MISSIONS & OUTREACH
At First Presbyterian, our members are actively engaged in missions and outreach—both locally and beyond. Through our mission budget, we support designated ministries, four missionary families, and a variety of local and disaster response efforts. Inspired by the words of James, Chapter 2, we believe that true faith moves us to action.
We invite you to discover where God may be calling you to serve. Join us as we work together to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community and throughout the world.
OUR MISSION PARTNERS
Contact: Erin Willcutt
Many children in our community, like so many others all over the country, eat their only meals while at school and go home to little or no food at night and over the weekend. Volunteers with Backpack Buddies meet each week to pack nutritious food for students to carry home for the weekend to “fill the gap”. After bags are filled, they are distributed through local schools. FPC provides financial support as well as space for the food pantry and the operations of packing the bags.
How can you help? Please pray for the volunteers needed and food donations required to fill the bags. Please consider donating perishable snacks, pre-packaged meals or juice boxes for the bags.
BACKPACK BUDDIES
Contact: Susan Cowart
Community Care Network serves homeless families across the MS Gulf Coast. Their mission is to provide a safe environment and healthy living programs for families that set the foundation for change and breaks the cycle of homelessness.
How can you help? Please pray for this ministry. Pray for affordable housing for their clients, and for staff decisions.
Visit www.ccnms.org for current information on how you can donate, volunteer, and pray for this ministry.
COMMUNITY CARE NETWORK/SUE’S HOME
Contact: Charlotte Brown
Adrienne’s House is operated by the Gulf Coast Women’s Center for Nonviolence. Their mission is to support and serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and survivors of homicide victims. They serve individuals in the Jackson and George County areas.
How can you help? Please pray for the work of this organization.
Visit their website at www.gccfn.org for more information on how to donate or volunteer with this organization.
adrienne’s house
Contact: Lee Kvidahl
Mississippi Presbyterian Renewal periodically sponsors three-day spiritual renewal weekends which include attendees from multiple Presbyterian churches in Mississippi. The aim of the organization and the weekend is to encourage a life of discipleship. Those who have attended are encouraged to participate in small groups at their home church, called 4th Day groups, to support and encourage continued individual discipleship and evangelism.
How can you help? Visit www.mspresbyteriancursillo.com to learn more or to register for the next scheduled weekend.
mississippi presbyterian renewal
Contact: Matt Mitchell
Within the southeast region of the United States we frequently experience hurricanes and tornadoes. We have learned that when big disasters happen God can move in big ways. It has been our joy to join God in responding to areas hit by natural disaster in Hattiesburg, MS, Baton Rouge, LA, Houston, TX, Panama City, FL, and most recently in Moss Point, MS.
How can you help? When response teams are being formed, please consider signing up to work and/or donate needed items or funds.
DISASTER RESPONSE
Contact: Erin Willcutt
The DREAM Program was founded to serve and enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities residing across the Mississippi Gulf Coast and surrounding areas. They offer a variety of activities for these wonderful participants, and FPC cherishes our time with them. We currently host the DREAM choir and the annual Christmas concert.
How can you help? Click here for more information about the program.
THE DREAM PROGRAM
Contact: Rick Whitlock
Belhaven University is a private Christian university located in Jackson, MS. Their mission is to prepare students academically and spiritually to serve Christ Jesus. FPC has partnered with Belhaven in providing opportunities for summer interns to support our Youth ministry.
You can learn more about Belhaven University at www.belhaven.edu.
BELHAVEN UNIVERSITY
Contact: Jason Mendoza
Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) is a campus ministry that reaches college students from all backgrounds with the hope of Jesus Christ. College is a time when beliefs are explored, decisions are made, and lives are changed. RUF invites students into authentic relationships and the study of God’s Word. Through the ministry of RUF, students discover the love of Christ, find their significance in God’s redemptive story, and engage in the life of His church.
How can you help? Click here for more information about RUF and how you too can become a sponsor.
REFORMED UNIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP (RUF) - UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
Contact: Matt Mitchell
Our work in Belize continues to grow! Partnering with The Word at Work, FPC members provide Christmas gifts for children each year, and over the years, FPC has sponsored mission trips to provide medical services and assist in constructing the First Stone Church. In January of 2024 a group of FPC men traveled to Belize to help build a school facility at First Stone Church. Plans are underway to send more teams in the upcoming months.
How can you help? Please pray for the work in Belize, that the school will be finalized to provide education to children for whom it would otherwise be
unavailable. Please consider volunteering for an upcoming team or donations to help fund future teams. Visit the Word at Work website at www.twaw.org to discover more ways you can be involved or perhaps become a Team 100 member.
BELIZE
Contact: Erin Willcutt
Christian Sewing Partners of Belize is an organization that works with the Christian ministry, The Word at Work, to provide sewing and business traninig to women and students in Belize. The group offers classes to help participants develop skills for local and tourism markets, with the goal of imporving lives throught empowerment, creating a network for sales aand suplies, and helping them become professional seamstresses and entrepreneurs. The program also provides sewing machines and supplies to graduates and partner schools like Alvin Young High School.
How can you help? Click here for more information about The Word at Work.
christian sewing partners of BELIZE
Contact: Jason Mendoza
World Outreach (WO) is the mission sending agency of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Their principal calling is to glorify God by starting church-planting movements among least-reached people groups, especially among Muslims. FPC helps support three families serving in Lebanon among Syrian refugees.
How can you help? Please pray for our missionary families in Lebanon and the work that they do there. Visit www.epcwo.org to discover more ways you can support World Outreach.
epc world outreach
Contact: Esther Avara
FPC continue to support the Kelly Grizzard missionary family. Kelly and his family have recently joined in the work at Love Mercy International, a recently formed organization working as a part of Youth with a Mission. Love Mercy International’s mission is to compassionately meet the physical, mental and spiritual needs of individuals in distress, both globally and locally. They have four primary focus areas: Refugees (currently with Texas Border and Poland Refugees), Poverty Alleviation
(equipping and empowering individuals to obtain work), Local Outreach (working with local youth at risk of self-harm), Disaster Relief (currently working to provide winter packs to people in Israel and rebuilding in the Ukraine).
How can you help? Please pray for Kelly and his family as they continue to serve the Lord. Please pray for the work of this ministry.
Visit www.lovemercyintl.org to learn more about them and how you can support their work.
mercy ships international
Contact: Steve Demetropoulos
SAT-7 is making God’s love visible in the Middle East and North Africa, where around 96% of the people are non-Christian. While many of these countries are closed to the Gospel, four satellite TV channels and online media bypass censorship. Viewers are coming to faith and new believers receive guidance to grow in their faith. Many children in the Middle East and North Africa grow up surrounded by conflict and without the hope found in the Gospel. But SAT-7 Bible-centered children’s programming is a light in the darkness. These programs are loved by kids and trusted by parents. Because they watch together, SAT-7 reaches both with the Gospel. For many believers in the Middle East and North Africa, SAT-7 is their sole connection to other Christians. Their countries are closed to the Gospel and they face persecution because of their faith. SAT-7’s Bible teaching, worship, talk shows, and other programs are helping Christians feel connected and grow in their faith.
How can you help? Click here to learn more.
sat-7
Contact: Joseph Powell
FPC has had a long relationship with Haiti Outreach Ministries. In past years, we have taken teams to work in country to install multiple water wells, do construction work on schools and partner with their medical clinic to provide health services. Due to the political unrest in the country, HOM is unable to host mission teams at this time. We continue to support them through financial donations. FPC has committed to sponsor four children from Pre-K through High School graduation.
How can you help? Please pray for the country of Haiti. Please pray specifically for the four children we sponsor: Berlensky Feris, Fetela Delouis, Kelly Fleurissant and Marie Geffrard. Pray that these children will come to know our Lord as they receive their education, that they will learn and become productive members of their communities and that the Haiti they live in one day as adults will be a safe and thriving country.
How can you help? Please visit www.haitiom.org to discover other ways you can get involved and perhaps sponsor a child yourself!
haiti outreach ministries
