Mission of the Church

Mission Statement

First Presbyterian Church of Portland, Oregon, is called to obedience to Christ to whom the Scriptures bear witness and to the fulfillment of the Great Commission:

Go...and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

We believe our call to serve as the Body of Christ is mandated by Christ alone and is supported by Him in every way through the dedicated discipleship of this community of Faith.

We minister to the community at our doorstep, the nation and the world.

Through worship, education, fellowship, and mission outreach and the promotion of social justice, we witness to the power of God's redemptive grace.

First Presbyterian Church will continue to be a body through which the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed, experienced, practiced and made first in our lives.

(This statement is from the 1998 Mission Study conducted by the Pastor Nominating Committee. Read the full study in MS Word or Adobe PDF formats.)

Community Mission and Outreach Activities

Our Workshops currently offer literacy classes, GED preparation, art, women's group, cooking classes, and prayer group. Future workshops will include training in public speaking, job skills, money management, conflict resolution, resume writing, music, computer literacy, creative writing, a book club, and bicycle repair. If you are interested in volunteering at Julia West House, please contact Patty Warman, Program Director at 503-222-6564.

Daywatch
First Presbyterian Church operates Daywatch four mornings a week out of Julia West House, providing hospitality, fellowship, a sack lunch, and a cup of coffee to our downtown neighbors.

Emergency Food Box Program
The Emergency Food Box Program, located at the Julia West House, serves downtown residents in need of food and hospitality. The food is made available through the Oregon Food Bank and church donations and is intended to serve emergency needs only. Staff and volunteers also provide coffee, refreshments, and hospitality three mornings each week. Contact Food Box Coordinator Tom Wilson at 916-4009 to volunteer.

Food box Sunday occurs the first Sunday of each month. Please bring nonperishable food items for distribution, and purchase meal tickets for Sisters of the Road Cafe downstairs in Geneva Hall.

Friendly House
Friendly House, a private, non-profit social service agency, was founded in 1926 by First Presbyterian Church in the settlement house tradition. This nineteenth-century model reflects a commitment to serve all members of the community, affluent and poor alike. The "neighbor helping neighbor" philosophy is at the heart of Friendly House's operation today, with sliding fees and scholarships available. Programs include a preschool, Friendly Chaps, emergency services, a Community Center, and a Senior Center. Originally founded by First Presbyterian Church, one-third of the Board of Directors continue to be church members, and the congregation continues to provide substantial support from its mission budget.

Operation Nightwatch
Operation Nightwatch is a unique mission under the auspices of the Community Ministries Committee. Ecumenically sponsored, Operation Nightwatch offers a non-violent atmosphere for friendship and community for street friends. The program's purpose is to give hope and affirmation to people from the street who struggle with addictions, mental illness, and loneliness. Our church provides space in the Julia West building for this ministry.

Sisters of the Road Cafe
Sisters of the Road Cafe is a non-profit restaurant open to the public. The program encourages all customers, staff, volunteers, and donors to get to know each other over a meal at the Cafe. This simple act breaks the myth that says we are so different from one another. Call 503-222-5694 for information on how you can give your support, or visit their Web site.

Stephen Ministers
"Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

People dealing with illness, divorce, death of a loved one, unemployment, being homebound, or just a difficult life transition can benefit from the compassionate care and listening ear of a Stephen Minister. An integral part of congregations across the country, Stephen Ministry equips lay persons to provide one-on-one Christian support to individuals coping with crisis in their lives.

At First Presbyterian, Stephen Ministers receive two hours of training each Sunday evening for a period of 13-14 weeks, and serve for at least two years (although some have felt called to serve longer). For more information, call the church and ask to be referred to a Stephen Ministry leader. To receive a Stephen Minister's care, ask for Pastor Tom Nolen.

Global Mission

Global Mission, a subcommittee of First Presbyterian Church's Mission Commission, is concerned with global outreach. Funds are mainly raised through donations at the October Mission Fair. Activities focus on the major areas below.

Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska

• Financial support
• Work parties

Seafarers, a service to foreign sailors

• Reading material
• Counseling
• Companionship
• Facilities for communication with sailors' families

India Mission

• Support of Bharati Integrated Rural Development Society (BIRDS): FPC provides financial support to programs to Dalits ("untouchables"), which provides medicine, legal aid, education, and well drilling
• Medical aid: doctors, nurses, and health professionals provide medical care and medicine to needy Indian citizens

Cuba Mission

• Visits to Central Province: In a presbytery-to-presbytery relationship, Bend Presbyterian, Yachats Presbyterian, and FPC visit Santa Clara Presbyterian Church
• Financial support: Presbytery funds have been used to build a swimming pool and a play area
• Medicine: This is in short supply in Cuba and is much appreciated by Cuban citizens

Conduit of Hope

The Conduit of Hope program seeks to foster self-esteem by sharing the love of God through education and hospitality for young adults from deeply impoverished Barrio San Pablo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This program invites students from Barrio San Pablo to study for one term per year (roughly three months) in the Intensive English Language Program of Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. FPC provides financial support and host families for students selected to come to Portland for study.

Jubilee Ten Percent for Mission Funds

When we began the first Jubilee Campaign in 2001, we committed as a church family to give ten percent of the funds raised from members of the church to mission work both in our community and in the world. A total of $495,000 is being distributed to the following recipients with whom we share in ministry and mission:

$50,000	Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Mission Initiative: Joining Hearts and Hands.
$30,000	Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship to provide capital investment for starting a school in Ethiopia among the Arassi Oromo people.
$25,000	San Francisco Theological Seminary for partial endowment of a scholarship for students from FPC, Portland, or the state of Oregon.
$25,000	Sheldon Jackson College for funding the Aaron Ladner Lindsley Scholarship Fund.
$40,000	Bharati Integrated Rural Development Society (BIRDS), India, for support of four programs: widows program, CHETHANA (National Presbytery s international program; sustainable agriculture; and community health.
$2,000	Santa Clara Church in Cuba for rebuilding after the 2003 hurricane
$78,000	Menucha for funding for two years for a program manager to enable FPC through Menucha to provide programming for groups across the Northwest.
$50,000	Friendly House for the Edd Crawford Endowment Fund.
$10,000	Program funds for Operation Nightwatch.
$15,000	Samaritan Counseling Center for the Silent Samaritan Fund (assistance for low income clients).
$35,000	Northwest Pilot Program to provide a van for the Transportation Program that serves frail, isolated, and low-incomes seniors and disabled persons in downtown Portland.
$25,000	Willamette West Habitat for Humanity for partial funding for a house on Lindsay Lane (named in honor of former FPC pastor Bill Lindsay).
$20,000	Maybelle Clark Macdonald Center to assist in providing housing for disabled persons in downtown Portland.
$3,000	p:ear for their program for homeless and transitional youth in downtown Portland.
$7,000	Advocacy and Social Justice Environmental Stewardship: focus on education related to environmental stewardship.
$80,000	for renovations (now completed) on Julia West House to enable FPC mission there to be expanded. These funds were supplemented by a generous gift from a member of the congregation and grants from the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Foundation and the Collins Foundation.