Placing our Faith in Action:
Mission and Justice Ministries
at First Presbyterian Church

. . . and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.
— Micah 6: 8

Food Ministries

— Lunches for the homeless —
Brown bag lunches, made by church members, distributed from the Church office 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Monday through Thursday.

— Deacons' Food Pantry —
Non-perishable food, distributed from the Church Office, four days a week. We can always use chili, peanut butter, spaghetti with meat balls, ravioli, and Spam. Together we can feed many hungry people.

— Meals on Wheels
Volunteers deliver meals two weeks each year, currently for a 70 route week. Each route takes approximately 1 1/2 hours to cover (from the food pick up at Memorial Hospital at 11:15 AM to the return of the ovens to the Red Cross). Please call the church (217.528.4311) about the next opportunity. Contact person: Mary Patton (217.546.4645).


Caregiving Ministries

— Caregiver Interfaith Volunteer Services (CIVS) volunteers assist older adults remain independent in their homes. Services can be: transportation to medical appointments, grocery shopping or errands, minor home repairs, respite care -up to four hours a week, friendly visits. Volunteers do not transport wheelchairs or perform personal care services.

— Counseling and special assistance through the First Presbyterian Church Social Compassion Fund
Trained workers offer assistance with paperwork, transportation tokens and vouchers, financial counseling, referrals and advocacy. One volunteer works on the street directly with the homeless where they live. (Currently 10 or more are living at the public library across the street from our building.)

— Health and Healing Ministry Team of First Presbyterian Church




Housing Ministries

— SOS Shelter —
After a homeless man's hypothermia death in 2005, First Church member-volunteers helped develop the Springfield Overflow Shelter, an emergency shelter that operates during the hypothermia season (November - March). We continue to prepare meals and assist shelter personnel. We provided an initial $5,000 in financial assistance to institute a professional staff position for this ongoing ministry.for staff. One of our nurses has also begun a foot washing ministry, offering care to homeless persons with "sidewalk damaged feet" after recognizing this urgent heath and spiritual need among those without homes.

— Habitat for Humanity — Members of all ages regularly participate in local Habitat for Humanity building projects, working with other churches and members of the community. Several members were leaders in the recent 11th Youth Build partnership.

— Helping Hands — is a crisis shelter for homeless men and women in Springfield.  For the past 2 1/2 years, First Presbyterian Church has provided a meal on the first Tuesday of the month.  These meals are greatly appreciated by the residents and the staff who never fail to say “thank you” each time we are there. More than 18 people helped with this mission. 


Educational Ministries

Support a student in Lincoln Land Community College Displaced Homemakers Program, see below.

Ecumenical Relief Ministries

First Presbyterian Church gave $10,000 to the Salvation Army for Hurricane Relief in 2006.

First Presbyterian Church has given $3,000 for Darfur relief, and we have adopted a commitment to offering a quarterly U2 Eucharist worship experience to continue to raise funds to alleviate extreme poverty and population plagues globally. Raising money for insecticide treated mosquito nets is one of our missions. Please visit our U2 Eucharist page.

The Displaced Homemakers Program at Lincoln Land Community College received $8000 from First Presbyterian Church mission funds in 2007. The money was used to assist a nursing student with two young children (who were living in a friend's basement) to rent her own housing. In addition, personal mentoring relationships are being formed with members of our congregation. The college receives a state grant for this program, which falls short of meeting the needs of these students, who are learning professional and technical skills to support themselves and their families.

Broader ecumenical programs include the annual Crop Walk, with funds going to help those in developing countries; the Joy Offering, the Mitten Tree (2006: 62 pairs of mittens, 29 hats, & one scarf for Washington Street Mission), Angel Tree Christmas, the Pentecost Offering, and One Great Hour of Sharing, Central Illinois Community Blood Center


International Ministries

First Church's sister parish is the Sancti Spiritus Presbyterian Church in Cuba. We have made several trips to share in ministry through the exchange of faith stories and the forging of a partnership of cultures that has opened a new door of understanding and spiritual growth for us. Please visit our Cuba Partnership page.

"The Central Illinois Organizing Project (CIOP) is an ecumenical, faith-based community organization. It encompasses 12 counties in central Illinois and includes the communities of Springfield Bloomington-Normal, Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, Danville, Peoria, and rural Logan county." — from the site's home page.

First Church provides office space for CIOP. The Mission Committee voted to give $300.00 for the current nighttime bus service campaign. One of our members serves on the board of CIOP. In the spring of 2007, CIOP helped to organize HUC - Homeless United for Change.

Farmers Supporting Independent Agriculture, an affiliate of the Central Illinois Organizing Project, works to save family farms

For more opportunities and information in mission and justice, follow this link.

To participate in the ministries listed on this page, please call the church office, 217.528.4311.
We can always use hygiene items (deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors), new socks and underwear in all sizes, non-perishable food, and financial donations. There is an ongoing need for volunteer cooks for various mission meals.