We seek to share the love of Christ not just locally, but around the world!   Our trips to Mexico, Cameroon, and Colombia (upcoming) focus on building partnerships with churches, clean water, VBS, construction, evangelism, and ministry are mutually meaningful to us and our friends around the globe. We also provide financial and prayer support to a team of international co-workers:

Brice Rogers serves in Egypt, where he is pioneering a position with the Evangelical Theological Seminary  in Cairo that involves interpreting the faith life of Christians in the Middle East to Western Christians.  For more information about Brice's work, click on this link:  http://www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/profiles/rogersb.htm

Clean Water and Global Outreach @ First Pres

The Present Water Crisis

      1.2 Billion people have no access to clean water

      3 million people die every year from preventable water-related diseases, mostly 
 children

      Scarcity of water has created more refugees than all the wars in history

      Chronic intestinal disease reduces the body’s ability to absorb food, creating  
 “malabsorptive hunger”

      Future wars will more likely be fought over water than oil

“The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them.” Isaiah 41:17

How First Pres is seeking to make a difference

A new mission focus at First Pres is to begin the process of delivering the gift of clean, sustainable water to communities in need, particularly the Yucatan and Cameroon through the PCUSA mission organization Living Waters of the World (LWW). Recently, 4 members of First Pres graduated from LWW’s Clean Water U in Oxford, MS. This is five-day simulation school that trains participants to build partnerships, install water purification systems and teach health, hygiene and spiritual education to in-country leaders. As of March 2007, LWW has installed 121 water purification systems in 15 countries within the last 4 years. The system typically cleans water in 300-gallon batches, and is ideal for institutional settings - churches, clinics, schools and orphanages. Each water system can provide clean water for up to 500 people. For each water purification system the church installs, we commit to four visits with our partners in mission. The gift of clean water is a loving and practical way for our church to demonstrate Christ’s love to a world in need.

How you can make a difference 

      Talk to Tom Stavran on the mission committee about signing up for one of the three classes offered at ongoing Clean Water U throughout the year (Class 101 Water Sampling and Partnership Development; Class 102 Hygiene and Spiritual Education; Class 103 Installation of Water Purification System)

      Participate in a future trip to the Yucatan or Cameroon

      Talk to the global mission committee for creative ways to make a difference if you’re unable to go yourself