CARE + PRAYER
MINISTRIESSubmit a prayer request.
How can we be praying for you? At FPCOS, we are committed to lifting up your needs up in prayer. Please click to submit a prayer request to our pastors and staff.
THE CARE TEAM
Caring for the congregation is a big task, but one that cannot be neglected. Everyone eventually experiences grief and loss, crisis and suffering. God has designed the church to be as a body, with many members who are diverse in their gifting, but united in the common care of the whole. Our Care ministry seeks to connect members who may be vulnerable in times of need with others who are willing and able to provide assistance.
JOIN OUR CARE TEAM
The Care Team would love to add you to our e-mail list of potential helpers when needs arise in the church. By adding your name to our e-mail list, you are not under any obligation to help on every request. You will receive an e-mail about a request that we received and you may respond if you are willing to help with that particular need. If you are interested in being added to the list, click the JOIN OUR CARE TEAM button below.
HELPING HANDS
Helping Hands is a ministry of the Care Team at FPCOS that reaches those in need in our church and neighborhood. Helping Hands provides financial, material and relational support to hurting people. Most importantly, we share and show people the gospel of Jesus Christ by inviting them to experience God’s love in our midst through worship and fellowship with our church family.
If you are going through a difficult time, the FPCOS Care Team wants to help. The Lord loves you and we want to show you His love. We believe God wants us to walk with you in your time of need and together discern ways we can help. For this reason, our Helping Hands Ministry is not a “quick fix” program. Our process takes at least a week. Here is an outline of our process:
- After you fully complete and return the application, you will be contacted by one of our members about attending our worship services. This member will arrange meeting you and be your host that Sunday.
- Within a few days after worship, the church office will contact you and set up a meeting with you and our Helping Hands team.
- After the meeting, the Helping Hands team will discuss and assess your situation to determine the best way we can help you.
- We may not be able to fully meet your specific request, and we may make requests of you in conjunction with the assistance we give.
Please understand, our assistance will not be contingent upon your continued worship with us. We only ask that you attend once. However, we do believe God designed us to flourish in the context of Christian community, and we hope you will continue to attend FPCOS or another church of your choice.
If you are going through a difficult time, the FPCOS Care Team wants to help. Please click on the DOWNLOAD APPLICATION button, fill out our Helping Hands application and either bring it by our church office or email it to us HERE. A member of our Care Team will reach out to you as soon as we can.
STEPHEN MINISTRY
Stephen Ministry equips congregational members to offer care and support for people experiencing life difficulties, such as the death of a loved one, job crisis, aging, separation or divorce, long-term illness, spiritual crisis or for many other concerns. The mission of Stephen Ministry at First Pres is to know the love and care of Jesus Christ and to make that love and care of Jesus Christ known together.
Do you have a heart for loving and caring for others? As this ministry grows, we need Stephen Ministers. A Stephen Minister is a church member who is willing to enter into a one-on-one, confidential relationship with someone else in our congregation for a period of 3 months to a year. Each Stephen Minister will receive 50 hours of training in preparation for this ministry.
Contact Julia Porter below for more info about becoming a Stephen Minister.
GRIEF MINISTRY
Our Stephen Ministry at First Pres offers grief counseling to our church members as well. The Stephen Ministry uses Journeying Through Grief, a set of four short books to help people at four crucial times during the first year after the loss of a loved one.
Each book focuses on what the person is likely to be experiencing at that point in grief and offers understanding, empathy, compassion, and hope based on faith in Jesus Christ. Mary Ann Holder facilitates the Stephen Ministry Grief Ministry for FPCOS. Click HERE to contact Mary Ann.
VISITATION TEAM
We honor God when we care for the generations that come before us. For many who are shut-ins at home, or reside in nursing or elder care facilities, a short visit from the church can be a powerful reminder of God’s unending love. It can be this for those who are doing the visiting as well.
HOSPITALITY TEAM
There is nothing more necessary for the church than the worship of our sovereign Lord, and nothing more life-giving for the Christian. We want Sunday mornings at FPCOS to reflect the glory of God, and encourage the body of Christ, his church. The heart of the Hospitality Team is to see that all are welcome when they visit FPCOS on a Sunday morning and experience the sweet joy of Christian fellowship.
FACILITIES + MAINTENANCE TEAM
God has blessed us with facilities and grounds that are both beautiful and functional. As good stewards of his blessings, we have created the Facilities and Maintenance Team to oversee and assist with the upkeep of our facilities in a cost-efficient manner.