Learn About Our Ministries

Christmas Swags (Wreaths): On the last Sunday in November members of our church go out on the national forest and cut a few Christmas trees and several truckloads of evergreen limbs and branches.  The following week the limbs are assembled with red bows into beautiful Christmas wreathes that are then sold around the community.  After covering cost of supplies, the remainder of the money raised is donated back to church mission opportunities, including Intermountain Children’s Home in Helena, MT.

 

Operation Christmas Child is a nationwide effort that collects shoeboxes full of Christmas cheer to be given to children all over the world.

Kids Night In/Parents Night Out: Quarterly we offer an opportunity for kids of all ages to come for a meal and games.  Parents are encouraged to have a date night, run errands, or have a few hours of rest.  During that time the kids will participate in a service project for the elderly in our community. 

One Great Hour of Sharing helps the Presbytery in its efforts toward supporting people suffering from disaster, conflict and severe hardships. Many people, take a “Gracie the Fish” to fill according to a giving calendar.  Others give within their means.  Also at Christmas time, the Joy Offering and Good Samaritan Offering are taken.

 

The Christmas Joy Offering is taken as an extra offering on the Sunday before Christmas.  The moneys collected from this offering also support the Presbytery.  This offering is directed toward the Pastor’s Retirement Fund and Ethnic and Racial Education and Leadership.

 

The Good Samaritan Offering, collected as our Christmas Eve offering, supports First Presbyterian Church’s efforts toward Local Missions.  A portion of this offering is given to the Ministerial Alliance to help transients and others who are in need in our community.  The Ministerial Alliance also supports the High School Lunch Bunch program. 

 

The Pentecost Offering helps the church encourage, develop, and support its young people, and also addresses the needs of at-risk children. 40% of the Pentecost offering can be retained by individual congregations wanting to make an impact in the lives of young people within their own community. The remaining 60% is used to support children-at-risk, youth, and young adults through ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

 

The Peace & Global Witness Offering enables the church to promote the Peace of Christ by addressing systems of conflict and injustice across the world. Individual congregations are encouraged to utilize up to 25% of this Offering for peacemaking efforts that align with their local community needs. Mid-councils retain an additional 25% for ministries of peace and reconciliation. The remaining 50% is used by the Presbyterian Mission Agency to advocate for peace and justice in cultures of violence, including our own, through collaborative projects of education and Christian witness.

Chi Alpha of Christian Ministries may look a little bit different on every campus—but here’s what you’re always sure to find: college-aged men and women who are wrestling to become who they are (through school or work or life experience), and seeking to connect with God. You’ll probably find people who are in all kinds of stages of both pursuits: self-discovery and God-discovery.

Sharing God’s Warmth: Members of our church work on quilts and other garments that are given away locally and to other mission outreach locations statewide and internationaly.

 

CASA Bags and Supplies are provided for all the foster kids who are in our community.

Care Cards: Many young people from our congregation have gone on to college and our church loves providing food gift cards (Subway, Dairy Queen, etc) and a note to them to let them know we are thinking about them and praying for their success.  We usually take a collection in the fall and send out cards in October.

 

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