local • mission partners • earth justice group • global • mission opportunities mission trips •
Collaborations with local organizations help us make a significant impact in Athens and the surrounding communities by focusing human and financial resources on the work being done through our mission partners.
Our Mission and Outreach ministry has local partnerships, some of which were formed more than 30 years ago. Community Partners are service organizations, operating primarily in the City of Athens, to which FPC provides financial support in the form of grants from the church’s mission budget.
College students are invited to FPC’s Fellowship Hall every Thursday 11:30am – 1pm for a hot and homade lunch, free of charge!
FPC has resumed its mission work for OU college students. At a time when so many young people are struggling with financial and mental health issues, this work is more important than ever. So many students have told the Lunch Bunch how much it means to be in such a welcoming environment and have a homemade meal.
With a common concern that the world faces a profound crisis of ecological disruption and depletion, FPC believes that the practice of good ecology is not an optional activity we experience in our lives, but rather a matter of social justice that is central to what it means to be a Christian and a steward of God’s creation.
We believe that a collective effort is essential to avert further damage to God’s creation and to safeguard the Earth’s habitats, ecosystems and wildlife. The practice of good ecology is not simply an option; it’s a matter of social justice.
The Earth Justice Group:
Athens Food Pantry provides an emergency three-day supply of food for many households in Athens County facing a variety of crises. Food Line: 800-338-4484
Every fourth Sunday of the month is a Food Pantry Sunday. FPC works to support the Athens County Food Pantry not only monetarily, but also with donations of non-perishable food items. A donation box is located in the entry to the church on the Washington Street side of the building.
Appalachian Peace and Justice Network empowers groups and individuals to work for peace and social justice through education, training, and coalition building among local and regional groups and institutions.
Community Food Initiatives works to ensure that everyone has access to healthy, local food. Through various programs and initiatives, we are working to make food more accessible in Appalachia Ohio.
Good Works is a multifaceted Christian organization that gives shelter to the homeless, provides jobs for the poor, and empowers and inspires individuals in need, through love, faith and compassion. AFPC participates in their annual walk and provides and serves the Good Life dinner once a year.
Habitat for Humanity builds decent, affordable homes for people in need in Athens County. Congregation members are active in Presbyterian Day builds and other construction activities and FPC has been a faith-build covenant contributor for a number of years. FPC has hosted dinner for visiting students during alternative spring break programs that support habitat house construction locally.
My Sister’s Place provides emergency shelter and support services to female victims of abuse and their children.
National Alliance on Mental Illness, (NAMI Athens), is the region’s grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building and advocation better lives for our neighbors affected by mental illness. FPC provides volunteers to support their annual walk.
Planned Parenthood of SE Ohio provides quality, affordable reproductive health care to women and men in southeast Ohio. Offers They also offer sexuality education programs for community organizations and schools.
United Campus Ministry promotes social justice by helping people put their religious faiths into action. UCM works to build bridges of understanding and respect among diverse groups in the Athens and Ohio University communities.
The Gathering Place provides a sense of place for those in our community who are coping with mental illness. It has operated for over 40 years and originally met in FPC’s Fellowship Hall. www.thegpathens.org/
Amesville-New England Parish is an ecumenical cooperative parish of the United Methodist Church (USA) and the Presbyterian Church (USA). Its vision is to make an impact for God, in Amesville, Ohio by helping people understand the enriching messages of eternal hope given to us by Jesus Christ through His words and deeds. FPC is a sister church and a financial supporter. https://www.facebook.com/AmesvilleNewEnglandParish/
Athens Area Stand-down is an annual event to support homeless veterans and other homeless individuals and families in our community. FPC has supported this event since its inception in 2016. https://www.athensareastanddown.org/
“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of us are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26, 28)
We endeavor to fulfill this Biblical injunction through our covenant relationships of solidarity and mutuality with our sister church in Chang Rai, Thailand. Our focus has been on the Pa Pao Hill Tribe Mission Program sustained by the ministry at the Tawanthoram Church in Chang Rai. Through praying for each other and studying together, we deepen our faith and serve Christ together.
Church World Service: As Presbyterians, we work through CWS to address challenges on national and global scales. Two of the specific CWS programs in which we have direct participation are Crop Walk and Blankets+, “a special mission opportunity … providing funds to help people in need around the world, including the U.S.”
One Great Hour of Sharing: Since 1949, Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God’s love with people experiencing need. Our gifts support ministries of disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement, and community development that help people find safe refuge, start new lives and work together to strengthen their families and communities.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance coordinates funding and volunteer responses for unexpected disasters in the USA and globally.
FPC offers annual mission trips that are open to anyone interested in traveling to another location to learn about other’s lives and physically work to affect change in those lives. Groups have traveled to Washington, D.C. to work with the homeless, Parkville, Missouri to help at Heartland Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center, and to Webster Springs, West Virginia where groups have assisted in housing repairs for flood victims in the area in partnership with the West Virginia Ministry of Workcamps.
All ages from youth to adults are welcome in these efforts to have a positive impact on the lives of others and to share the love of Christ.
(740) 593 3351
office@athensfpc.org