
Missions at FPC
The Salvation Army
at 23rd & Broadway, where teams from First Presbyterian have
prepared & served Monday nights dinners for nearly 10 years, reports they hope
to have their Galveston facility open in early 2009. The cooking teams look
forward to going back!
Our 30 Angel Tree gifts were
delivered on December 22.
* * *
Galveston Seafarers' Christmas
Boxes
76 gift bags and 24 gift boxes were
delivered to the Center
on December 22. Thanks to all
who contributed! A big portion
of this year's gift items were
donated by Grace Presbyterian, Plano, TX --
they knew we might have a bit of
difficulty filling our usual 100 boxes.
* * *
Equal Exchange tea is still
available - see Janice Smith to purchase.
All proceeds go to the FPC Nicaragua
Medical Mission.
* * *
The children & youth of Trinity
Presbyterian Church in Laurel, Mississippi recently provided boxes of "care
packages" for kids, infant supplies, & hygiene items
to be distributed locally - these
children went through Hurricane Katrina and
felt called to reach out to the
children of Galveston. Some boxes were distributed through the church, the
gift bags were given out at the Christmas Festival on
December 13, some boxes were given
to children in the church, and the remaining boxes
& other items were taken to the Jesse Tree on December 16.
* * *
The 2008 Nicaragua Medical
Mission Team - the first report on the trip is
here
2008 - waiting at the clinic...
(Below) In the Pharmacy 2008
Click
here for pictures from the 2008 Nicaragua Health Fair !
First Presbyterian has a strong
mission emphasis and a long-standing medical ministry in Nicaragua. Every
summer, members travel to Nicaragua to provide medical care to the people of Mulukuku and to those in surrounding areas through satellite clinics.

The congregation of FPC helps supply medicines and other needed items.
Thanks to
all who helped prepare for or
supported the 2008 mission!
(Right) Team Leader Dr. Janice Smith
jksmith@utmb.edu
* * *
During the
2007 trip 2301 patients were seen. Many of those who go (including some FPC senior highs)
may have no medical training, but they do have willing hands and a desire to
serve.
Click here for More Nica info
* * *
Christmas Joy Gift Offering
to be taken on
Sunday, December 21
to aid retired church workers and
racial-ethnic schools
* * *
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:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLq6HijDacA
Watch for IMPACT
reunion news!


Background in IMPACT 2008, from Heather Sommer
Hello all!
For those of you who participated in the Youth Sunday services, just wanted
to thank you again and tell you what a great job you did!
Wanted to also tell you about a great mission opportunity for us to
participate in this summer. It's called "IMPACT" (Igniting & Motivating a
Presbytery Army of Christian Teens) and here is a link to the website.
Please check it out!
www.impacttexas.net
This is a brand new program (in the Presbytery of New Covenant) -- this will
be the first year for it. The first mission project will be held in
Victoria, the last weekend in June. What will happen is that we will drive
to Victoria Thursday afternoon on June 26. We'll stay in a local church
there. On Friday and Sat during the day we will do housepainting and
yardwork for local residents, who, due to old age and/or disabilities, can't
do it themselves.
In the evenings, we'll get
ourselves cleaned up and have some activities at the church (games, etc).
On Sunday morning, we'll attend church service at First Presbyterian in
Victoria, where we've been staying, and share with the congregation all the
great stuff we accomplished while we were there. Then, we'll head home.
Like I said, it's a brand new program, but the man who is putting it
together (Timothy Coman of Faith Presbyterian) is patterning it after a
program that's been in place in the Methodist church for a while now called
UMARMY. Here is a link to a short video on YouTube from UMARMY (Houston
2007 project). It's a different program, but similar to what we hope IMPACT
will be like and will give you a little bit of an idea of what to expect:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9vtf0wd5ZM
* * *
2008 VBS Mission Project for Heifer
International
This year's
VBS freewill offering supported the
Temaxcalapa Integral Farming Youth
Center Project in Veracruz, Mexico, where 160 indigenous youth from the states
of Veracruz, Puebla & Oaxaca live during the week at the House of Youths.
The project is providing 3000 tilapia fish, laying hens, red worms for
vermiculture, a
greenhouse, assorted livestock & training, and training in organic & hydroponic
gardening.
Total: $537.61
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.
Heifer International

* * *
Background on some
of FPC's local mission projects.....
Monthly Hunger Collections - first
Sunday of each month
Bring non-perishables any day for St. Vincent's House Food
Pantry
here in Galveston, and 2-Cents-a-Meal (for meals eaten out this past month) for the
Presbyterian Hunger
Program.
A long-standing
tradition at First Presbyterian (over 20 years!).....the first Sunday of each
month, there are two hunger program collections -
non-perishables are
collected in baskets in McCullough Hall for distribution through a Galveston
food pantry;
and
2-Cents-a-Meal (5-Cents
suggested
for each meal eaten out during the month). Donations go into baskets by the
sanctuary doors, to be distributed through the Presbyterian Hunger Program.
Information on hunger & homelessness to be found by clicking this link:
Presbyterian Hunger Program
Cash
donations for the Food Pantry also go to St. Vincent's House.
Cash and canned
goods are also collected by our youth each year on
"Souper Bowl Sunday". For more
information on this national program, see
www.souperbowl.org
* * *
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:
Outreach Fund Ministry
List of program
Recipients of Outreach Fund Ministry grants 2005-2007
* * *
Salvation Army:
First Presbyterian supports 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 2008 marked the beginning of
the 10th 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
In December 2007, FPC members &
friends once again adopted 46 "Angel Tree" children for whom to provide
gifts of new clothing.
* * *
Jesse Tree:
We are involved with and help support
the Jesse Tree, a networking & referral agency for social services, located at
2622 Market Street in Galveston.
Jesse Tree has a continuing need for
toiletries for distribution and volunteers to help with food distribution &
other projects. For more information on the Jesse Tree go to this website
link:
Galveston Safety Net
* * *
Galveston Seafarers'
Ministry:
Over 25 years
ago, First Presbyterian was a founding member of the local ministry, located at
22nd & Mechanic Streets. FPC provides ongoing support and, each November,
the children & youth in the Sunday School (with adult helpers) pack Christmas
boxes for distribution, over 1800 so far.
54
Christmas gift boxes (+ extra bars of soap) were delivered by FPC to the
GALVESTON SEAFARERS’ MINISTRY for Christmas 2007.
Website for
Galveston Seafarers' Ministry:
Seafarers'
Center of Galveston
* * *
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 20th & Church Street, each
Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m.
* * *
Meals on Wheels:
FPC team members deliver hot
meals to the home-bound through Edgewater. Contact Eleanor Grant for
more information.
* * *
Alternative Christmas
Gift Market:
For the past five
years, an Alternative Christmas
"Fair Trade" Gift Market has been held in October, featuring SERRV/A Greater Gift
Fair Trade Crafts. 20% of the proceeds go to our Nicaragua Medical Mission.
* * *
For information from Synod of the Sun (the
Presbyterian
region
including Texas & Louisiana) on continuing post-Katrina, post-Rita relief
efforts see
The
Presbyterian SUN online
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.
* *
* *
Christmas International
House:
International college students staying in the Houston area
during the Christmas holidays often come to FPC one day for lunch - the Houston area programs are sponsored by
the Presbytery of New Covenant. For more information about this national
ministry, click link to
Christmas International House
*
* *
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.
Debbie Chase's
May
2008 newsletter
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
"Uchizi na Mtende" (Grace and
Peace)
* *
Ecuador:
The December letter on the
Robin & Mike McMahan
family in Quito may be found on the Mission bulletin board.
* * *
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
Presbyterian Hunger Program
PC(USA) - Presbyterian
Disaster Assistance
* * *
2008 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
