Category: Outreach

Freedom House Supply Drive

Cheri Simonet
Freedom House Supply Drive

This July, the Freedom’s Future campaign for Freedom House will raise important funds and supplies to help adults and children. Each family in shelter at Freedom House is on a path to financial stability, emotional well-being and permanent housing.

We ask for your help restocking supplies so families feel loved and cared for.

Consider donating the following items:

  • Laundry Detergent
  • 33 Gallon Garbage Bags
  • Toilet Cleaner
  • Window Cleaner
  • All-Purpose Cleaner
  • Disinfectant Wipes
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Tupperware
  • Paper Plates
  • Paper Cups

All supplies can be dropped off at the church in the back of the Sanctuary. Thank you for your support!

Pantry Food Needs

Cheri Simonet
Presbyterian Pantry

Thank you to everyone who supports our Presbyterian Pantry with your food donations.

Recently, we’ve received several donations that had exceeded or were about to exceed the expiration dates. Please check all donations for the expiration date before dropping off your food item. Sadly we’ve had to throw away a considerable amount of food that was near to or past its expiration date. Pantry volunteers ask that you place any donations in the shopping cart in the narthex (no glass items please). 

Thank you for all your support! We are grateful to be gifted with all your help!

Helping Vulnerable Kids

Cheri Simonet
Friends of Pals, Youth & Families Logo

We have been invited to collect personal hygiene items for children and youth who enter the Child Protective Services and Foster Care systems in Brown County this month.

Friends of Pals, Youth and Families indicates that over 300 children and youth in Brown County are in out-of-home care currently, and they often arrive in these settings with little or no personal hygiene items.

Suggestions include full-size child/youth-friendly soap, shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, deodorant, diapers, feminine hygiene products, combs & brushes, facial tissue, lotion, nail kits, Q-Tips, Vaseline, bubble bath, basic first aid supplies, hair ties/barrettes, etc.

Could you pick up a few items from this list to help vulnerable kids in our area?

A box will be available at the back of the Sanctuary for the month of June or you may leave items in the church office during the week.

Thank you for your generosity!

In need of a meal or a ride?

Cheri Simonet
Deacon Carpool

If you are temporarily in need of a meal or a ride to church, the Deacons have a network in place to help you get through your difficult time.

Please let us know if you are recovering from an illness or surgery and are in need of a few meals to help you get by until you are recovered. You can call the church office at 920-437-8121 and we can get that arranged for you.

If you are in need of a ride to church the Deacons also have a network in place for you to be picked up and brought to church. Again, you can just call the church office and arrangements can be made.

As Deacons of First Presbyterian Church our primary goal is taking care of our members when difficult situations arise. If you are in need of a helpful meal or a ride to church please call the church office at 920-437-8121 or the Deacon Moderator, Linda Michael at 920-347-0261.

Letter Carriers Food Drive 2024

Cheri Simonet
Letter Carriers Food Drive

The Letter Carriers food drive is on Saturday – May 11, 2024. We need to supply two individuals to help out at the Cofrin post office that day (this is very important, as if we don’t provide people, we will not be able to participate in the food drive next year).

Volunteers are needed at 9:00am and will be given a route to pick up food on. Stephanie Fahringer and Al Smith will be loading the bags into totes but we could really use donations of paper shopping bags, preferably with handles.

We are also in need of four people to help at church at 3:00pm that day by unloading, sorting, and putting away the food that our Presbyterian Pantry receives.

Please contact Gene Stenson at 920-241-4370 if you are able to help. Thank you for your support!

Christian Educator Appreciation Sunday 2024

Cheri Simonet
Christian Educator Appreciation

Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 19th when we’ll show appreciation for our amazing Christian Educators during our 10am worship service.

On that morning, we’ll be recognizing those who have organized, led or taught various educational programs and activities for children, youth and adults through the 2023/2024 program year including Sunday School, Bible studies, devotionals and Vacation Bible School. Faith development was only possible by the following members volunteering and giving of their time, talent, and treasures, so we extend a heartfelt thank you to:

  • Brenda Hubbard
  • Lisa Olson
  • Sara Bostedt
  • Loni McCormick
  • Deb Gauthier
  • Stacy Bostedt
  • Olivia Crooks
  • Jessica Gauthier
  • Mike Melton
  • Grace Estes Collins
  • Bobbi Holl
  • Joel Morien
  • Katie Estes

These outstanding members were instrumental in cultivating and building faith which supports our efforts to achieve our mission of Inspiring All to Love and Serve with Christ.

Please join us as we celebrate and thank these leading Christian Educators who’ve made such a positive impact with the children, youth and adults in our community of faith.

Augusta Jeffrey 2024 Awarded

Cheri Simonet
Augusta W. Jeffrey Rcognition Award

Awarded April 21, 2024

The Augusta Jeffrey Award was established in 2004 by the family of long-time member Augusta Jeffrey to recognize a member of First Presbyterian for outstanding volunteer efforts and service in our church. Areas of service may include: Mission, Worship, Member Care, Christian Education, Administration, and Evangelism. Nominations are gathered in the month of February every year and the recipient is chosen in March. The recipient receives a gift of $600 from the fund established by the Jeffrey family that is allocated to an area in the church chosen by the awardee.

On Sunday, April 21st during worship, the 2024 Augusta Jeffrey Award will be presented to Becky Christianson. She was nominated by several Session members who noted her exemplary service as Clerk of Session for the last two years. She takes the minutes of each meeting and keeps the meetings on track with her knowledge of the Book of Order and Robert’s Rules of Order. She has also taken on the clean-up and rewriting of many church policies and procedure manuals, in light of recent mandates from the denomination. Becky does it all with attention to detail and dedication, but also a light heart. While much of her volunteer work is behind the scenes and not visible to the whole congregation, we all benefit from her commitment and diligence.

Thank you, Becky!

Help Us Help Women

Cheri Simonet
Esther Circle

March 1st—24th

Esther Circle meets monthly to do a study called Sacred Encounters, looking at the experiences of various people who encountered Jesus during his ministry.

One of the lessons was about the woman who had been hemorrhaging for 12 years straight in Luke 8: 43-48. Following our discussion, we agreed that we could help women in our own community who have challenges with the expenses of feminine products, which are not normally available through food shelves.

We are collecting feminine products from March 1 to March 24 which will be donated to homeless women residing at St. John’s Women’s Shelter. We often don’t consider what it must be like for women with little or no income or a permanent place to live to find their monthly supplies.

We invite you to join us in this collection during March so we can help women in our community be comfortable and retain their dignity. A box in the back of the sanctuary will be provided for your donations of pads and tampons.

Thank you for your support!

Souper Bowl of Caring 2024

Cheri Simonet
Souper Bowl of Caring

February 11, 2024

As Super Bowl Sunday approaches that means it’s time for our annual Souper Bowl of Caring which takes place on Sunday, February 11th, following our 10am worship service in Banner Hall.

Since 1990, close to $193 million has been reported donated to local food charities across all fifty states with over 305,000 unique groups participating. Every dollar donated to Souper Bowl of Caring creates over $18 for food charities. The cause unites all communities to Tackle Hunger.

Our #FirstPresGB Souper Bowl of Caring is led by the Christian Education Committee along with Youth Group and is held annually on Super Bowl Sunday. The event is meant to bring an awareness to hunger and to curb hunger through soup. The cost will be $5 per person and there will be 8 different soup stations for people to experience. Each soup sampler will have a chance to vote and judge our Souper Bowl winner. Proceeds from the event will go toward the Presbyterian Pantry.

We invite each person to bring a muffin tin to hold the soup samples. (One muffin tin per person.) Disposable cups will be available to place in your muffin tin to avoid the mess that we experienced last year. You will be required to try all the soups but you can only vote for one. The Souper Bowl awardee will receive the cherished Golden Ladle that’s passed on year after year to the awarded winner. The current Golden Ladle holder from our 2023 Souper Bowl of Caring is Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges for her Christmas Corn Chowder.

There’s no need to sign up—ALL are welcome—we hope to see you there!

Augusta Jeffrey 2024 Nominations Are Now Being Accepted

Cheri Simonet
Augusta W. Jeffrey Rcognition Award

Beginning February 1st thru February 29th

The Augusta Jeffrey recognition award is presented each year to a member of the congregation for outstanding volunteer efforts within the church and through its programs.

Nominations for 2024 are now being accepted throughout the month of February.

You may nominate more than one person. To be accepted for consideration, the nomination form must be filled out completely.

During the first week of March, nomination forms will be reviewed and a winner will be selected.

Winners of the Augusta Jeffrey Award designate an area of ministry in which the church is engaged that they choose to receive a financial boost.

Nominations forms can be completed and submitted online below.

Submit 2024 Augusta Jeffrey Nomination

Or, if you’d rather submit the nomination(s) offline, please complete 2024 Nomination Form that’s located in the back of the Sanctuary or you may download it below and return to the office at 200 S. Ashland Avenue, 54303 before February 29th.

Download Offline 2024 Augusta Jeffrey Nomination Form