First Presbyterian Church has an active and expanding outreach ministry. Our prominent location in central Lincoln presents daily opportunities to extend a helping hand to neighbors from the surrounding community. We regularly make referrals to assistance agencies, including the Lincoln Benevolence Coalition at 2101 N Street.

We conduct clothing drives a few times a year, and our members regularly serve on the first Tuesday of the month at The Gathering Place soup kitchen from 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

In partnership with Lincoln Public Schools, a Head Start Early Childhood program operates in our building, ensuring that preschoolers from disadvantaged backgrounds will start kindergarten on a more equal footing with their more fortunate peers.

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Sudanese (Nuer) Worship services:

Sundays at 12:30 p.m in the Chapel

Sudanese Children's Classes:

Saturdays at First Pres, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

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S.P.L.A.S.H. at McPhee Elementary School

Plans are being made for McPhee’s SPLASH (Super Plans for Learning Activities and Summer Happenings)

which offers a fun educational family night on Thursday, May 15 from 6:00-7:30 pm. 

Volunteers and new/gently used children’s books are needed for this event.

Thank you to the many First Pres volunteers who donated their time, energy, and supplies to make the 3rd Annual S.P.L.A.S.H. (Super Plans for Learning Activities and Summer Happenings) a memorable evening. On the gorgeous spring evening of May 17, McPhee’s green space project was dedicated followed by the educational and entertaining activities of S.PLA.S.H. This year the activities were planned around a beach theme which included number games using a beach ball, decorating nutter butter cookies as the summer footwear “flip flops”, creating scrapbooks out of paper lunch sacks, transforming paper towel tubes into rain sticks, and a pizza supper. What a blessing for First Pres to be in partnership with the appreciative staff and families of McPhee!

If you have an adventurous youth group and would like to experience our mission first-hand, we offer Christian Youth Action -- that's C'YA, for fun! -- and are very flexible with scheduling. Click or call for more information!

We are also well aware of living in a global village, interconnected with events affecting people and places far from Lincoln, Nebraska. We welcome a group of Sudanese refugees who have become members and officers here, providing transportation and other services. In partnership with the Lincoln Literacy Council, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the Woods Foundation, we offer language classes at the church building for many of the New American women, providing transportation and child care.

Sudanese Women's Cultural Festival

Fellowship Hall was transformed into a Sudanese cultural bazaar for the Sudanese Women’s Cultural Festival on May 5th at First Presbyterian. There were over 200 people in attendance at the Festival which offered a time for awareness and celebration of the gifts of the Sudanese women. Faces were beaming as sights, sounds, and smells found in Sudan reminded native participants of pleasant memories far removed from war torn Sudan. A traditional bride from the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan, spirited dancers from the Dinka tribe, displays of brightly colored clothing and leather crafts, hair braiding, the art of henna, and tasty Sudanese dishes all combined to make for a festive occasion. An un-foreseen highlight of the Festival was the unexpected visit by the Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan. He flew from Washington D.C. to Omaha to support the victims of the horrific Sudanese van accident. Learning about the Festival, he traveled to Lincoln where he attended the Festival for about 30 minutes. He was impressed with the number of white Americans at the Festival and offered each of those present a visa to travel to Sudan.

The joint planning and preparation for the Festival was a community effort. Many thanks to the Lincoln Literacy staff and tutors; the Sudanese Ministry Committee; the Sudanese Women Language students; the Junior League of Lincoln; Christ Lutheran Church; Episcopal Church; the Sudanese Women Sewing Teachers, and a host of others who made this event such a great success!

Last Modified: April 11, 2008