The Heart of Mission
April 20, 2021
We have begun the week of Earth Day with a fresh look for State street and around Westside Park. On Saturday April 17, twelve of us gathered for Adopt-a-Highway. This photo shows a few of us signing in. I think we picked up more than two full size garbage bags and even more recyclables. If anyone is interested in some dandelion picking, there is some to do in our gardens. Let us know! The help would be appreciated.
This Wednesday April 21 will feature a discussion on David Attenborough’s film A Life on Our Planet at 7pm on zoom. April 22nd is the 51st Earth Day and there are three circles in Presbyterian Women studying Lesson 7 on Creation Lament. Saturday we will have a Styrofoam drop off from 9-11am culminating on Sunday worship when we will worship and celebrate this great Earth God has given us to care for.
Add another plant sale to your gardening list. I learned that on April 30 and May 1, the Kappa Kappa Gamma flower sale will be held at the Indian Acres Swim Club and the proceeds will go toward DREAAM house! We love supporting DREAAM!
And, don’t forget May 1 and 2 will also be our Cuba Weekend. Next Wednesday, April 28, 7pm, we will show Dr. Nils Jacobson talk on the history and current situation in Cuba video. Or, you can watch it on your own now to prepare questions for the Annual Forum where he will be available to answer your questions. The Cuba flier is attached below with the YouTube link to the talk. You will need a zoom link for the Cuba Weekend. Let me know and I will send it to you.
Peace,
Rev. Dr. Rachel Matthews, Mission Coordinator
SAFEHOUSE: Before and after photos of the new siding at SAFEHOUSE. The house was damaged last year from hail. It is looking great!
Friends of PEB have teamed up with our friends from Bunyaad Rugs to bring us a PEB Benefit event: a series of cooking classes that will go to benefit our PEB schools in Pakistan! We have to register before May 8 so if you are interested in what you see on this schedule, please let Sallie Hutton or anyone in the Pakistan group know. We are trying to get a group together to watch the shows. Or, register at https://donorbox.org/pakistani-dinner-series
| LifeLine Pilots Turns 40! Here is what they have to say, |
In 2021, LifeLine Pilots celebrates an important milestone: 40 years of helping people in need! Since our first flight under the watchful eye of our visionary founder Wanda Whitsitt to now having flown over 8,900 missions, the caring reach of LifeLine Pilots is stronger than ever!
While we can’t have a large public celebration this year as we had originally hoped, the staff recently celebrated at our office (and speaking of our office, keep reading for an exciting announcement!) |
| And, LifeLine Pilots has a new home! Our new address is LifeLine Pilots, 4507 N. Sterling Avenue, Suite 402, Peoria IL, 61615 |
|
CU at Home in the news: Rick Williams, Ministry Development Assistant, shared this news,
On the first Tuesday of every month, representatives of more than 25 non-profit and government agencies, faith-based organizations, and businesses, including C-U at Home, come together (via Zoom during the pandemic) to address the challenges of homelessness in Champaign County.
Known as the Champaign County Continuum of Service Providers to the Homeless (CSPH), this organization coordinates services and supporting programs crucial to helping those in our community who are most in need.
“People who benefit from these programs include those who have experienced crises resulting in homelessness—the kinds of crises that could affect any one of us at any time,” CSPH Coordinator Thomas Bates notes.
Another important activity entrusted to CSPH is the annual count of the local homeless population, which took place here this past January (video below). Learn more about CSPH in our April Newsletter, which will arrive in your inbox next week. Before then, would you consider sharing this link with friends and family with an invitation to subscribe to our newsletter? We would love to bring more partners into our C-U at Home extended family!
Here is a WCIA news report on the Annual Homeless Count. See it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhgkqmXgUSs
Praise God for Year Round shelters!
We want to keep 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)
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
FPCC Mission Team, World Mission and Community Mission Deacons
302 W. Church Street
Champaign, IL 61820
217-356-7238
info@firstpres.church
|
|
