended to help two school systems.
Church members, especially young people, are asked to collect used or empty ink-jet printer cartridges and deposit them in designated collection boxes at the church. These will be recycled at
Office Depot, and the resulting credits will be used to purchase school and computer supplies for two organizations that run schools in Haiti: Haiti Outreach Ministries, and Hearts and Hands for Haiti.
Medical Supplies for Haiti
The Haiti Connection, a local non-profit organization, is collecting medical supplies for relief work in Haiti. These will be transported to Haiti and distributed to physicians,
clinics and hospitals with which this non-profit has partnered in the past. Church members are asked to bring specific supplies to collection boxes at the church.
An informational flyer is available on the collection boxes, or you can click here to download a copy of it. The flyer includes a list of needed supplies. Please share it with any healthcare professionals with whom you are acquainted to see whether they have items to contribute.
Rebuilding New Orleans
Our church continues to support an
outreach ministry of St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church (SCAPC) in New Orleans and is directed at helping
to rebuild the city, neighborhood by neighborhood. The Restoring Hope In New Orleans (RHINO) program uses volunteer labor from
the local congregation and from all across the country, along with donated funds, and works in partnership
with Habitat for Humanity to build new homes in destroyed and neglected neighborhoods.
A team of volunteers from First Presbyterian Church has traveled to New Orleans each January since 2006 to participate in this program. In addition, teams of our senior high youth and college students, working through other support groups, have served in New Orleans to help with the reconstruction effort. First Presbyterian Church has also contributed money from its Missions budget each year to help cover RHINO program costs.
In January 2008, our mission team accomplished much in helping to rebuild a neighborhood in uptown New Orleans. Project Restore Ferry Place is an ongoing RHINO effort to provide for families in need of housing, with a goal of completing the construction of 14 new homes on the long-neglected street Ferry Place. As of January 2009, seven homes had been completed, and our 2008 mission team played a significant role in the construction of three of them.
We found during our 2009 mission trip to New Orleans that there was still plenty of necessary, useful work for us to do. Despite a temporary suspension of construction of new Habitat homes at Ferry Place, our team went right to work. We completed flooring work in the library of the J. W. Johnson Elementary School and spent one afternoon at the Second Harvest Food Bank. Although these assignments were less physically strenuous than home construction, they were no less important to our shared goal of restoring hope in New Orleans.
We expect to continue with home-building and restoration efforts during our next RHINO mission week in New Orleans, scheduled for January 16-22, 2012.
We must confirm participation on our mission team by mid-November 2011. You can contact or the Church office if you feel called to serve with us in this way.
You can read two personal accounts of our 2006 trip if you
click here. To see additional information regarding Project Restore Ferry Place,
click here.
Eden School top >
Our mission in Bolivia today
is all about children. But our Bolivian mission actually began in 1996,
when representatives from FPC first visited Kwang–Ju, Korea. It has
grown from a Korean–exchange program into an active, hands–on
world mission proclaiming the Word of Christ by offering educational opportunities
and medical care to over 200 children in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Today, we support a school in Santa Cruz, the Eden School. Everyone who
has visited this school has enjoyed the experience after having a chance
to learn about people of faith from another culture and to become acquainted
with a genuinely enthusiastic and loving community of Christians. More than
20 people, mostly members of this congregation, have spent a week with kids
from the Eden School, and we extend an invitation to all members of our
church who would like to join in this hands–on ministry.
Even if you cannot travel to Bolivia, you can participate in this active,
long–term mission by supporting a student at the Eden School. Full
support for a school year is only $170. To assist this mission, write a
check to FPC and designate it for "Bolivian Scholarships."
Stephen Ministries top >
The Stephen Ministry is a nationally–supported
Christian lay ministry in which trained, caring people listen and provide
support to those in need. Today, over 10,000 Christians from many denominations
participate in this program. A Stephen Minister is a caring friend
who provides on–going Christian care to people experiencing a wide
range of life needs or crises.
A Stephen Minister serves those who are
- facing hospitalization, a disability, or the unknown;
- bereaved, lonely, or depressed;
- experiencing a personal, family, or job crisis;
- experiencing a broken relationship;
- terminally ill;
- in need of a listening friend.
A Stephen Minister is NOT
- a counselor or therapist;
- a problem-solver;
- a casual visitor.
For more information about this
national program, see the Stephen
Ministries Web site.
To request a Stephen Minister, contact , Carol Sloan, or a Stephen leader by calling the church office
(919–821–5750). You may discuss with them the need for a Stephen
Minister for yourself or for someone you know. A Stephen Minister will be
assigned only with your permission, and under conditions of strictest confidence.
The Stephen Ministry invites change in human hearts and demonstrates how
the Gospel of God’s care for the world in Jesus Christ is at work.
This ministry is a demonstration of how God comes to us through other people,
and how God comes to other people through us.
Evangelism top >
The 202nd General Assembly adopted
the following common definition of evangelism for the Presbyterian Church
(USA) in 1990:
Evangelism is joyfully sharing the good news of the sovereign love of God
and calling people
- to repentance,
- to personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord,
- to active membership in the church, and
- to obedient service in the world.
Our church supports the work
of mission specialists Dan and Elizabeth Turk, who have served with the
Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM) since 1998. Graduates of Davidson
College and Duke University, Dan and Elizabeth work as advisors to FJKM’s
environment and health departments, respectively.
Dan works with the FJKM environment department to promote sustainable agriculture
and the planting and preservation of native trees. Elizabeth helps rural
communities prevent and treat the major illnesses that threaten health:
malaria, measles, diarrhea, and pneumonia. She also works with the family
planning program and serves on the national AIDS Committee. For more information
about the Turks and their work in Madagascar, see their
Web page on the PCUSA Web site.
Prayer Line top >
". . . pray for one another,
so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective."
- James 5:16
First Presbyterian Church offers a Prayer Line that is set up to take your
prayer requests anytime. You can call 919–740–1400 at
any time to share a concern or request a prayerful intervention. The phone
line is set up to record your message, which is then given to a group of
individuals who have made a commitment to respond to prayer requests with
daily prayer. The line is confidential, and messages are checked frequently.
You may also make use of the lavender Prayer Request Cards provided in the
pew racks in the sanctuary. When you complete a card, you can then place
it in the offering plate or in the Prayer Request Box, which is in the narthex
on the Baucom Parlor side.
If you would like to help with this important ministry, contact Judy Schunk,
Moderator of the Evangelism Committee.
Special Offerings top >
The Presbyterian Church (USA)
sponsors several special offerings each year in support of various causes
that pertain to our central mission:
Christmas
Joy Offering
For almost 70 years, Presbyterians have given generously to a special offering
at Christmas. The Christmas Joy Offering is divided in half: one half of
the funds collected goes to racial ethnic education at Presbyterian–related
schools and colleges; the other half goes to support the assistance programs
of the Board of Pensions, which assists retired church workers. Educational
funds are distributed through the National Ministries Division of the General
Assembly Council. The racial ethnic schools supported by PCUSA include the
following nine Presbyterian–affiliated institutions of higher learning:
Barber–Scotia College (Concord, NC); Cook College and Theological
School, (Tempe, AZ); Knoxville College (Knoxville, TN); Mary Holmes College
(West Point, MS); Menaul School (Albuquerque, NM); Presbyterian Pan American
School (Kingsville, TX); Sheldon Jackson College (Sitka, AK); and Stillman
College (Tuscaloosa, AL).
Our congregation is receiving this offering throughout the month of December.
One Great
Hour of Sharing Offering
Since 1949, Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians
through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God’s love with people
in need. This special offering goes to support disaster response, refugee
assistance and resettlement, and community development. These gifts fund
programs that help people find safe refuge, start new lives, and improve
their communities.
Funds received from the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering are generally distributed
as follows:
- The Presbyterian Hunger Program -- 36%
- The Self-Development of People Program -- 32%
- Presbyterian Disaster Assistance -- 32%
For more information about the intended use of this year's offering by the Presbyterian Hunger Program, click here.
Most congregations receive the
offering on Easter Sunday, Palm Sunday, or both; some receive it throughout
Lent.
The
Pentecost Offering
The Pentecost Offering was first collected by PCUSA member churches in 1998.
It is traditionally received on the Day of Pentecost (May 15th in 2005).
Some congregations choose to collect it on the Sunday they celebrate youth
in the church.
Congregations are encouraged to keep 40 percent of the Offering to support
work on behalf of children at risk. The General Assembly Council divides
the remaining 60 percent to the following PCUSA ministries:
- Ministries with youth and young adults -- 25%
- Young Adult Volunteers -- 25%
- Child Advocacy Ministries -- 10%
The
Peacemaking Offering
The Peacemaking Offering is collected each year to support peacemaking initiatives
and peace education. This offering is received by most congregations on
World Communion Sunday, which is observed the first Sunday in October. The
General Assembly recommends that 25% of the funds received be retained by
each congregation, 25% be used by synods and presbyteries, and 50% be used
by the General Assembly ministries through the Presbyterian Peacemaking
Program.
Hospitality Box and Bereavement Meal top >
The congregation and ministers of First Presbyterian Church provide loving support and care to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. One of the ways the congregation provides support is through the provision of a meal at the church on the day of the funeral. If you’d like to help out with meal preparation for a grieving church family, call the Church Office.
First Friends and Family top >
Since members of First Presbyterian
Church live across Wake County (and even in adjacent counties), each family
has been assigned a congregation care group with others in the same geographic
area. A deacon is assigned to each group to provide a connection between
church leadership and the congregation. Each First Friends and Family group
is encouraged to meet occasionally for fellowship.
Contact the church office
if you’d like more information on your First Friends and Family group.
