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MINISTRIES: MISSIONS: CHURCH GROUPS: WORSHIP SERVICES: NEWS: CONTACT US:
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Missions at FPC* * * Donations to the
Haiti relief efforts may be made through First Some other donation sites for Haiti, checked & rated, the list provided by the Mission Ministry: www.habitat.org In Haiti, their efforts are to provide both emergency & permanent housing. Rated A- www.unicefusa.org Working to help Haitian children with shelter, feeding, & safe care. Rated A www.heifer.org In Haiti they are working to rebuild lost crop starters & animals. Rated A- www.doctorswithoutborders.org Providing emergency medical care & assisting with disease prevention. Rated ! www.imcworldwide.org stands for International Medical Corps. Rated A+ * * * On February 24, FPC volunteers began sorting medical supplies that were donated to the Jesse Tree, to be included in container shipments by Christian Alliance to Haiti. Watch for the next work time! * * * Haiti Earthquake report from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Communicators' Network
PC(USA) responds to Haitian earthquake As the whole world knows by now, a powerful earthquake hit Haiti on Jan. 12, resulting in catastrophic damage and thousands of deaths in an already very vulnerable country. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has long had ties to Haiti and is responding to the disaster in several ways. We ask for your support: please give, act and pray. GIVE Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is rushing $100,000 from the One Great Hour of Sharing special offering and designated funds to provide immediate emergency relief. These funds will be sent through our ecumenical and local partners in Haiti. On Jan. 14, a PDA staff worker from Central America will join an international team to establish sanitary water systems in Haiti and assess the initial damage. While immediate assistance and relief are critical right now, this will be a very long recovery effort and funds are needed to help in both the long-term and short-term. Gifts are gratefully accepted online through the PDA Web site. Funds can be given to support the overall work of PDA or specifically to support work in Haiti (account number “Haiti — DR000064”). PresbyTel, at (800) 872-3283, is accepting credit card donations by phone from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern). Donors can also send checks to: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, P.O. 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15624-3700. ACT Congregations and individuals can put together baby kits and hygiene kits to be distributed through our ecumenical partner, Church World Service. See details online. For church bulletin inserts, videos and other tools, see the resource section of the PDA Web site. PRAY The people of Haiti and those trying to assist them need your prayers. A prayer adapted from the Book of Common Worship can be found on the PC(USA) Web site, but all prayers are welcomed. PC(USA) People in the Quake Zone Presbyterian World Mission has accounted for mission workers in Haiti. The security team has reported that Sharyn Babe and her husband, Rodney, have been located. Sharyn was injured and is receiving medical attention. Mark Hare and his wife, Jenny, have been contacted and are safe. Rob and Donna Martsolf, former mission workers, have been heard from and are safe at a hotel. Mission groups from at least three congregations were in the region during the quake. The groups — from First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, Ga., from Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church, Lawrenceville, N.J., and from Warrenton Presbyterian Church in Warrenton, Va. — are all accounted for and safe. For additional information and updates, see Presbyterian News Service and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Web sites. * * *
The "First Sunday" Food Pantry collection of non-perishables for St. Vincent's House has resumed! The collection basket is by the church kitchen.
* * * 31 gift boxes were packed for the Galveston Seafarers' Ministry by the children & youth of FPC Galveston during December & delivered the first of January. The boxes were delivered to a ship bound for Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua & Ecuador. This is a copy of the thank you letter we received.
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Ask
Jean Straatmeyer about her third children's book, " Books for $10.00. All proceeds from the books support organizations that work with orphans in Malawi -- Ministry of Hope, Orphan Care in Area 25, and the CCAP Synod Orphanage. * * * Local Missions: Our FPC Salvation Army Monday Night Dinner The teams can use more volunteers ! Food is purchased by FPC volunteers, prepared by volunteers in the late afternoon in the Salvation Army kitchen, then served at 5:00 p.m. (Salvation Army staff are around to help.) First Presbyterian has long supported the Salvation Army (located on Galveston Island at 23rd Street & Broadway) with weekly dinner teams that purchase, prepare and serve meals on Monday evenings. January 2010 marked the beginning of the 12th year for our weekly Monday evening dinner teams. Each team serves one Monday per month. Can you help? Contact the church office 409.762.8638 75 Angel Tree gifts were collected by FPC for Christmas 2009. * * * The Outreach Grant Fund Ministry of First Presbyterian.... As an act of stewardship, the First Presbyterian Church created an Outreach Fund Ministry using interest earned from Trust. Funds. Grants for the development and support of innovative and inspiring outreach programs are awarded annually. An Outreach Fund Ministry was formed as a sub-committee of the Mission Committee to receive, review, and make recommendations on worthy proposals. Members of our church are involved in many community organizations and priority is given to proposals from these organizations. For more OFM information, please click here: 2009 Outreach Fund Grant recipients were: East End Preschool & Kindergarten (replace equipment lost in Ike), Gulf Coast Big Brothers & Big Sisters ("Mentoring Children of Prisoners" program), NAMI Gulf Coast (support campaign for new multi-service center), Pregnancy & Parenting Support Center (replace 125 infant car seats damaged in Ike), R House (replace beds lost in Ike), Salvation Army (replace equipment lost in Ike), Seafarers' Center of Galveston (pressure wash, prime & paint building), St. Vincent's House (food for Food Pantry & Annual Thanksgiving Feast.) 2009 grants total: $39,999.00 * * * Post-Ike donations
Many thanks go out to individuals & churches, who have contributed financially or through other donations to First Presbyterian or to East End Preschool & Kindergarten.
* * * Jesse Tree: We are involved with and help support the Jesse Tree, a networking & referral agency for social services, officially located at 2622 Market Street in Galveston. Jesse Tree has been operating at Holy Rosary Church since Hurricane Ike, with donations now being accepted at their regular location, 27th & Market Streets. Hygiene items were collected by the children during Presbyterian VBS August 2009 for The Jesse Tree. Jesse Tree has a continuing need for monetary support, toiletries for distribution and volunteers to help with food distribution & other projects. For more information on the Jesse Tree go to this website link: * * * AIDS Coalition of Coastal Texas (ACCT): The FPC Mission Ministry periodically provides Thursday Lunch for the local AIDS CCT. * * * The Luke Society operates a free walk-up clinic in the church's parking lot at 19th & Church Streets, each Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m., in conjunction with a free breakfast program. * * * Meals on Wheels: FPC team members deliver hot meals to the home-bound through Edgewater. Contact Bill Bumpus for more information. * * * World Missions: Global Missionaries with connections to FPC Galveston.... Malawi: Rev. Debbie Chase, a PC (U.S.A.) missionary to Malawi, is a former member of this congregation and last visited with us in March 2006. The most recent newsletter from Livingstonia is posted on the Mission bulletin board in Fellowship Hall. Contact & more info: debbiechaseccap@malawi.net http://www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/profiles/chased.htm Malawi Facts link and Malawi Info from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) link December 2009 letter from Debbie Chase "Uchizi na Mtende" (Grace and Peace) * * * Annual Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study Find out more about Presbyterian missionaries around the globe! This daily devotional guide features lectionary readings, prayers, and information about Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission work & missionaries in the U.S. and around the world, as well as information on every Presbytery and Synod. The Yearbook is accessible online at www.pcusa.org/pcusa/cmd/mip/mybtoday.html For information on missionaries of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) see www.pcusa.org/missionconnections * * * Heifer International Heifer International has been a part of our Vacation Bible School program since 1986. Since 1944, Heifer International & its supporters have helped millions of people in over 128 countries become more self-reliant through livestock to raise, training and “Passing on the Gift” to others. To find out more, click Heifer International * * * Alternative Christmas Gift Market: An Alternative Christmas "Fair Trade" Gift Market is usually held in October, featuring SERRV Fair Trade Crafts. 20% (our proceeds from sales) go to FPC's mission work. * * * Special Offerings: A Presbyterian tradition for almost seventy years, the Christmas Joy Offering is one of the special offerings designated by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Fifty percent of the Christmas Joy Offering receipts are distributed by the Board of Pensions for assistance programs providing support to retired and active church workers, their spouses and families. The other half supports Presbyterian-related racial ethnic education through the National Ministries Division of the General Assembly Council. * * * The annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering is taken by many denominations during the Easter season. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) divides this special offering between..... PC(USA) - Self Development of People PC(USA) - Presbyterian Disaster Assistance The PDA has been active in the Galveston-Houston area since Hurricane Ike. The PDA is also working on the problem of staff attrition - following disasters, churches usually experience a complete turnover in staff during the following 36 months, at a time when stability on continuity is most needed; our pastor, Rev. David Green, is assisting with this PDA project. * * *
IMPACT Youth Mission Trip to Victoria, TX June 26-29, 2008
Some of the youth at our church (Connor, David, Naomi, Ndidi) had a unique opportunity to participate in the first annual “Impact Texas” youth mission event! On Thursday, June 26, four of the youth, along with their “fearless leader” Heather, made the 3-hour trek to Victoria, Texas. Once there, they joined up with youth from 6 other Presbyterian churches around the state. First Presbyterian Church in Victoria was kind enough to offer their educational building for sleeping quarters, as well as make lunch for the youth before they left on Sunday. While in Victoria, the youth spent their days serving those in the community by painting, doing yard work, and helping to assemble new playground equipment at their host church. Some wonderful work was accomplished and some great friends were made! It was a VERY successful trip and the youth are looking forward to going again next year! Here are a few pictures from the trip. To get more information and to see a slide show including more pictures, you can go to: www.impacttexas.net Heather :)
In the meantime, a link to the
video slideshow:
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For information from Synod of the Sun (the
Presbyterian
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Presbyterian - please designate your gift for "PDA-Haiti." The
offering will go to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
Tales of
an African Dog in Texas."
region
including Texas & Louisiana) on continuing post-hurricane relief
efforts see