Mission

He has showed you, O mortals, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  Micah 6:8

Mission at Faith Presbyterian Church is truly a giving of our time talents and treasures. We are always open to new ideas where we can further our outreach to the community and throughout the world.

Faith Presbyterian Church members are active in local ministries.

We participated in the Interfaith Coalition Community Service Week in the Spring of 2010.  Enjoy viewing the highlights from our time!:

Faith Church - Community Outreach Video

We provide and serve a meal the 2nd Monday of each month at Daybreak, a drop in center for those recovering from mental health/retardation and drug and alcohol addiction.  You can volunteer to bake a dozen cookies, do the shopping for the meal, or help prepare and serve.

We participate in CROP walk, a 5k walk through historic Allentown to raise funds for Church World Service (CWS)/CROP worldwide and in Allentown.

We sponsor spring and fall clothing and food drives each year in support of Sixth Street Shelter, Turning Point, the Ecumenical Food Bank, and other local concerns.

We are also part of the Angel Network, which supports the local elementary and middle schools in the East Penn School District providing clothes, food, money, or whatever is needed.

We enjoy a partnership with Westminster Village, providing financial support by participating in its' annual November Lemon Tree Bazaar, and emotional support by providing birthday and Christmas gifts to residents.  Our pastor and choirs also participate in worship services for the residents.

We organize a playgroup every other month at the DevonHouse, an Assistant Living facility in Emmaus.  The children visit with the residents for about an hour in their lobby.

 

Faith Presbyterian Church members are active in national/international ministries.

For the past 17 summers, a group of young adults age 14 and up participates in Workcamp, under the auspices of Group Workcamps.  Workcamp is the ultimate expression of Christian service that provides unlimited spiritual growth.  For more information, click here.

In response to God's call to share his love with our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world, we have formed a partnership with the Riamukurwe Parish of the Presbyterian Church in Nyeri, Kenya, East Africa.  For more information, click here. 

For the past five years, a group from our congregation "gives up" their Thanksgiving break to head south and assist with Katrina Relief efforts.  The group goes under the auspices of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), stays at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gulfport, MS, and brings hope to the local residents by doing building projects.

 

Faith Presbyterian Church members commit their financial resources.

We support local, national and international concerns through pledges to our church annual budget and other special needs.

In recent years, Faith Church has made a yearly donation to the Lehigh County Conference of Churches in support of their ecumenical work in the local community.

Each year, our youth collect funds on Souper Bowl Sunday.  Monies received are sent to a local charity to help fight hunger.

When disaster strikes at home or abroad, the Mission Committee keeps the congregation informed of ways to assist.  Donations can be given through the church to the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA).  "PDA enables congregations and mission partners of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to witness to the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crisis and catastrophic events.  They provide a ministry of relief and response to disasters, aid to refugees and displaced persons, and refugee resettlement."

We also make a yearly pledge in support of the General Assembly, Synod and Presbytery efforts.

The Mission Committee also awards grants to various organizations performing God's work.  In past years, grants have been awarded to funds such as Camp Brainerd Presbyterian Camp, the Presbyterian Theological Education Fund, the Medical Benevolence Foundation, the Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship, and the Presbyterian Disaster Association Relief fund for New York City.

 

Faith Presbyterian Church participates in four Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) church wide special offerings.

Pentecost Offering-Through Pentecost Offering receipts, PCUSA ministers to children at risk.  They assist in guiding and nurturing the faith of Presbyterian young people, calling forth a new generation of leadership in mission service through national and international young adult volunteers and interns.

Peacemaking Offering-Christians are called as Christ's people to be God's peacemakers as agents of reconciliation in families, individual lives, communities, churches, the international arena, and the whole of creation.  Peacemaking is the human response to the divine gift of peacegiving.  The Peacemaking Offering supports the peacemaking efforts of the church at every governing body level, and provides an opportunity to witness God's gift of peace in the world.

One Great Hour of Sharing-One Great Hour of Sharing continues to offer hope for those most hopeless.  In sharing resources with people in need around the world, we not only witness God's love in action in their lives; we feel it moving in our own.  Our gifts to the offering support the ministries for the Presbyterian Hunger Program, the Self-Development of People, and the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.

Christmas Joy-Fifty percent of the receipts to the Christmas Joy Offering are distributed to the Board of Pensions for assistance programs that provide support to retired and active church workers and their spouses and families.  The other fifty percent supports the eight Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges through the National Ministries Division of the General Assembly Council.

 

Highlights of 2009:

In July, 22 participants (17 youth and 4 adults) traveled to Martinsburg, WV for a week of spiritual growth and home repair for the needy.

Our Women of Faith sponsored an Operation Christmas Child packing party in our Fellowship Hall (see photo above).  We packed 81 boxes full of fun goodies for needy children around the world.

Faith Church was privileged to have Martha-Lee Bohn as a guest pastor.  Martha-Lee Bohn was the Director of Youth Ministry at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Gulfport, MS, when Hurricane Katrina hit.  She is now the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Presbytery of Mississippi Disaster Recovery operation.  More than four years since Katrina, the Presbytery of MS has hosted and directed over 40,000 volunteers.  She spoke to us about the last four years of tragedy, faith and hope.  Martha has written a story titled "Coincidence is God's Way of Remaining Anonymous", and can be found in Lynne Klippel's book, Overcomers, Inc.  Martha also led an evening program for our youth.

We now offer for sale Equal Exchange Fairly Traded Coffee to the congregation.  It can be purchased for $7 a bag.  This is the coffee we use for fellowship hour.

 

Extra-Budgetary Giving in 2009:

Allentown Rescue: $500

Angel Network (Lincoln Elementary): $500

Camp Brainerd: $1,000

Daybreak: $249

Martha-Lee Bohn: $275

Meals on Wheels: $1,000

Mississippi Presbytery: $500

Helping Hands: $500

Outreach Foundation: $520

PDA relief (Gulfport): $850

Second Harvest Food Bank: $1,000

Y2K: $3,000