Mission Committee
Who is currently serving on the Mission Committee?
Bonnie Barkley - Marilyn Cota - Carrie Demers - Barb Hebert - Nancy Wilson Mashaw -
Martha Shaver - Nancy Skiff - Carol Wolmelsdorf – Connie Martin (Session Rep.)
This committee is always open for new members who are passionate about Mission
What does this committee do?
The Mission Committee meets Monthly on the 4th Tuesday at 5:30. They review and discuss all the missions of the church. They do much of the work for the Seaway festival food booth each year. Their job is not really to do all the work of the church mission as much as it is to help direct and guide the church and its mission work. They empower the congregation to but their faith into action.
Our Mission Near and Far
Reaching Out to the Local Community
“In 1945 the Church held its first radio broadcast of the Sunday service. Due to cost effectiveness this was discontinued this past year as we will be live streaming and archiving Church services in the very near future. Regular Sunday worship is Sundays at 10:00 a.m. With live streaming and archiving of services it is our hope that we will also be able to provide viewers/listeners with special services in addition to the regular Sunday worship.”
Each month the church holds the Food $en$e program. The Food $en$e program comes out of the food bank of Central NY. It is a program, “designed to increase self-sufficiency by helping individuals stretch their food dollars.” The church has long been a site for both ordering and picking up food.
There is also a regular free meal served in fellowship hall every Saturday from 11:30 until 12:30.
In addition the church has a summer “Feed the Children Program” designed to feed local children in the two weeks between Summer school and fall term.
“Every Sunday morning members of First Pres. bring food and hygiene products to church to be taken to the Neighborhood center on Monday morning. We also support the neighborhood center when they have special needs that we can help with.
The congregation, through the Mission Committee is very involved with Mission in the North Country (MINC). Through MINC we build many ramps, weatherize homes, make necessary repairs, and have even done some work with roofing. We also host a MINC mission troupe from Virginia each summer in our fellowship hall. MINC also has an emergency fund that is particularly necessary for helping North Country families with the high utility costs associated with living in a cold climate. As a congregation we contribute through special offerings regularly to the emergency fund.
There are many more local missions supported by the Congregation of First Presbyterian through the work of the Mission Committee. For more information please contact the church.
Church Buildings as Mission
As a part of its mission, the Church encourages not-for-profits to use their facility.
In 1970 the first Planned Parenthood clinic in Ogdensburg was held in Fellowship Hall. For many years Planned Parenthood used the Church Fellowship Hall and surrounding rooms for their clinic. Planned Parenthood serves the City of Ogdensburg and its surrounding communities in caring for reproductive health for many women who otherwise could not afford health care.
In the 1980s the building next to the Church, owned by the Church, became the new home for Planned Parenthood in Ogdensburg. The Church leases the building for a very nominal fee to assure the property does not become a burden to the Church. The church does not feel a need to have an income from Planned Parenthood and it considers this to be a part of the church’s many missions.
AA has been meeting on Monday evenings at the church since 1972. Fellowship Hall is used by the County WIC program, and by the local Farmer’s Market on Saturdays from September through November.
In addition to the many regular uses of the church facility you will often find one of the rooms in the Claxton addition used by folks in the community for showers and other family type celebrations.
Mission Beyond the Local Community
The Church supports many different missions. Our disaster team traveled many times to Mississippi to help with clean up after Hurricane Katrina. We contribute to the Presbytery’s mission projects including our partnership with the Synod of Livingstonia and a Crisis Nursery in Muzuzu, Malawi, South Aftrica.
In light of the continued economic struggles for the North Country of New York State, the Church has focused on local mission in more recent years. There are currently work teams that help with projects such as building ramps, securing steps, rebuilding dangerous floors as well as other construction projects. These projects are done in conjunction with MINC (Ministries In the North Country) Rural Rehab.
The congregation also provides generous support to the MINC Emergency Fund. This fund primarily provides emergency heat to those in need in the cold months of NNY.
In addition to the denominational special mission offerings we contribute to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Souper Bowl of Caring, and Heifer Project International, Church World Service as well as many projects that come unexpectedly throughout the year.