Presbytery of San Francisco

First Presbyterian Church of Livermore

May 10, 2016

Mission in Action: From Vegetables to Bicycles

During the Sunday coffee hour at First Presbyterian Church of Livermore, you may be as likely to reach for the cabbage as you are for the coffee, thanks to our Veggie-Table Project—just one example of how we follow Christ’s example of expressing faith through ministry and service.

Dick and Wanda Finn’s six-acre mini-farm is used by the church to grow and sell organic products. In its six years of operation, enough funds have been raised to offset payments for the church building renovation. Excess produce is donated to a food bank. An intergenerational team of volunteers, ranging from church families to scout troops, work together to plant, weed and reap. Other FPCL projects include:

Livermore Homeless Refuge: During the cold winter months, we provide shelter to the homeless. Volunteers, including families with young children, drop off hot dinners and cold breakfast items for our guests. Overnight chaperones work 3 ½-hour shifts for the safety of the sleeping guests. Throughout the year this ministry extends to our local homeless community by collecting clothing, hygiene products, meal cards and other resources.

Neighbor2Neighbor: One Sunday in September, members come to church in their work clothes for our Service to the Community ministry. We gather to repair bikes, feed the homeless, paint park and playground benches, remove trash, write letters, bag beans and rice, assist seniors, harvest vegetables and much more.

Ruling Elder Kate Mullen said, “The connections stick with me. Heaven sticks with me. My faith encourages me to widely broadcast the needs of others, and boldly ask for a response to those needs through action.”

Judy Lussie, Ruling Elder, First Presbyterian Church of Livermore