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Mission ActivitiesService and mission work is a priority for First Presbyterian Church. We tend the needs of our church community, the greater Austin area community, and the world through gifts of our time, talents and money, including support for the homeless, the local food bank, social service ministries, Presbytery mission projects, Children's homes, new housing projects, and an Alternative Christmas Gift Market that supports the special needs of local and worldwide programs and missions. The FPC Service & Outreach Ministry Team communicates with the FPC congregation about service and mission programs so that they may find various opportunities to use their God-given talents and skills. In addition, the S&O Ministry Team is responsible for the timely disbursement of the received pledged giving funds to Presbyterian and other mission-centered programs and projects. In 2006, the S&O team was entrusted with $64,690.36, 10% of total pledged giving from church members. The Team made recommendations to Session how these funds should be used for service and outreach to those in need. Some of the agencies supported are identified below. PC-USA and Mission Presbytery ProgramsMissionary Work in MississippiFirst Presbyterian Church is sponsoring Mical Crase in a year-long position with the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program of PC-USA. Since September 2006, Mical has been living in a 30 foot trailer on a cow pasture in a Presbyterian Volunteer Village outside Gulfport, Mississippi, on the coast near the Alabama border. He has been responsible for organizing volunteers from all over the US who volunteered for a week to work in teams to rebuild and repair homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina 2 years ago. Mical has been doing this remarkable work since September 2006 and will be here until at least August 2007. Mission PresbyteryFPC also financially supports other mission and service programs sponsored by Mission Presbytery, through which Presbyterians are engaged in mission in the United States and worldwide. More information about mission opportunities sponsored by the PC-USA is available on the web site http://www.pcusa.org/. Local Mission and Service Work in the Austin CommunityFor those who cannot make such a dedication of time and life, there are many local areas where we can answer the same call to mission. We hope you might find among those listed below an area or project which interests you. We invite you to find out more about any of them by contacting the church office at (512) 345 8866. Alternative Christmas Gift MarketAn alternative way to give Christmas presents is by making charitable gift donations that support local and worldwide mission and service programs in the name of a recipient. FPC has been hosting Alternative Christmas Gift Markets each November since 1994. These have raised many thousands of dollars to aid programs in Austin, Texas and all over the world with special emphasis on Presbyterian missions. The Market is a truly educational event as booths representing the different projects have displays and provide information sheets explaining the use of donations. Gift cards are available with each donation. Austin Area Interreligious MinistriesA citywide ecumenical agency, AAIM helps churches and other agencies focus on local needs and assists in helping to meet these needs. They sponsor a widely attended Thanksgiving service each year in a different church and area of the city at which Christians, Jews and Muslims join in dedication to serving the God they all worship. Food for the HungryThe first Sunday of every month is our "First Food Sunday". FPC supports the Manos de Cristo food pantry with donations of canned goods and non- perishables (beans, pastas, etc.), which can be brought to the food chest in the Church Narthex and then delivered to Manos. Freeze NightsWinter Freeze Nights are declared on nights that the temperature is below 34 degrees and wet, or below 32 degrees and dry. The Freeze Night provides shelter on very cold nights to homeless families and women who participate in a program of ARCH. FPC works with Central Presbyterian Church where the homeless are housed. Several congregations in the Austin area provide an evening meal and breakfast to participants. Habitat for HumanityOn Saturday, April 28, 2007, 20 FPC members participated in building a Presbyterian Habitat for Humanity House in Austin. FPC members gathered at the building site in the Montopolis area of Austin, and spent the day roofing, painting, installing siding, and cleaning up the job site. The house, located at 6905 Villita Avenida, is being financed and built by FPC and five other Austin area Presbyterian churches. Construction is scheduled to be completed by July 1, 2007. Interfaith Hospitality NetworkFPC is a member of the second Austin Interfaith Hospitality Network. Three or four times a year, the church hosts several homeless families for a week, providing food and shelter. During the weeks that families are part of the program, IHN staff work with them to find new housing and/or employment. Manos de CristoManos de Cristo's (Hands of Christ) mission is to provide much needed assistance to underserved individuals in the Austin community. This year, FPC members Bev Harlan and Helene Treat are Manos Board Representatives and Mark Orr is the President of the Manos Board. Manos de Cristo is located at 4911 Harmon Avenue, Austin TX 78751, Phone: 512-477-7454. But what is Manos? It's the programs and services mentioned here - and much more. It's tutoring in elementary schools, tamale sales and gala fundraisers. It's the volunteers who give of their time, and the staff who work so diligently. It's the sponsors and contributors who consistently show they care. It's faith and hope and lots of love. At Manos de Cristo, the hands of Christ are most certainly at work. Every day on a first hand basis, people witness an amazing ministry of miracles - and see love in action. More information is available on the Manos de Cristo web site http://www.manosdecristo.org/. Giving Hands A major component of the Clothes Closet is the Back-To-School Project held for two weeks during the summer. This is a massive community-wide event where individuals, churches and corporations throughout Austin contribute clothing, backpacks and educational items. Manos needs volunteers for its Annual Back-to-School Program. There is a full week of sorting/organizing from July 16-20th, and then there is the actual program where you will be able to interact with the children July 23- 27th or July 30-August 3rd. Healing Hands Helpful Hands Manos will be posting a weekly list on its website that of what items in the pantry are lacking and hopefully you will join Manos in its efforts to serve more of the underserved individuals in the Austin community. Highlighted items currently include Powdered Milk, Eggs, Flour, Sugar, Cooking Oil, and Cereal. Successful Hands As the spring 2007 session ends, about 60% of the students who started Manos' English as a Second Language (ESL) program back in January will be completing the semester. Some will take a break from ESL during the summer months but will use the time to further their computer knowledge and skills. The ESL coordinator at Manos, Julie Ballesteros, is always looking for more teachers for both the morning or evening classes. If you are a volunteer teacher in the education program and have any ideas on how the program can be improved, please contact Julie via email, educationalpc@manosdecristo.org as she welcomes input to increase attendance, class size or overall efficiency. Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Inc."For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness". Romans 12:4-8 Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Inc. (MLF) is a social outreach ministry to the homeless and indigent working poor. Founded in 1998 by 6 parishioners of St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Austin, its mission is to "Providing food, clothing and dignity to our brothers and sisters in need", through the use of ten trucks. One supply truck and nine catering trucks go out every night on the streets of Austin, San Antonio, and New Orleans. In 2006, MLF served over 250,000 meals. Today, MLF has several other programs in addition to serving meals to our brothers and sisters in need. Habitat on Wheels (HOW) places homeless people in gently-used travel trailers that have been fully furnished. The MLF Disaster Relief Response is a program that springs into action immediately after a disaster within driving distance of our program. The Disaster Relief Response provides meals, cleaning supplies, water, and other essential needs to our brothers and sisters who have been devastated by disasters such as floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes. New Church DevelopmentFPC supports new church development through Mission Presbytery. Recently FPC has supported the new Dripping Springs Presbyterian Church financially and through the actions of FPC members. Pastor Nancy Marroquin is a former member and Associate Pastor of FPC and we wish her a successful and exciting journey as she leads this new church in the Austin area. For more information about the Dripping Spring Presbyterian Church, please visit their web site: http://www.dspres.org/index.php. West Austin CaregiversWest Austin Caregivers is a coalition of churches that recruit, train and coordinate volunteers to provide services for the elderly. These free-to- client services are designed to help older adults remain in their own homes for as long as possible. Volunteers are needed to provide transportation for rides and errands, to make simple home repairs, to serve as friendly visitors, to read to the visually impaired, keep simple records, and to pay bills. There is also a loan closet for health-care equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, etc. For more information, call Sue Stanford at West Austin Caregivers, 472-6339 or send an email to wacaregivers@juno.com.
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