GET INVOLVED
Serve
Here at FPCE, we believe in showing our love for Jesus through our actions. As disciples of Jesus, we have an obligation to spread love and offer support to our community. Whether you’re a high school student looking to get volunteer hours, a retiree wanting to pass on valuable lessons to the next generation or if you simply want to give back to your community because of the blessings God has given you, the church has a variety of volunteer opportunities like tutoring children, feeding the hungry, helping families of children with special needs, mentoring teens and making music that praises God.
Center Street Kitchen
FPCE’s food ministry to area residents in need feeds an average of 200 people midday every Friday. Guests are given a hot meal served on plates and eaten with silverware. When they leave the Fellowship Hall they are offered loaves of bread and brown bags filled with packaged food from local businesses.
What Volunteers do: Drive to stores to pick up donated food, shop for food, prep meals, serve food, clean up, visit with guests.
Vacation Bible School
Each summer FPCE hosts a one-week themed Vacation Bible School open to children of the church and the community. Activities range from music to crafts all centered on raising awareness of God’s love for everyone, especially children. What Volunteers do: Decorate, lead a station where lessons are taught, photography, lead a team of kids through the stations, registration, help with skits and music during the opening and closing sessions each day, general assistance.
For more information contact Shannon Walter: .
Teen MOPS
This MOPS group is especially for teen mothers. At the meetings, the young women enjoy casual conversation, support from other moms, delicious food and refreshments and activities designed to increase their self-confidence and give them the tools to be the best mom they can be. Periodically during the year the young moms and their children enjoy fun outings. The group meets twice a month from September through May.
What Volunteers Do: Help during the meetings, donate food for the evening meal served at the meetings, help with the kids, donate money for outings.
For more information contact Kayla Stever: .
Support Our Troops
The centerpiece project for this group is sending care packages to our troops overseas. Additionally, they work with the pastor on special Sunday services around military holidays. Currently they are compiling a list of veterans in our congregation so that they might be recognized on patriotic holidays.
What Volunteers do: Donate items or money to purchase items for the gift boxes, shop for items with the donated money, pack and ship the boxes overseas.
For more information, contact Scott Smith at
Membership
We’re glad you found us!
Our Vision
is to reflect and reveal the Love of Christ in all that we do.
We believe that when you KNOW Jesus, you SHOW Jesus.
We hope you poke around in the other corners of our website. We have much to be proud of and to share with others. Our worship services are distinct in styles, but we strive for excellence in all of them. We do music of all types, from Bach to Bluegrass. Our local and global ministries and missions aim to meet the needs of the people immediately around us as well as folks in far-off corners of God’s good Earth. Interested in becoming a member of FPCE?
To request a membership packet, contact the church office at
Membership FAQs
1. Do I need to be a member to participate in church activities?
Answer: No. Almost all of our activities are open to everyone. In fact, we encourage you to spend some time with us to make sure we are the right place for you to grow as a follower of Jesus Christ.
2. How do I become a member?
Answer: Three ways:
1) Public profession of faith in Jesus Christ and a commitment to grow in faith through the life and work of FPCE
2) Transfer of an existing membership in another Christian Church
3) Re-affirmation of a faith commitment made previously and renewed now.
3. What does it mean to be baptized? Do I need to be baptized?
Answer: Baptism is a Sacrament. Sacraments are God's gifts given to nurture our faith. Baptism is the "Visible sign of an invisible grace". It is one of the seals of God's covenant with us in Christ. As a PCUSA congregation, we believe in the baptism of all believers despite their age. Baptism is not a "guarantee" of salvation, rather it is a wonderful sign of God's electing love. We recognize previous baptisms and do not require re-baptism. While it is a very important part of our faith life, we conduct baptisms in whatever way makes you feel comfortable in the presence of the congregation for the Glory of God.
4. Can I simply be included on your membership roll even if I do not intend to be a regular participant?
Answer: You may participate in church life at whatever level you like as a non-member. When you become a member, we encourage and work with you to find a way to be an active participant in many ways.
5. What costs are involved in membership?
Answer: We do not have an admission fee but we are a member-supported ministry. We rely on our congregation and guest to support our Great Commission Matthew 28:16-20.
6. What if I don’t fit in? Am I trapped in a long-term commitment?
Answer: We’re pretty certain you’ll find a place to fit in. If not, we encourage folks to find a place that meets their spiritual needs. If that happens to you, we will commend you to the care of another Christian church, even if we are sad to see you go.
7. What if I have other questions?
Answer: Ask!! We are not afraid to think with you. In fact, we like our members to think deeply about all aspects of their lives. We are not opposed to stretching with you to learn new things.
8. What do I do if I am ready to become a member?
Answer: Call the church office 352-357-2833 and schedule a meeting with the pastor or email .
Baptism
Baptism is the sign and seal of our incorporation into Jesus Christ. In his own baptism, Jesus identified himself with sinners—yet God claimed him as a beloved Son and sent the Holy Spirit to anoint him for service. As Paul wrote, through the gift of Baptism we are ‘dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus’(Rom. 6:11) The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recognizes all baptisms by other Christian churches that are administered with water and performed in the name of the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
