Central Presbyterian Church
a caring, inquiring, inclusive community
A
stand on Torture
Our last General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a Resolution on Human Rights in a Time of Terrorism and Torture. The full resolution is available on the PCUSA website on torture. Although the PCUSA resolution is more complete in stressing the way in which faith finds torture a completely unacceptable means of conflict, the simple, interfaith statement from the National Religious Campaign Against Torture can help express our compassion for all who suffer torture. Our session recommends that we all consider signing the petition. Completed forms from Central can be placed in the offering plate or mailed directed. You can also sign on-line at NRCAT.
Mission/Outreach
at Central Presbyterian Church
Members and friends at Central Presbyterian Church have big hearts and are generous with their time, skills and money. In 2007 our congregation gave cash contributions of over $53,500 to the worldwide mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and over $18,000 to our local community through the Annual Fund, Deacons, Presbyterian Women, Central Foundation and the denomination’s four special offerings (Peacemaking, Christmas Joy, One Great Hour of Sharing and Pentecost). Funds went to organizations that serve the homeless, hungry, victims of abuse, disaster relief efforts, Latinos, school children, college students and medical needs of the poor and the unchurched around the world.
Our project to put our loose change each week into the Sunday offering is generating over $100 per month to supplement Central’s local mission budget. The local missions below are the beneficiaries of our coin offerings.
Specific local missions supported financially are Amigos Multicultural Services, César Chávez Elementary School, Clergy & Laity Concerned (CALC), Centro Latino Americano, Emmanuel Credit Management, Habitat for Humanity, Interfaith Emergency Shelter, Lane Shelter Care, Family Dinner Program, Two Rivers Interfaith Ministry, Whitebird Clinic and Womenspace.
Services to Impoverished people in our community.
During the winter months several Eugene churches (including Central
Presbyterian) sponsor the St. Vincent Emergency Shelter. Homeless families are given breakfast
and dinner and a warm, dry place to sleep for a designated period of time at
each church. Central hosted this group
in October 2007, and will host again in 2008.
.
Central also has partnered with Eugene/Springfield Habitat for
Humanity to build houses
for new homeowners. During the past 
several
years the church sponsored and/or helped to build five Habitat houses. In October 2005 this house was dedicated and
presented to the George family. The
project was part of the 150th anniversary celebration of the
founding of Central.
We further support families at risk though the Deacon’s Christmas
project of food and gifts for the poor, provide volunteers once a month at the
Family Dinner Program and host the Christmas-in-July picnic where a basket of
personal care items and craft supplies are given to families from the Lane
Shelter Care. The 2007 picnic served 27
families and children. The 2007 Christmas
Project provided food baskets and gifts for 48 families (80 adults and 100
children) that would otherwise have had a very meager Holiday Season. Weekly donations of food are given to the
FISH food cupboard for distribution to those in need.
César Chávez Elementary School.
Central has an “Adopt-A-School”
program at César Chávez Elementary School in west Eugene. Members have organized and sponsored a Story
Day and Heritage Day at the school.
They also developed a Lunch Friends program at Chávez where members and
other community people become mentors and friends over a weekly lunch with students. Central also helps the school with their
fund-raising activities and helps recruit volunteers at the school for such
programs as SMART
(Start Making a Reader Today). This
year a grant from the Central Foundation funded two computer programs for the
school: “Math Facts in a Flash” and “Deep
Freeze” are available to support the math program and computer labs at the
school.
Latin
America outreach/Border Ministries.
June 20-30, 2003 Central Presbyterian Church sent a delegation of 10
people to
We also purchase blueberries in the summer to support PCUN (Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United). In November-December we order noble fir wreaths made by farmworker women of the Mujeres Luchadoras Progresistas in Woodburn to support economic and leadership development.
The coffee served at our coffee hour is from 100% organic,fair traded beans from Nicaragua. It is also available in Fellowship Hall for sale as whole beans or ground/drip for $8-10. All proceeds go to the continuing mission in Nicaragua and help foster economic and social ties with Condega and our friend Pastor Uriel.
We also lease space to Iglesia de Cristo-Mahanaim, a Latino church.
Service to our Members
The Board of Deacons is charged with demonstrating the teachings of Jesus in their lives by giving individual care to the congregation. Each Deacon is responsible for an assigned group of families whom they meet annually for lunch in November on Deacons’ Sunday. Deacons maintain the hearing assists provided at the worship services and provide worshipers rides to church services. Each month two Deacons are “on call” for special ministry needs.
Central Presbyterian Church 555 East 15th Avenue, Eugene, Oregon 97401 Phone: (541) 345-8724
E-mail: mailto:centralpresbyterianchurch@att.net
All content copyright,
2008, Central Presbyterian Church. The PC(USA) logo is a trademark of the
Presbyterian Church ( U.S.A.)