The Great Invitation

All-Church Forum

Sunday, October 5, 2025 | Following Worship (approximately 10:30 a.m.)

Throughout the month of October, Pastor Deb and the Session will be presenting a worship series we are calling “The Great Invitation,” and we need your participation! As we continue to discern where God is leading us as a congregation, we want to spend a month focusing on our shared work of hospitality and welcome to all.

This series will kick off on October 5th, which is World Communion Sunday; and after worship, we will be hosting a chili lunch/potluck and an all-church forum. Rooted in the spirit of our faith, this gathering is a unique opportunity to explore what it truly means to create a welcoming and loving environment for all, just as we are called to do.

This forum will feature engaging discussions on how we can cultivate a culture of genuine welcome and practice hospitality in our church community and beyond. Whether you are a long-time member or new to our community, your voice is essential to this important conversation.

We will go into much more detail during worship and the all-church forum on Sunday, October 5th. But, we wanted to give you a big-picture view of what to expect this month.

Here's a summary of the schedule:

• October 5: World Communion Sunday, followed by an all-church forum 
• October 12: NO WORSHIP AT FIRST PRES
• October 19: The Session leads worship, and we talk about what we experienced in a new/different church
• October 26: Reformation Sunday, followed by a second all-church forum where we talk about our own building

We're sure you have a lot of questions about this process, and the all-church forum on Sunday will be aimed at answering them!

We need your involvement! Can we count on you to attend?

Trick or Treat Time

Saturday, October 25, 2025 | 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.

First Pres Campus (corner of Church & Division)

Swing by First Pres for some trick or treating on the final day of the Oshkosh Farmer's Market. We'll be outside near our digital sign, saying "hi" and giving out candy to everyone who walks by!

We Are the Peacemakers

In Romans 14:19, Paul calls us to know our neighbors, both around the corner and around the world, not as “them” but as “us,” friends and siblings in Christ. Pursuing peace is central to the gospel and the mission of the Church.

Over the past few weeks we have heard amazing stories, moving stories of people who are living this call by pursuing paths to peace at home and around the world.

We heard about Chester Presbyterian’s “Backpack Buddies” program in Chester, Virginia. These peacemakers have partnered with an elementary school to provide backpacks of food for children to take home over the weekend — as well as a drive-through café that meets the needs of 90 to 105 residents weekly. Read more.

If you feel called to give to the Peace & Global Witness Special Offering, please make your donation by Sunday, October 5th. Thank you!

Slay & Soothe: A Queer Self-Care Night

Thursday, October 9, 2025 | 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

137 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh (Room 208)

Every second Thursday of the month, be in community with other queer folks while doing some self-care activities.

Streets of Hope: Where Art Becomes Action

Friday, October 10, 2025 | 6:00 p.m.

Becket’s Atrium | 2 Jackson Street, Oshkosh

For Tickets: call Day By Day Shelter 920.203.4536 or buy online

Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the impact of creativity and collective giving. Streets of Hope returns as Day By Day Shelter’s signature fundraising event, uniting local artists, community leaders, and compassionate supporters to raise critical funds for individuals experiencing homelessness in Oshkosh.

Streets of Hope honors the creativity and resilience of those who’ve lived the realities of the street, turning adversity into art and stigma into strength. Rooted in street culture, this one-of-a-kind fundraiser celebrates bold expression, shared humanity, and the power of hope.

The event features:

• Original works by local artists
• Live music, moving stories, and immersive experiences
• Food, drinks, and community connection

100% of proceeds support Day By Day Shelter services, including safe shelter, meals, clean bedding, laundry, showers, mental health and AODA support, health services, and specialized programming to help guests get back on their feet.

Join us for a night where art becomes action and every moment helps build a stronger, more compassionate community.

With Survivors, Always: DVAM 2025

By Casey Keene, Director of Prevention

Domestic Violence Awareness Project

When it’s too dark to see the road ahead… 

When hopelessness and fear are overwhelming… 

When everything seems uncertain… 

Dear survivors, I’m with you. 

When you make hard choices to prioritize your wellbeing… 

When you celebrate small but meaningful victories… 

When you bravely raise your voice… 

Dear survivors, I’m with you.

For Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) 2025, the Domestic Violence Awareness Project Advisory Group is pleased to introduce a new theme: With Survivors, Always | Con sobrevivientes. Siempre. 

This theme allows us to explore what it means to be in partnership with survivors toward safety, support, and solidarity. It is both a love letter and a call to action for those committed to advocating for survivors’ needs and rights. 

Survivors deserve safety | Sobrevivientes merecen seguridad 

When we advocate for survivors’ safety, we must consider all that safety encompasses: physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial. Survivors have a right to live in homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, and institutions that are free of violence. 

Survivors deserve support | Sobrevivientes merecen apoyo 

Living through and healing from trauma can be a lifelong journey. And new threats to their safety can resurface trauma reactions in profound ways. Survivors are deserving of support and care at all stages of their lives as they navigate both these echoes and emerging new threats. 

Survivors deserve solidarity | Sobrevivientes merecen solidaridad 

Nobody should have to stand alone in the face of hardship. Community connectedness is critical to effective advocacy. We must continue to show up for survivors, no matter what.

How will you show up for survivors? What will your love letter say? 

*If you or anyone you know needs help, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline:

Phone: 1-800-799-7233

Text: Text the word START to 88788

Chat Live: https://www.thehotline.org/get-help/#

Stated clerk urges conference attendees to ‘be grounded in Christ’s ministry of justice’

The Rev. Jihyun Oh reminds Young Adult Advocacy Conference participants to act with compassion and love

Darla Carter | Presbyterian News Service | September 28, 2025

LANSING, Michigan — The Rev. Jihyun Oh gave a message Saturday at the Young Adult Advocacy Conference that served as a reminder that justice was a central part of Jesus’ ministry and should be a guiding force for Christians today.

There is a “whole movement of people who call themselves Christian” who say that God’s justice and the good things of life are only for a particular segment of people, said Oh, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). To counter that, “we must talk about and act on and advocate for justice where there is injustice and negate that message as being something that comes from Jesus because it doesn't.”

Oh, who also serves as executive director of the Interim Unified Agency of the PC(USA), spoke those words during a morning worship service in Michigan at the “Jesus and Justice” conference, which has been held by the PC(USA)’s advocacy offices for the last three years to teach young adults to do social justice advocacy.

“I think it’s of vital importance that you continue to remind us in your local congregations, but also on the national level, that the voices of young people need to be heard,”. Read more.

* (Photo by Alex Simon) The Rev. Jihyun Oh addresses the Young Adult Advocacy Conference Saturday at First Presbyterian Church of Lansing, Michigan.

Sunday Worship Service: 9:30 a.m.

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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.