The Heart of Mission
June 23, 2020
There is no way to know all that God is doing through the generous giving during this time of shelter in place. One place God is touching is at CU at Home which has been stepped out in faith and opened up the emergency shelter for the whole year. You might not realize what a help it has been to our friends without an address but it is huge so I am mentioning it again this week. Also, take a look at some of the photos of the night shelter at the Douglas Center, of the day center, of a volunteer working at the Phoenix drop-in center, and of one of the guests showing his stay safe mask. Thank goodness for all the volunteers and staff who help our friends stay clean, safe and step out each day on solid ground! Thank you CU at Home for these pictures!
Peace,
Rachel Matthews,
Temporary Mission Coordinator
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
PUT JULY 8, 7PM ON YOUR CALENDAR – Our Wednesday Night zoom gathering will have a mission focus.
Canteen Run They will begin taking the truck out on Sundays. They begin at the Salvation Army on Market Street then stop at the Douglas Center, Austin’s Place, Westside Park, 6th and Green and the Urbana Library. They hand out sandwiches. Current needs are for coordinators, drivers, and makers of sandwiches. They practice social distancing as they hand out sandwiches.Their guests at the men’s shelter will be providing lists for needed items which will be bagged up at the storage unit, labeled, and then taken to the shelter the next day to be distributed. They can use help with making up these bags. They need someone to make sandwiches for June 24. Please sign up to drive or coordinate at http://tinyurl.com/canteenrun1 or email cucanteenrun@gmail.com. Email if you can help bag up items for those at the men’s shelter. We can be reached at: cucanteenrun@gmail.com, or a Facebook page, (please like us), or Twitter at Barb Davies@ cucanteenrun.
Mission Possible Here are a few words from Bill Gamble who has been keeping many of us abreast of what is happening with the kitchen and all renovations in the church while we are all away:
“Time drags on, but various things being done in anticipation of an
eventual, if even limited, re-opening of First Presby. A small part of
Mission Possible is building a sneeze-shield for the receptionist’s
desk. (Have keep making saw-dust.) A shield for soloists being
considered…..There is progress on the kitchen reconstruction. Most of the studs up
for new wall sections, no dry wall yet. Framing for much of the
suspended ceiling done.”
(I can hardly wait.)
Salt and Light is finding “normal” again. If you are an active volunteer or credit-earning participant, you are welcome to go to Salt and Light and fill out a volunteer schedule request! Those needing light duty will be restricted to two-hour shifts. Everyone else will be able to schedule themselves up to four-hour shifts. People will be assigned based on current capacity restrictions and experience. They are excited to see people in the computer labs again! To promote physical distancing, they are limiting the space to one person per table. Interested in serving in our computer lab, as a volunteer? Contact Lisa Sheltra at lisa@saltandlightmnistry.org. Everyone can shop at Salt and Light.
Frontera de Cristo’s “Coffee, Conversation and Compassion” ends this week as does the special sale at Café Justo. Email “conversation” to office@fronteradecristo.org to get the Zoom info for the June 25: CAME Anniversary (Centro de Atención al Migrante “Exodus” / “Exodus” Migrant Assistance Center)
Presbyterian Women You are invited to see the video with Eugenia Gamble leading a bible study on the last commandment in our PW Bible study “Love Carved in Stone” which the women have been studying this past year. Thursday, July 25, 9:30am.
Email info@firstpres.church for the link.
International Friends: University of Illinois International Hospitality Committee has said there will be several thousand International students here in Champaign in August rather than the 13,000 here last August. Nevertheless, IHC is gearing up for small groups and welcoming students at the August registration table. Let us keep international students in our prayers as they prepare to come in the Fall. If you are interested in being an International Friend, you can contact Bill Erickson from International Friendships, Inc. UIUC (217) 621-3846
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 (Carribean and Cuba)
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 Better Together
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 |
