MISSION
Earth Care
First Presbyterian Church of Bordentown is committed to responsible stewardship of the earth, as God calls us to be in Genesis. We have been a certified Earth Care Congregation through the Presbyterian Mission Agency since March 2020. As an Earth Care Congregation, session has affirmed the following pledge:
Peace and justice is God’s plan for all creation. The earth and all creation are God’s. God calls us to be careful, humble stewards of this earth, and to protect and restore it for its own sake, and for the future use and enjoyment of the human family. As God offers all people the special gift of peace through Jesus Christ, and through Christ reconciles all to God, we are called to deal justly with one another and the earth.
1. Our worship and discipleship will celebrate God’s grace and glory in creation and declare that God calls us to cherish, protect and restore this earth.
2. In education, we will seek learning and teaching opportunities to know and understand the threats to God’s creation and the damage already inflicted. We will encourage and support each other in finding ways of keeping and healing the creation in response to God’s call to earth-keeping, justice and community.
3. Our facilities will be managed, maintained and upgraded in a manner that respects and cherishes all creation, human and non-human, while meeting equitably the needs of all people. In our buildings and on our grounds we will use energy efficiently, conserve resources, and share what we have in abundance so that God’s holy creation will be sustainable for all life and future generations.
4. Our outreach will encourage public policy and community involvement that protects and restores the vulnerable and degraded earth as well as oppressed and neglected people. We will be mindful that our personal and collective actions can positively or negatively affect our neighborhood, region, nation and world. We will seek to achieve environmental justice through coalitions and ecumenical partnerships.
St. Mary's Food Pantry
St. Mary's Food Pantry
We do not have a food pantry on site at First Presbyterian Church.
We collect nonperishable foods in a basket at rear of the sanctuary.
These contributions are delivered regularly to the pantry at St. Mary’s church by a member of the mission commission. You may deliver your contributions directly to the food pantry during their hours of operation.
Hours of operation:
Mon-Wed-Fri 2:00 - 3:00 P.M.
Tues - Thurs 9:00 - 10 A.M. and 6:00 -7:00 PM.
Sat 9:00 - 10:00 A.M.
The food pantry is located in a white frame building across the driveway from St. Mary’s Church at 45 Crosswicks Street, Bordentown, NJ 08505.
Current needs are published on the food pantry’s web site.
Bread of Life Mission Meals
If you would like to donate to this worthwhile mission in our church, write a check to The First Presbyterian Church in Bordentown and write “Mission” or “Bread of Life Meals” in the memo section.
Our church joins other local churches in the fight against hunger. This collaboration provides meals for homeless individuals and families each week. Join us in this worthwhile mission to help fight hunger in our local community!
Grocery Bag Mission
Many faith communities in the greater Bordentown area have agreed to collect different items so that a range of food items can be included in each bag.
Our job has been to collect microwaveable, high protein meals (the goal is 140 cans/month) such as cans of stew, soup with pop-top lids, and Chef Boyardee pasta meals. We’ve now been asked to also collect cereal boxes (regular size, not individual small ones). Please leave donations in the basket on the left in the rear of the sanctuary.
The Mission Commission invites each family to attempt to bring at least one high protein meal and one box of cereal (honey nut cheerios are especially coveted, but don't limit yourself to them!) at least once a month.
Jeff and Christi Boyd - Mission Partners
First Presbyterian Church of Bordentown has committed to support the ministry of Jeff & Christi Boyd.
About Christi and Jeff Boyd’s ministry.
Christi works in four French-speaking African countries — Congo, Madagascar, Niger and Rwanda — and the non-French-speaking country of South Sudan. She accompanies global partners as they seek to remedy the marginalization of women and children in their communities, and she engages with Presbyterian constituencies in the U.S. that wish to come alongside and promote those efforts.
Christi fosters relationships that are aimed at helping women like Julienne, a Presbyterian evangelist from the West-Kasai Province in Congo. After the death of her husband, Julienne found compassion and solidarity in the CPC Department for Women and Families. Following traditional widowhood rites, her in-laws had dispossessed Julienne of her home, her farm and her children. With support from the Presbyterian Women’s Thank Offering, the CPC is offering hope in such times of mourning and striving to curb harmful cultural practices. The CPC wants legal recognition for traditional marriages and official registration of childbirths. Across the African continent, the well-being of women and children is compromised — and authentic Christian witness undermined — by customs that send people into poverty and deprive them of their rightful opportunities. Christi helps bring together U.S. Presbyterians and African partners to maximize their collective mission impact.
As regional liaison for Central Africa, Jeff Boyd facilitates support for the relationships, programs and activities of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) partners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea. He also resources PC(USA) mission personnel and helps connect partner churches with PC(USA) congregations that want to be involved in ministry in the region.
In the Congolese village of Zapo-Zapo, parents proudly send their children to a new Presbyterian school complex that was built thanks to joint Presbyterian efforts brought together with the help of Jeff Boyd. A new Presbyterian education initiative in Congo began when Jeff connected the national leadership of the Presbyterian Community in Congo (CPC) with a couple from First Presbyterian Church in Evanston, Illinois, who were doing volunteer mission work in Congo. The couple facilitated a participatory process for the Congolese partners to identify and strategize around priority areas for its educational ministries. Presbyterian churches across the United States soon joined in to support the resulting Congo Education Excellence Program, which rallies to ensure quality education for Congo’s future generations. The Congo Education Excellence Program is a major focus of the Congo Mission Network.
PC(USA) Special Offerings
The PC(USA) Special Offerings
It's amazing what happens when we join together.
Presbyterians are part of a remarkable tradition. The PC(USA)'s four church-wide Special Offerings help share Christ's love with millions of people around the world. Click any offering below to learn more and get a package of quick-start resources you can use to easily participate.