OUTREACH & EVANGELISM COMMITTEE

The Outreach and Evangelism Committee has a vision of the First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown as a church reaching outward to grow in numbers by sharing the good news of  Christ and God's love with the world, and reaching inward to help members old and new to grow in faith, spirituality and relationship with God.

Our Mission is to help the First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown grow in size, in diversity, and in commitment to doing God's work in the world.

Our Goal is to create and implement programs, ideas, and actions that will bring new people into the church, reach out to address needs and issues in the community and enable people within and outside the congregation to grown spiritually, develop their gifts and talents, and expand their relationship with God.

In 2002 the Outreach and Evangelism Committee undertook several activities to enhance and expand our presence in the community.  During the week of Sept 8-12, the church sanctuary was kept open daily from 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM, available to any member of the community who felt in need of a space for prayer, meditation or contemplation during that anniversary week of the tragedy of September 11, 2001.  Members of the congregation volunteered their time to be present during the hours the sanctuary was open to offer comfort, support, or guidance for guests who joined us in prayer.

In mild weather we are encouraging members of the congregation to use the front doors of the church to enter or leave the sanctuary.  By doing so, we show the community that this is a living church with an active congregation, not just a museum or an empty shell.

We have begun to use greeters to welcome worshippers, both new-comers and long-time members, to worship with us;  and we are considering ways of identifying visitors when they join us for worship. so that they can be made to feel welcome.

During the coming months, we will be exploring with Rev. Hulsey and other members of the congregation, a program called "Raising the Roof" created by Alice Mann.  It is a program designed to help congregations grow and evolve from a pastoral based to a program-based ministry.  The program offers exciting challenges as well as opportunities for us as a congregation, and we believe it will be an excellent resource for us as we look for ways to help our church grow.

We welcome input and suggestions, and we invite the congregation to work with us as we seek tofulfill our mission.

Respectfully submitted,

Marci Deakins, Chair
Gary Pedersen

Michelle Satriano

Hilary Garcia