Diana Avila Callejas is a senior at Denison. She is the co-founder of the Seasonal Support Initiative. 

This organization collects winter clothing for students with financial constraints. They have asked our church for donations of winter clothing, especially winter coats/jackets/vests, mittens, gloves, hats, earmuffs, scarves, cozy socks, and winter boots.

There will be a collection bin in the fellowship area of the Sanctuary until Sept. 28. As you prepare yourselves for the chilly/frigid weather, please consider making donations to the Seasonal Support Initiative for Denison students. Thank you!

Come one, come all, to Second Presbyterian Church on September 21 from 12:45 to 3-ish. 

The more, the merrier, and the more meals can be distributed to those in need. In 2024, all 10,000 meals were donated to Ukraine. There are jobs for everyone, ages 8–80+. Please join us for this hands-on mission opportunity and fellowship with each other and our community. Please let Ellen know you are coming! eclark@granpres.org.

The Drop-In Center Needs You! 

Did you know that our area food pantries are experiencing shortages?  Did you know we are experiencing growing numbers of food-insecure individuals in our county? Would you be willing to help our community members who have no kitchen or means to prepare a meal? Please consider cooking a meal for the Drop-In Center once a month. We feed about 40 – 50 people every day, breakfast and lunch.  You could drop the meal off, or we would be happy to come get it.  Just let Greg Bossart, gregboss61@gmail.com, or Ellen eclark@granpres.org know of your interest.

If baking is more your thing, the Community Dinners are always in need of delicious desserts.

  Please contact Ellen for more info. Thank you!

Do you wonder about the unsheltered living in our community? 

Do you wonder if there is anything that can be done? Would you like to know more? Please consider attending “Beyond the Bridge – A Solution to Homelessness” at the Midland Theater, October 7 at 6:30 pm.  Sponsored by several community organizations, this movie will help us understand the importance of supportive housing, with follow-up time for discussing how it applies to Licking County. Please ask Ellen if you have any questions, or go to the United Way website to let them know you are coming. It’s free!

 Please put on your calendar …

• September 12: Deadline to sign up for the Adult Work trip to Jonesville, VA.

• September 12: Club 78 on a Mission Kickoff 6:30 – 8:30 pm.

• September 21: Rise Against Hunger

• September 24: at Wonderful Wednesday – Come hear about FPC’s involvement with Whole Living Recovery

• October 7: Beyond the Bridge movie at the Midland

The apartment we sponsor at Starting Strong is being vacated. 

The young woman lived there for almost two years, doing everything she needed to become more independent. Congratulations to her and welcome to the new occupant. New occupant?? That means we need to get the apartment ready for the next young adult who has aged out of foster care. Please look for the “Giving Tree” in the sanctuary for the next 3 weeks. It will be adorned with items needed to stock the apartment. We also need a crew of 5-7 to clean the space to make it welcoming. Interested? Please contact Ellen at eclark@granpres.org.

All ages 8–80 can join our friends at Second Presbyterian to pack 10,000 freeze-dried meals. About 40 of us have come together the past two years, working alongside other churches, to make this event fun and fruitful. Be part of the FPC team this year!! Contact Ellen if you need more information. eclark@granpres.org

Our ministry’s presence at the Drop-In Center continues to grow.

Emma Allen, an FPC college sophomore, has invited her friend to volunteer weekly and cooked a meal for the 30–45 guests who attend the center. The garden planted by Riley Atchison, Greg Bossart, and the center guests is producing fresh vegetables for healthy meals. And FPC has purchased cots for guests to rest on, no longer having to sleep on the floor. We are grateful for the ways we can serve. Want to be involved? We need volunteers and meals. Talk to Ellen at eclark@granpres.org or Greg Bossart at gregboss61@gmail.com.

Zoom Classes are Happening!

Have you ever wondered why people in poverty make decisions differently than you would? Do you wonder why some don’t have a job with so many “Help Wanted” signs around town? These questions are valid and important, and there are answers! Check out the upcoming Bridges Out of Poverty training being offered via Zoom. Learn so many answers, lesson judgement, and understand differences all from the comfort of your own home! Sessions run about 6 weeks, an hour per session. Contact Ellen if you're curious and want to know more. eclark@granpres.org.

Justin Cowie, a senior at GHS and longtime church family member, is taking the lead in a very important ministry for our congregation.

Justin is meeting with many of our church groups (choirs, youth, Club 56 and Team 78, Mission, Finance, Session, Deacons, etc.) and inviting them to participate in a hands-on mission to ensure children have enough food to eat on weekends. The Y-Healthy Backpack organization sends backpacks home every Friday with children facing food insecurities. But first, the food has to be packed! That’s where Justin comes in. As he meets with church groups, he explains the backpack program and invites the group to a “packing party” at the Y’s warehouse. From there, the food is delivered to 22 area schools and into the hands of the children. If you haven’t heard from Justin and would like to be involved in this hands-on ministry, please email Ellen.

Two years ago, this past June, our church said "yes" to a large hands-on ministry partnering with Second Presbyterian, Newark.

Thanks to Deb Hibler, Leda Rutledge, and Liz Tietz, we begin our third year of feeding God's people who don't always enjoy a hot, balanced dinner. Every other Monday (holidays included), these ladies coordinate all the volunteers from our church to prep, cook, and serve 60+ meals and 40+ take-out meals. Thank you to Deb, Leda, Liz, and to ALL our FPC men and women who are nurturing this ministry into another year... so that all are fed.

September 21    Rise Against Hunger, let’s join Second Presbyterian to pack 10,000 freeze-dried meals. More details to follow.

 October 23 – 26 Abbreviated Adult Work Trip to Virginia, are you curious about work trips and wonder if this is for you? Join us in October for a short version! We’ll travel two days and work two days with people experiencing poverty in Jonesville, Virginia. An established organization, ASP (Appalachia Service Project) will guide us to make homes safer, drier, and warmer. ASP customizes our projects based on our skill levels… all you need is a willingness to serve. Work trips always bring participants a greater understanding of people, including those we serve, ourselves, and each other.  Let Ellen know if you are the least bit curious.  eclark@granpres.org

 Coming this fall, Bridges Out of Poverty is a study on how people navigate different economic situations, from those in poverty to the very wealthy.  It helps curb our judgment of others, giving insight into why people make the decisions they make, what motivates them, and what resources they have. You will come away from this study with a different mindset and greater capacity for understanding people… even people in your own family, neighborhood, community.  This study will be offered via Zoom, at a time and day convenient for all interested.  Contact Ellen at eclark@granpres.org to sign up.

It truly is a New Beginning!

The furniture warehouse, gifted by our congregation to New Beginnings, is complete. No longer will the domestic violence center have to store much-needed furnishings on its porch. Beginning in September, Steve and Sally Stilwell will manage the furniture inventory, arrange for donations to be delivered to the warehouse, and distribute them to families starting anew. They will be forming a much-needed team of “movers” and trucks to do the moving. This is a great, one-time hands-on mission opportunity. Want to join the team? Email Ellen at eclark@granpres.org.  We’ll get you connected.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

First Presbyterian of Granville
In 2024, First Presbyterian Church of Granville provided our largest grant ever received to date and fundamentally changed how we were able to help young adults who have aged out of foster care. With this grant, our Starting Strong programs were able to continue existing services and expand into new programming, including a mobile app designed for young adults to engage with the Starting Strong programs. This grant also allowed us to add a mental health support role to our team. The impact is huge, and we are incredibly grateful to the team and donors of Granville Presbyterian who made this happen. They are making transformational change possible in the lives of our young people.

In 2024, our church committed $130,000 to Starting Strong to help transform lives of young adults aging out of foster care.

We also offered a $50K match to begin an endowment for the organization as they plan for their future. If you are interested, please read the Annual Report from Fostering Further/Starting Strong. It takes no more than 10 minutes, is easy to read, and you'll see many positive things that happened in 2024. FPC is highlighted in the report. We are blessed to be a blessing.

https://mcusercontent.com/03b5340b774471647f2e87918/files/5687afcc-30ad-2222-b601-10b20d3ac5f1/_2024_Annual_Report.pdf

We are ready to go back!

What started as "the unknown", 11 folks traveled to Asheville, NC, to assist with Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief. We hardly knew each other, and we had little idea of what we would be doing. We started out thinking about what we would be "giving", yet ended up remarkably surprised by what we received. Our theme was "A Ministry of Presence," and it was the guiding force.

 After five days of sweat, drywall dust, insulation, sawdust, and paint, we came away with more than results.  The 11 of us came away as friends, 20-year-olds to 78-year-olds. And we formed relationships with the two separate homeowners, Melanie and Jessica.  Plus Jessica's children: Taylor (16), Zepplin (6), Olivia (4), Sierra (1), and Bentley (3 weeks). 

New Hope Presbyterian was our "host," who made us feel comfortable and welcome! We are already looking into our next trip, maybe this fall and/or spring.  Talk to us, ask any questions, and join us in the next transcending “unknown”! 

Pictures -  ”From this……to this”

Emma Allen, Mark Atchison, Ellen Clark, Haley Eggert, Wilson Foster, Judy McNeish, Rachel Schmidt, Tom Stoltz, Bob Thornton, Aaron Tripp, and Jenn Wilkinson.

We took four of your donated bags to the Drop-In Center this week.

The guests were thrilled because many carried their belongings in plastic grocery or trash bags.  ALL four backpacks/duffle bags were distributed before we even got inside the building.  THANK YOU!

We’ll continue to collect any donated bags.  You can leave them in the Robing Room (the little room outside the sanctuary doors), or Ellen is happy to come get them.

Please take a moment to read this incredible article featuring our own Greg Bossart and the Drop In Center.

https://www.thereportingproject.org/community-drop-in-center-open-in-newark-as-heat-wave-stresses-licking-countians/

Thanking God for Deb Hibler and Liz Tietz, who are completing their second year of preparing meals for our neighbors in Newark.

Twice a month, these ladies collect the food to feed 60-plus people, devise a menu, and then prep and organize a delicious dinner. Other FPC volunteers are dedicated to helping serve dinner, making about 25-40 “takeout” meals, plating desserts, making drinks, and then cleaning up all the dishes at Second Presbyterian, Newark. Leda Rutledge rounds out the team as she organizes all these volunteers. About 30 FPC members are involved in this Matthew 25 ministry each month.

As we begin our third year, we are grateful to Liz, Deb, Leda, and ALL the volunteers (disciples).

Do you have an adult backpack or traveling duffle bag you no longer need? 

Please consider donating to our unsheltered friends. This is how they carry all their belongings, which they always need. With all the construction, here’s how you can donate: Call or text Ellen, and she’d be glad to come pick them up or arrange a time to bring them to the church. You can also bring your item on Sunday and leave it in the robing room (at the back of the sanctuary) to be picked up and delivered.