Being part of a connected church means helping when others are in need. We did that recently when we sent a team to help Shepard Memorial Church in Stopover, Kentucky, one of the churches in our regional body that suffered major damage from a mudslide in the rains from the remnants of Hurricane Ida. That team did initial clean-up and assessed what it would take to get Shepard back on its feet.

Their estimate was that the church could be restored and launched back into mission with $25,000. Now, with you, our Local Missions committee and the Presbytery, we are attempting to raise that money. And great news: People are already stepping up! The Presbytery will hold a special offering when it meets later this month. Local Missions has committed to matching up to $4,000 in congregational giving and an anonymous First Pres congregant has already committed $1,001 toward the goal.

Once we have the funding secured we intend to send a team to help with the work needed to repair the damaged sanctuary and spend time encouraging the brothers and sisters in Kentucky.

Before that trip, we have a group heading back to the area Oct. 20 to continue what they started on their first trip.

Shepard is a dear sister church: Pastor Jon has preached there while visiting on behalf of the presbytery, and Shepard’s commissioned lay pastor was trained in Jon’s cohort along with four of First Pres’ five commissioned lay pastors.

If you’d like to give to this effort, you can place a check in the offering boxes with “Shepard Memorial” in the memo line. You can also give online. We are receiving contributions through November 7.