Lenten Study Series

Turning Over Tables by Kathy Escobar

Every Sunday after worship

February 22 - March 29 | 10:45 - 11:45 a.m.

First Pres Sanctuary

This year, our church will use the season of Lent to facilitate conversation navigating how, together, we can turn the tables and build a world where justice, healing, and equity reign supreme.

With keen insight and unwavering conviction, visionary pastor Kathy Escobar guides us on a Lenten journey inspired by the ways of Jesus to dismantle the systems that perpetuate inequality and injustice. From flipping the moneychangers’ tables in the temple to uplifting the poor and marginalized, Jesus’ actions and words turn the world’s idea of power on its head. With each week of Lent, we'll dig deeper into Jesus’ challenge to the pervasive influence of privilege and oppression that have dominated since ancient times.

Doing Justice in the Aftermath of Disaster

When Chanda Williams and nine young adults from the First Presbyterian Church of Salem, New Jersey, reached hurricane-impacted Western North Carolina last May, neither she — nor they — knew what to expect. Least of all, how deeply their hearts would be broken by the devastation they witnessed — yet simultaneously uplifted by the region’s resilience.

When Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida in September 2024, the catastrophic storm created a path of destruction through the southeastern United States and southern Appalachian Mountains, leaving residents who survived the unprecedented storm completely overwhelmed. After the hurricane hit, the basic infrastructure was down, with no water in Asheville for 53 days and no power in many locations. Read more.

Give Today!

If you feel called to offer support to One Great Hour of Sharing, please send in your offering by Sunday, April 5, 2026. Thank you for your generosity!

Hygiene Drive Donation Bin

By the Community Crossroads Bulletin Board

Donation Hours: | Thursday mornings: 8:00 - 11:30 a.m. | Sundays: before and after worship

Across our community, people of faith are preparing to walk the journey toward Palm Sunday together.

In the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, ordinary people gathered in the streets, waving branches and proclaiming hope for a different kind of world — one shaped by love, justice, and peace.

During this Lenten season, congregations, and neighbors across Oshkosh are coming together to pray, learn, and show up for one another.

We will gather beginning at 2:30 p.m. for march, music, and message, and we will also be collecting food for the Oshkosh Area Food Pantry as a sign of care for our neighbors.

All are welcome to walk this path with us. Learn more about Oshkosh Path to Palm Sunday here.

Reduce Barriers, Strengthen Access, and Build Connection! Join Unity Oshkosh for this free community Care Fair!

Unity Oshkosh brings families, students, and community members into one trusted, school-based space!

Inside, families will find food and refreshments, hygiene and household essentials, employment and workforce resources, and community organizations ready to listen and support. Materials are multilingual. Conversations move at a human pace. Children laugh and play in a dedicated engagement area, giving caregivers time to ask questions, make connections, and breathe.

Unity Oshkosh is not about who needs help most. It is about recognizing that everyone deserves access, dignity, and belonging. It is about neighbors supporting neighbors. It is about meeting people where they are and making it easier to move forward.

When families leave with what they need and the feeling that they are welcome here, that impact reaches far beyond one day.

Reclaiming Balance and Belonging: A Workshop for Single Parents

Scan the QR Code to Register or Click Here

Samaritan has announced a new seminar created specifically for single parents in the Fox Valley. Happening on National Single Parent Day for Reclaiming Balance and Belonging, this half-day workshop is designed to help reduce stress, strengthen resilience, and feel supported in community.

You'll learn practical tools for emotional wellness, healthy boundaries, and navigating the daily pressures of doing it all. You'll also connect with other single parents who understand your journey.

Seating is limited, so please register today! If you have any questions about the seminar, accessibility needs, or registration details, please contact Samaritan at 920.886.9319.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. | Paine Art Center and Gardens (Studio on Lower Level)

1410 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh

Registration Required: Call or email Kelsey Raschke | 920.235.6903, ext. 41 | kraschke@thepaine.org

On the last Wednesday of each month, the Paine hosts a free program for people with memory loss and their care partners – SPARK! Together, they enjoy activities related to art, gardens, and current events or exhibitions at the Paine. The programs are not reminiscent, nor do they rely on recalling memories, but rather focus on observations, conversations, and creative experiences.

The program welcomes care partners to stay actively engaged in their communities while having tangible experiences in a comfortable, small-group environment with specially trained staff and volunteers. Facilitators have been trained by Alzheimer’s professionals and collaborate with community partners to continually enhance programming.

SPARK! is something that happens between care partners when involved in a stimulating and engaging experience – SPARKing a moment together – living in the moment.

What is Men Who Cook?

An Evening of Cullinary Delights: Dozens of local community members will showcase their best dishes, offering guests a chance to taste, mingle, and celebrate the power of food to bring people together.

A Mission that Matters: Beyond the flavors, Men Who Cook shines a light on the realities of domestic abuse and raises critical funds to support Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services. Your sponsorship helps provide safety, healing, and hope for survivors in our community.

Exciting Raffles & Auctions: Guests will enjoy the thrill of winning unique prizes while knowing every bid and ticket supports life-changing services.

Purchase Tickets Here: Men Who Cook 2026

Positive thinking doesn't mean that you ignore hard things in your life. It simply means that you approach things - even the unpleasant ones - in a positive way. According to Mayo Clinic, there are proven health benefits to increasing your positive thinking. Those include:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Greater resistance to illness
• Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease and stroke
• Reduced risk of death from cancer, respiratory conditions, and infections
• Better coping skills in times of stress 

It's not yet clear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. It may be that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, reducing the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It could also be that positive people tend to live healthier lifestyles. The good news is that everyone can practice positive thinking. Use the attached 30 Day Positivity Challenge sheet to guide you!

Reprinted from Winnebago County Public Health March 2026 Newletter

Syria Lebanon partners reflect on Beirut 

Before Israeli airstrikes resumed, the Syria Lebanon Partnership Network traveled to Lebanon

March 3, 2026 | Beth Waltemath| Presbyterian News Service

As Israeli airstrikes rocked the southern suburbs of Beirut early Monday, killing at least 52 people and sending Lebanese families fleeing into darkened streets, Billie Sutter, a ruling elder at Heritage Presbyterian Church in Acworth, Georgia, could only watch the news in grief, remembering friends who are now fleeing their homes.

Sutter was one of eight members of the Syria Lebanon Partnership Network (SLPN) — a volunteer mission network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — who completed a trip in late January to Beirut to visit the ministry partners they have nurtured across years of relationship, advocacy and prayer. Their visit was cast in fresh shadow on Monday when Israeli jets struck the Lebanese capital in response to Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel, widening a regional war ignited by the joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran days earlier. Lebanon's Health Ministry reported that at least 31 people were killed and 149 were wounded in overnight strikes in Beirut’s suburbs and southern Lebanon. 

For the SLPN travelers, those numbers are not abstractions. They are the neighborhoods they drove through, the congregations they embraced, and the friends who served them coffee and tea. Read more.

New 'With Love' video series launches, highlighting trans Presbyterians 

Before Israeli airstrikes resumed, the Syria Lebanon Partnership Network traveled to Lebanon

March 5, 2026 | Layton Williams Berkes | Presbyterian News Service

Introducing “With Love,” a new video series highlighting trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming Presbyterians as they share their journeys of identity and faith, the challenges and joys they’ve encountered, and why they love the church. The first video features Cassandra Dowty, who shares about her journey over the last 3 years, her decision to show up at her church “as herself”, and the supportive community she’s found there.

New videos, which each share a different story, will be released throughout March and early April. Read more. Watch "With Love, Cassandra Dowty" video here.

First Presbyterian Church is a member of More Light Presbyterians, a coalition of churches whose mission is to work for the full participation of the LBGTQ community in the life, ministry, and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and in society.

Accessibility at First Pres

There is an elevator available for access to all levels of the First Pres church building, and the spaces are navigable by wheelchair.