Updating Our Look! Let's "Wear It Well" Together!
It's been far too long since First Pres refreshed it's look, but we've gone and done it now!
Just take a look at the wonderful array of newly-designed t-shirts - and a must-have shopping tote - that are available to reflect where we are in our journey as a faith community!
Checking out the merchandise and placing an order are fast and easy - just 1 click on the link below and you'll be all set.
Due to supplier timetables, orders must be received by NOON on Friday, June 20, 2025. Items will be available for pick-up on Friday, June 27, 2025.
| | | |
|
Oshkosh Pride 2025: Volunteer Sign-Up Open
First Pres is excited to sponsor Oshkosh Pride, and we’ll be setting up a table at Oshkosh Pride 2025 on Sunday, June 29th (2:00 – 7:00 p.m.)! If you’re interested in volunteering to spend an hour or two at our table chatting with Pride attendees and giving out free stickers and more, just reach out to Pastor Deb or sign up online.
| | | | |
|
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Magnolia Hall at First Pres
Come hang out with us for a fantastic gathering where we’ll worship God and dive into the Bible together. You’ll feel totally at home in our welcoming vibe as we share insights and celebrate Jesus Christ! Don’t forget to bring your Bible, your lunch, and your enthusiasm to learn more about God’s word.
| |
| | |
|
Saturday, June 28, 2025 | 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. | Magnolia Hall at First Pres
Join your friends and family for a wonderful experience at the Community Breakfast! Enjoy delicious food and engage in heartfelt conversations. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.
If you’re up for it, we would love any help you can provide while you’re there. We could use assistance in different areas, such as setting up, cooking, cleaning, serving, or just chatting with guests. Let’s team up to make this event a memorable one for everyone! Whether you’re coming to enjoy a meal, lend a hand, or do both, it’s always a pleasure to see you and share some quality time!
| | | |
| |
Friends for Brunch
Saturday, July 12, 2025 | 11:00 a.m.
Delta Family Restaurant
515 N. Sawyer Street, Oshkosh
920.235.0900 | Delta Family Restaurant Website
RSVP Online
Are you ready for great company, great food, great times?!! Yes?
Well then, we’ll see you at “Friends for Brunch”!
This is a “no-host” event. Please call the restaurant for the menu and pricing or check their website.
| | | |
Oshkosh Pride 2025
Sunday, June 29, 2025 | 2:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Leach Amphitheater | 303 Ceape Avenue, Oshkosh
Rain Venue: Oshkosh Arena | 1212 South Main Street, Oshkosh
Join us for a vibrant celebration of love, identity, and community! And don’t forget to stop by the First Pres table to say ‘hi’. This is a free, family-friendly event full of fun! Let’s celebrate Pride loud, proud, and together!
| |
| | |
Elder Abuse Awareness Month
June Is Elder Abuse Awareness Month
Elder Abuse Hotline: 835.586.0107
The purpose of Elder Abuse Awareness Month is to shed light on the abuse and neglect that elderly and vulnerable adults face. It can be hard to imagine that anyone would deliberately want to harm an elderly person, but unfortunately, elder abuse is a widespread problem. Some instances of elder abuse are intended to exploit the person financially; you’ve probably heard of scams targeting seniors. In other cases, it’s simple negligence: Caregivers don’t provide the basic necessities, like nutritious food, appropriate medication, safety, or assistance with hygiene.
Know the symptoms of abuse
Bedsores, bruises, or chafing could indicate that your loved one is being restrained to a bed or wheelchair, or otherwise physically abused. If he or she has recently lost weight, malnutrition or dehydration could be at play, while poor hygiene is also an indicator of possible abuse. Watch, too, for changes in the person’s mood; if they seem depressed, anxious, agitated, or listless, see if you can discover why. In short, any changes to an elder’s behavior, disposition or physical condition could be cause for concern.
If you suspect something, say something
If you do detect signs of abuse, document them. Take pictures of bruises or injuries, get a statement from the victim or any witnesses, and keep a log of any suspicious behavior or circumstances. You can then address your concerns with the manager or director of the long-term care facility or home care provider; if they do not take action, contact the police or an elder abuse attorney.
Spread the word with social media
It might seem counterintuitive to help prevent the abuse of elders using tools that are largely considered the domain of younger generations, but there’s really no better way to get the word out and foster awareness than through social platforms. Share informational articles on Facebook and use the hashtag #WEAAD on Twitter.
Wear Purple: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is honored each year on June 15th. And we’re asking the community to wear purple on that day to raise awareness of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
We associate the color purple with dignity, respect, and royalty, and those are often the same words we use when describing how to treat our elders. Wearing purple on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is another reminder of how we need to treat our seniors with respect and dignity, and it makes a statement of unity to promote a safe and healthy environment for older adults.
| | | |
|
Pride Month is an entire month dedicated to the uplifting of LGBTQ voices, celebration of LGBTQ culture, and the support of LGBTQ rights. Throughout the month of June, nationwide, there have traditionally been parades, protests, drag performances, live theater, and memorials and celebrations of life for members of the community who lost their lives to HIV/AIDS. It is part political activism, part celebration of all the LGBTQ community has achieved over the years.
We celebrate in June to coincide with the catalyst of the Gay Liberation Movement that was the Stonewall Uprising. In the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, police raided a popular gay bar in N.Y.C.’s West Village, The Stonewall Inn. This was commonplace for the time; but on this particular evening, the patrons of the bar fought back, starting the Stonewall Riots, which went on for days. The Stonewall Inn was declared a historic landmark by the city of New York in 2015 and later named a national monument by President Barack Obama in 2016.
Though the LGBTQ+ community continues to face an uphill battle, there is still much to celebrate. According to the Library of Congress, the month recognizes the impact that the community has had on U.S. history. President Bill Clinton first designated it as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month on June 11, 1999, with President Barack Obama proclaiming it Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month 10 years later.
Unfortunately, everywhere you turn these days there is a culture war unfolding that seeks to dehumanize and marginalize LGBTQIA+ people. As people of faith, there is nothing more central and basic than this premise: Love God, Love your neighbor. You might not know what these letters mean, LGBTQIA+, though we’d encourage you to learn; however, what you do know is that every person is created in God's image. Let us do what we can to make our community and country safe for all God’s children.
| | | |
|
The nation’s youngest federal holiday is around the corner. The holiday commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation in the U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation to free enslaved African Americans in secessionist states on January 1, 1863, but enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, would not learn of their freedom until two years later.
On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed the community of Galveston of Lincoln's proclamation. Although enslaved people had been officially emancipated years prior, enslavers responsible for telling them ignored the order until Union troops arrived to enforce it, according to the founder of Juneteenth.com Cliff Robinson. Texas was the last Confederate state to have the proclamation announced.
The day, which rose to national prominence in 2020 amid nationwide protests for ongoing racial inequities in the justice system between Black people – specifically Breonna Taylor and George Floyd – and police, was officially recognized a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021.
| | | |
World Council of Churches condemns atrocities being perpetuated in Gaza
World Council of Churches, Presbyterian News Service
June 6, 2025
The Executive Committee of the World Council of Churches, meeting online last month, unequivocally condemns the atrocities being perpetrated in Gaza by the State of Israel, recognizing that the current government is pursuing extremist policies that are not supported by many Israelis.
Since Israel’s destruction of Gaza began in October 2023 following the attacks in southern Israel by Hamas fighters, the scale of devastation of lives and communities in the territory has reached unspeakable levels. The deliberate targeting of civilians, widespread destruction of hospitals and other essential infrastructure, and the total blockade of humanitarian aid since March 2 represent serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and can never be justified by the claim of targeting militant Hamas fighters.
The enormity of the current humanitarian crisis notwithstanding, this catastrophe for the people of Gaza has deeper roots than the last 20 months of brutal armed violence. It is rooted in the structural violence of decades of occupation, dispossession and impunity. The now openly-stated intention to re-occupy Gaza and permanently displace the Palestinian population, including refugees from 1948, amounts to a policy of ethnic cleansing that must be firmly denounced by all members of the international community who have committed themselves to international law and morality. Read more.
| | | |
Part two of the PC(USA)’s 'Journey to LGBTQIA+ Inclusion' is released
Kristen Gaydos and Randy Hobson, Presbyterian News Service
June 10, 2025
In 1978, the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. approved a minority report from the Task Force to Study Homosexuality, banning LGBTQIA+ people from holding official leadership roles in churches and in the denomination.
The UPCUSA’s declaration marked a turning point in Presbyterians’ historic fight for LGBTQIA+ inclusion. In the decades that followed, gay and straight Presbyterians worked tirelessly side by side for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people — within the denomination and beyond.
Watch part two in a three-part series about the PC(USA)’s journey to inclusion and access its accompanying resource page.
Part 2 Video & Additional Resources
| | | |
|
Sunday Worship Service: 9:30 a.m. † In-Person † Facebook † YouTube | | | |
|
| 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. | | | | | | |
