
First Presbyterian Community Church
The First Presbyterian Community Church – The Church with the Heart for Missions, Liningwan, Maabay, Sibunag, Guimaras:
History
The FPCC was established on February 18, 2017 as a mission out-reach church of the Ministry of the Presbyterian Reformed Brethren, (MPRB), San Miguel, Jordan, Guimaras, Philippines. The church began with 20 members, who organized and governed themselves according the Presbyterian form of government, with the Session as the Governing Body. The pastor was appointed or designated by MPRB and the elders and deacons were chosen by election from the organizing group. As of the present the church has 68 signing members and 230 adherents.
FPCC entered into a non-binding pledge with MPRB as a mission church that within 3 years it will endeavor to become a self-sustaining, self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating church, or become a mission sending church, by the Grace of God. For its slogan, the church chose James 1:27.
The following are the major activities of the church:
- Sunday Feeding Program for the children up to 12 years old. There are about 70 beneficiaries coming from within the church community (Liningwan), and from two remote outreach villages (Bopin & Dagmay). During these programs, the children and their attending parents and relatives are taught children Bible stories and songs. The church future plan includes 9 villages adjacent to Liningwan including Bopin & Dagmay above.
- Free Bibles: The Giving of Free Bibles is the front line activity of our Evangelism Program. Bibles are very rare and local rural churches do not give always them as a standard practice. Bibles if there are any are in foreign languages and are not culturally conversant. Bibles may be bought in bookstores in big cities and could be bought at a premium equivalent to a few days fee. These are Old & New Testaments Bibles translated and printed in the local language or dialect. This program is made possible from assistance from American Friends and the Good Samaritan United Methodist Church of Addison, Illinois.
- Livelihood Programs: To be able to become self-supporting, etc., the church plans, builds and engages on livelihood assistance projects. These projects are light-labor and take advantage of low water supply and rainfall. The church uses members preferably those that are most needy. These projects are:
- Operational: 45-day Broiler chicken project, Vermi-composting project and Banana Growing Project
- In Process of being built: Hydroponic Gardens, Aquaponic gardens
- Being planned: Mushroom culture Project
- Youth Projects (11 to 18 years old):
- The church plans to build a basket-ball and volley-ball facility for the youth. (CYF). Right now these facility are on dirt. These facility will isolate and insulate the youth from drugs and other harmful habits and influences and provide the venue for the teaching of the church. There are about 63 youths among the adherents of the church.
- Youth Camps: The youth of the church work for and earn their way to camps. Their activities include caroling on the Christmas season and selling potted plants and flowers they grow and maintain in the church grounds.
- Church Corporate Life Activities: Due to the nature of her membership, being composed (95%) coming from inactive Roman Catholicism, the church provides the following:
- Corporate Worship: There are two worship Service; a regular Sunday Worship and a Midweek evening (vespers) services. The latter to compensate for the rag-tag nature of the members, a meditative worship and rest for those who could not attend during the regular Sundays.
- Church School & Christian Education: (Sundays Only). There are 3 Sunday School Groups; the children up to 12 years); young adults (13 to 20 years); and the older ones.
- Discipleship: catechism and Membership confirmation classes on Saturdays for the Youth & Adults from 12 years old; Church officers responsibilities and duties;
- Friday Home Bible Studies and Prayer.
- Saturday Evangelism Outreach to outlying communities.
* For the above activities, the church is in need of electronic prompting screen devices, bibles, hymnals, and teaching aid literature, personal computers (PC) for the pastors. - Vacation Bible Schools with the assistance of itinerant seminary students.
- Seminary Student – presently the church supports a seminary student, a church youth who responded to the call for the Lord’s Service who will be enrolled at Central Philippine University, College of Theology, and will be studying towards Bachelor of Theology.
Our Pastors are:
- Pastor Daniel Laurente – Sr. Pastor designee by the MRPB
- Pastor Drake Galas – Associate Pastor, also a designee
- Pastor Johnny Mobadon – volunteer pastor and a recent seminary graduate.