Service and Outreach assists the Pastor in the general care of the congregation, with particular attention given to the sick, the shut-in, the elderly, and those who are in crisis situations. We also identify mission and outreach opportunities for our church to support and carry out in the community, the nation and the world.
Current Activities and Initiatives include:
Congregational Service
Visitations - Our committee coordinates pastoral visits to sick and shut-ins. We also coordinate certain other visits such as by the Youth Group.
Communion Service to Shut-ins - Service and Outreach coordinates "Ministers of Compassion", which providing communion service to our congregants who can't attend service. Service is provided by special ordination of members.
Prayer Shawls - We coordinate a Prayer Shawl ministry where members make knitted shawls with prayer for the comfort of their recipients. We recieve requests for the shawls from members in the congregation and in the community and arrange for delivery of the shawls in a presentation ceremony.
Prayer Chain - We gather information about members of our congregation and community in need of prayer and pray for them individually, corporately and in connection via prayer chain.
Local Mission
Amen House - Food Collection - We identify and communicate the particular requests and needs of AMEN House and support and faciliate collection of food goods and clothing from our church.
AMEN House - Noisy Offering We also collect change for the Amen House on the fourth Sunday of the month.
Garth School - School Supplies - Working with the Family Resource Center we identify supply needs for less privledged children and organize a collection of donated items for their use. Primary drive is in August and supplementary drives throughout the year.
Garth School - Send Out Snacks - We support the SOS program at Garth School with donations of single serving snack items to supplement school nutrition for children in need. We provide this support throughout the school year.
Hospitality House Support - Service and Outreach has organized fundraisers in support of the Hospitality House mission to serve transitional needs of the homeless in Scott County. We conducted a plant sale fundraiser in the spring and are also organizing a community fundraising dinner event at Rodney's on Broadway for June 20.
Summer Reading Program - First Presbyterian inaugurated a summer program to support reading levels of ten students selected from local elementary schools (grade 2-4). Trained reading partners meet one-on-one with students for an hour of reading and skill support. Seesions are twice a week for six weeks. Our goal was to keep the children's reading level at least at par for the preceeding year; last year student fall testing showed improvements over their prior year scores.
Angel Tree We collect information on needy families thorough local organizations and hang ornament tags with gift requests for each person on a Christmas Tree. Congregational members choose an ornament off the tree and purchase a gift for that family member. We also supply a holiday dinner basket for each family
World Mission
Samaritan’s Purse - S&O coordinates the church's preparation and donation of shoebox gifts through Operation Christmas Child to children throughout the world.
One Great Hour of Sharing - Our gifts support ministries of disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement, and community development that help people find safe refuge, start new lives, and work together to strengthen their families and communities.
Christmas Joy Offering The Christmas Joy Offering is one of the four special offerings designated by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to provide congregations direct ways of supporting specific causes that help those in need.
S&O Chair - Jenny Agnew
