We embody God’s love in service to the world

Service & Care

Outreach Commission

The Outreach Commission is one of the Session’s six standing commissions which together oversee and coordinate the life and ministry of First Presbyterian Church, New Bern (FPC). The Outreach Commission focuses on our congregation’s ministry beyond our membership and campus to our community, the world, and points in between.   

In practice, FPC supports about two dozen organizations, supplying dollars and people in support of a very wide array of ministries. More than 10% of FPC’s annual budget goes out into our community and the world, healing, feeding, clothing, and educating.

Church members are encouraged to volunteer in these ministries and projects. And they do; feeding, building, teaching, serving on boards, and addressing the needs of people young and old. Descriptions of these organizations’ projects and activities, as well as opportunities to serve and support, will appear in the monthly church newsletter, the weekly bulletin, and orally from the pulpit.
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The commission is chaired by current members of the session but the commission membership always includes several members of the congregation who share a sense of mission to those Jesus, in Matthew 25, calls “least of these.” If you would like to serve on this commission or volunteer at one of the organizations we support, speak to one of our pastors. 

In addition to the organizations cited below, the Outreach Commission, along with the Worship Commission, provides information and opportunity for congregational participation in the Christmas Joy Offering and One Great Hour of Sharing.

ESL Classes


ESL classes meet on Mondays at 10:00 am and Saturdays at 9:00 am and help a wide variety of students wanting to learn English. To ensure we have a smooth-running operation, we need additional tutor volunteers.  We strive to have our tutors typically tutor twice a month for an hour to an hour and a half at a time.  We provide training so prior tutoring experience is not necessary.  

Contact the church office and they will connect you with ESL Coordinators Jim Chesson or Mike Murrie if you are interested in learning more about our ESL program or shadowing one of our tutors to see how it works.

Care Commission

Contact if you have questions throughout the year:

Carole Koi

The Care Commission is our Helping Commission - and they can always use help from other who have caring hearts.
 
Here are ways you might volunteer to help care for our church family:
 
WELCOMING: promoting a welcoming culture to help everyone feel welcome, known, and connected, following new members, and exploring ways to encourage a welcoming culture at church functions and on the campus.
 
CARING & SHARING: preparing food, setting up or serving for funeral receptions, and house sitting for bereaved member families during services.
 
HELPING HANDS: providing practical assistance to members with short-term needs whenever possible, supplementing existing informal networks within the church community (i.e. Presbyterian Women’s Circles or House Churches). Assistance is in the form of transportation to doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, caregiver relief, odd jobs, or transportation to church.
 
INFANT WELCOME: preparing meals for families with newborns. (This ministry also delivers hand-crafted baby blankets from our Knit for Others ministry and cradle crosses from the church.)
 
KNIT FOR OTHERS: creating hand-made chemo caps, prayers shawls, infant blankets, booties and caps, scarves, and mittens to donate to those in need of warmth and comfort in our congregation and the New Bern community. Knit at home or gather with other knitters Monday afternoons at the church.
 
PARACLETE TEAM: calling to provide welfare checks and resource suggestions, this dedicated team is activated during times of community emergency. A worksheet/form is provided with information and resources to share with members.
 
PRAYER CARE: offering prayer for those requesting such or for those who have been recently hospitalized. Prayer Request cards are available in the pew racks (with envelopes if privacy is desired). We also have a PRAYER CHAIN that shares prayer requests by email.
 
SPECIAL PASTORAL CARE: serving those who have difficulty participating in church life or those in need of spiritual friendship through Lay Visitation or Pen Pal cards and notes.  Our Lay Visitors receive training. 
 
TELEPHONE TEAM: calling to connect our faith community through the joys and sorrows of life.  Annual calls to every member household ensure up-to-date contact information along with the opportunity to share the news. 

STEPHEN MINISTRY: after several years of allowing our Stephen Ministry Program to lapse, we have several active Stephen Ministers ready to re-activate and a training class beginning in January, 2024! Stephen Ministry is a program in which individuals receive 50 hours of training in order to provide confidential, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation and the community experiencing life difficulties. They are not therapists or ministers, they are spiritual care-givers who walk along side you. Stephen Ministers not only commit to the training they continue to meet to ensure they are providing the right kind of care for the situation. If you would like to know more or would like to apply to be in the 2024 training class, please visit our Stephen Ministry webpage.