The above picture is from our church’s first in person churchwide gathering since the Pandemic. It is outdoors and socially distanced. We have met twice outside at Hessel Park an hour after our online worship, the latest time this past Sunday. The church has not been idle during the past few months! What a relief not to find that out via email or zoom! It was so great to visit with each other. Mission work has not been idle either. The biggest, most important work in mission is connecting with one another. It is connection which leads to the sharing of our needs with one another, sharing our love with one another and sharing the gospel with one another. It is not surprising that when people are oppressed or put in a vacuum of isolation, the part of us made in the image of God (Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer/ Father, Son and Holy Spirit/Related three in one) reaches out for reconciliation and belonging. The opposite of love is not anger, it is apathy. Anger and love are much more the alike than different. They both require connection.
 
In this time of separation and isolation, let us pray for each other
 
How great is your love, Lord God,
how wide is your mercy!
Never let us board up the narrow gate that leads to life
with rules or doctrines that you dismiss;
but give us a Spirit to welcome all people with affection,
so that your church may never exclude
secret friends of yours,
who are included in the love of Jesus Christ,
who came to save us all. Amen.
(BOOK OF OCCASIONAL SERVICES A LITURGICAL RESOURCE SUPPLEMENTING THE BOOK OF COMMON WORSHIP, PCUSA:1993)
 
Peace,
 
Rachel Matthews, Temporary Mission Coordinator
 
Our Mission Agency Announcements:
 
Mission Team – 4:30pm, October 13, zoom
World Mission – 4:30pm,  October 20, zoom
Community Mission Deacons – 4:30pm, October 27, zoom.The next Adopt A Highway will be Tuesday , October 6 at 9am.  First time volunteers call Liz Miley , 356-5402 or email ebmiley@aol.com

Canteen Run – They need medium large, x-l, and 2x-l.coats
Deliveries can be dropped off at the Salvation Army on Market Street.
Canteen Run can be reached at cucanteenrun@gmail.com

CROP WALK – You can watch the virtual CROP Walk this year at Sunday, October 4, 2020 at 1:30 PM
•    Zoom Gathering
•    By Computer: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86161903170
•    By Phone: 
    Phone Number: (312) 626-6799
    Meeting ID: 861 6190 3170

Cuba Partner Network Virtual Gathering 2020 – The PC(USA) Cuba Partners Network Virtual Gathering: Celebrating our Connections in the Time of COVID, was held via Zoom webinar this past weekend. We saw so many of our friends from Cuba! Even Pat Metcalf gave an appearance with a wonderful peace on why we do Advocacy. Stay tuned for more on Cuba as we unpack the Summit. And, please keep the Cuba People in your prayers. We learned about their food and resource challenges due to the US embargo. 

CU at Home – I hope you saw in the newspaper  that Austin’s Place is joining forces with CU at Home. The women and men’s shelter will now be in the same facility. Tomorrow Matt, Lola and myself will attend the Men’s and Women’s Emergency Shelter zoom, Sept. 30, 12pm. Would you join us in prayer for a couple who, like many during this COVID time, continue to be under spiritual warfare and facing one trial after another?       
•    Would you join us in prayer for a friend who has multiple medical procedures upcoming? We ask that God would guide the doctors and nurses and help this amazing women get back to full health.        
•    Please pray for patience for all of us as sometimes things don’t always happen as quickly as we think they will. Help us remember that God’s timing is perfect and not our will but His be done. 
•    Would you also pray for us to have peace in the face of trials and calm when dealing with the storms of adversity?  
•    Thank you God for the opportunities throughout the day to get a glimpse into the life of our fellow man. Click here to read about one of these emotional experiences in a hospital waiting room shared by one of our dear friends, Bev Baker!  
•    Praise the Lord for a new friend without an address who comes to the Phoenix nearly every day, picks up a broom or mop and with a servant’s heart, helps make our drop-in center beautiful! 
•    Praise to Jesus for another longtime friend from the street who moved into his own apartment this week

CYF – Have you ever considered teaching middle schoolers or high schoolers with our own Children, Youth and Families? See Mindy@firstpres.church if you would like to help our educational mission!

Environmental Stewardship Committee Adopt-a-Highway – October 6 at 9am. Bring your own gloves and sign a waiver and release form prior to coming. Rachel can email you a copy. We pick up trash up and down State Street and Westside Park.

Presbyterian Women – The PW books are in!  You should be getting one soon if you ordered it. If you did not and want a copy, Rachel did order extra and you can let her know if you would like one. 

Restoration Urban Ministries – Please keep Brother Irwin Williams, founder of R.U.M., in your prayers. The ministry is going strong but he has been under the weather.

Let us keep all our mission partners in our prayers, those who are waiting to go back to their place of ministry and those who are able to work where they are. Listen for God’s call to you in their ministry.
 
Our PC(USA) Mission CoWorkers:

Mark Adams and Miriam Maidonado Escobar (Mexico)
Farsijanna Adeney-Risakotta (Indonesia)
Jeff and Christi Boyd (Central Africa)
Jo Ella Holman (Caribbean and Cuba) – And, for the mission coworker you are preparing to take her place upon her retirement this month.
Bob and Kristi Rice (South Sudan)
 
Our regional and global mission partners:

Kemmerer Village (and Camp Carew)
Lifeline Pilots
Marion Medical Mission
Mission Aviation Fellowship
Opportunity International
Friends of Presbyterian Education Board in Pakistan Presbyterian Cuba Partnership
Special Offerings of the PC(USA)
Theological Education Fund
Young Adult Volunteers
 
Here in Champaign – Urbana:

CU at Home
CANAAN S.A.F.E. HOUSE
CANTEEN RUN
COURAGE CONNECTION
DREAAM
eMPTY TOMB, INC
FAITH IN ACTION
JESUS IS THE WAY PRISON MINISTRY
THE REFUGEE CENTER
RESTORATION URBAN MINISTRY
SALT & LIGHT
 
Here at First Presbyterian Church

FPCC Amateur Preachers
FPCC Environmental Committee working with Faith in Place
FPCC Presbyterian Women
FPCC ESL
FPCC Children, Youth and Families
FPCC Mission Possible/Go and Serve

   
302 W. Church Street
  Champaign, IL 61820
  217-356-7238
  info@firstpres.church
 
 

 
302 W. Church Street
  Champaign, IL 61820
  217-356-7238
  info@firstpres.church
 
 

• The_Heart_of_Mission_092920.pdf