Autumn 2026 | The Life of the Church
The Session of our church (the ruling board of elected elders) hopes that by providing this newsletter every few months our members and friends can stay abreast of all that is happening behind the scenes here at First Church! Throughout the year, our committees are working hard to provide opportunities for ministry, to meet our congregation’s needs, and to move the church forward in outreach and service to our larger community as well. Here’s what has been happening these past few months:
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Pastor’s Report
Whenever I am tempted to believe that our church is facing a challenging season, God has a way of showing me just how wrong I am. Our finances are being strained, I tell myself. It’s in the middle of this spiral that the church receives a generous donation from someone who is inspired by what we are doing, a local business donates thousands of dollars in free labor, and we’re notified of multiple generous grant opportunities.
Our members are failing to grow in their love of God and neighbor, I worry. The next morning I learn of an anonymous, but profound act of charity that saves a member of our community from homelessness. I hear of dinner parties, coffee dates, and long phone calls between members trying to provide support to one another in their darkest hour. And during a chance meeting with a member of a different church, I am told that our church has a reputation for leading the community in service and outreach.
Together, we are on a journey toward greater faithfulness and greater fruitfulness. It is true that we face enormous challenges. But it is also true that we can observe God’s faithfulness in tangible ways nearly every day. I am heartened by the way our church handles the growing pains associated with God’s larger vision for us. It’s not so much that we are in complete agreement regarding every decision, as much as the fact that we have decided unity is more important than uniformity. Charity and grace outrank power and supremacy. Collectively, we follow the same leader who prepares the way.
We do not need to be ignorant of the challenges we face in order to have hope. Rather, we must instead admit that God is greater than any external challenge we face.
To God be the glory,
True mission work isn’t something that is announced by a brass band. It is mostly done in the silence of the trenches. FPC’s missions are local and international. We provide food and funds for the East Hampton Food pantry. We assist people who need help paying to do their laundry. We provide funds and clothing for the homeless through Maureen’s Haven. We plan to serve dinner at least twice this coming fall and winter for Maureen’s Haven’s guests. We will be organizing our Christmas missions for children in our East Hampton schools. We’ll collect white gifts for the homeless. We have at least twelve college students who send care packages each year.
We have had a sister partnership with the Güines Presbyterian Church in Cuba for more than ten years. We help support their many programs including a “Living Waters for the World” water filtering system. They recently cleaned their 2,000,000th gallon! The water is given to the community for free. 2027 mission trip dates will be announced soon.
We’ve sent mission workers and funds in support of schools for indigenous children in Guatemala. The entire church participates in the annual Heifer Project campaign. The Mission Committee is always open to anyone interested in joining us in our work.
This committee is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of our three buildings and the surrounding grounds. We meet regularly to manage the demands of our property. Here's what we have recently worked on.
o The chimneys in the church and Session House have been repaired.
o The new ramp leading to the church has been completed.
o Two posts have been installed by the front step to help in facilitating entering and exiting.
o An additional modification to the entrance step was installed. The front steps have been resurfaced. There was extensive damage caused by the past winter weather.
o The steps to the Session House kitchen have been rebuilt.
o Both buildings were pressure washed.
o Windows were washed inside and out in both buildings.
o Old parts were used to make an additional pew that is now part of the choir seating.
o The stockade fence behind the Session House has been replaced. A landscape company is taking care of the clean-up, mowing, trimming and edging of our grounds. All gardens were mulched in the spring.
o The old shed was removed.
o Security has been improved for the nursery school.
The committee is always happy to welcome new members. If you are interested in working on this committee please speak to Andrea Cooper of Pastor Jon.
Save the Date
October
4 – Family Ministry Party
11 – All Church Picnic
November
1 – Youth Choir Performance in Worship
22 – Stewardship Sunday
25 – Pie Baking in Session House
28 – Sanctuary Decorating
29 – Advent Wreath Workshop
December
6 – Deacons Christmas Tea
13 – Xmas Pageant + Lessons & Carols
18 – Community Holiday Concert
20 – Youth Group Christmas Party
The Worship & Music Committee makes decisions about the music ministry of the church as well as all other aspects of our worship services. We have recently explored new ways of inviting members into deeper participation through ushering and serving as a read during Sunday morning worship
We are also piloting a new program to enhance our chancel choir by hiring additional singers and musicians more regularly. It is our hope that deeper investment in the music ministry will inspire members to become more involved.
If you have an interest in participating on this committee speak to Pastor Jon or Harriet Ewards. New members are always welcome!
The Personnel Committee has seen a quiet period these past few months. We continue to stay in touch with our staff members to make sure their needs are being met and help them with any challenges they face as they assist us with our ministry here at First Presbyterian Church. We are grateful to all our staff members for their commitment in contributing their talents and efforts to help with the work of the church.
The Board of Deacons continues to help members of our local community cope with significant hardships, such as overdue bills, groceries, or back-to-school supplies. These community needs come in various ways and are met quietly and kindly, helping those we can through your generous donations to the Deacons Fund.
The April tag sale in the Session House netted $2600 – thanks to all who donated or worked for that event!
In July the committee held a bake sale on the front lawn of the church which brought in $1600. All monies raised by the Fellowship Committee are given to the Benevolence Fund of the church.
The deacons were recently gifted a used car by a member of the community. Elder Mark Mandrakos was able to have the car serviced and inspected and brokered a sale for over $9000, which the deacons will use to further their ministries in our church and the community at large. A huge thank-you to Mark for helping to make this happen!
Donations to facilitate this ministry can be made through the church office - simply mark your check for the Deacon’s Fund.
Opportunities to Serve
Did you know there are many opportunities for ministry in the church that do not involve meetings or being a church officer? Here are a few things that we would love to have volunteers for:
Ushering | Reading scripture Sunday mornings | Restocking Pew Supplies | Nursery Care | Sunday School | Kitchen & Hospitality | Communications (you can do this from home!) | Polishing silver candlesticks and chalices | Laundering tablecloths or communion table covers
If you would like to take on a small ministry like this, or if you see a ministry opportunity that interests you, please speak to Pastor Jon – we would love to have extra hands to help!
Our Family Ministry Task Force has been meeting since March with the purpose of exploring the potential for our church to hire an associate pastor who would focus on family ministries in the future. They anticipate this will be an effort spearheaded by this church but in partnership with one or more other congregations on the East End. The task force is working to create a job description and explore ways to fund this initiative as well as finding ways to meet the needs of our families in the meantime.
The Pastoral Care Committee continues to recognize significant events that occur in the life of our pastoral family, such as birthdays and other special occasions, and we try to step in to assist when normal challenges occur in a young family’s life! We arrange nursery care during morning worship for any infants or toddlers who need it and we do our best to be available for the Rodriguez family when they need help of any kind, for any reason
We hope you will reach out to any of these committees if you feel moved to participate in the ministries of this church. Our committee chairs, elders, and deacons are more than happy to discuss their work in greater detail so please ask! Pastor Jon is always happy to answer questions about our church or help you understand how we minister to our larger community. If you are interested in membership in this congregation please speak to Pastor Jon.
The Nominating Committee will be meeting soon to prepare a slate of officers for election for the new term. If you have someone you would like to see in office please submit their name, along with the position you feel they would be suited for, to the church office for consideration. If you need to know more about what responsibilities the various church officers have, you can speak to Pastor Jon or refer to “The Book of Order” which can be found on the Presbyterian Church (USA) website.
The church has a presence on all social media and if you have photos from recent church events, please be sure to forward them to the church office so they can be shared with the broader community. If you don’t follow us on our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and X) please do so, and share our posts with your friends on your own platforms.
In addition, you can find the live-streamed worship services on YouTube, as well as audio versions of Pastor Jon’s sermons on YouTube and Spotify if you missed one or want to listen again at home.
Social media has proven to be a huge asset for the church in terms of getting our programming and messaging out to a larger audience. Our readership is growing every month and we sometimes have over 200 people watch our morning worship services during the following weeks. Our clips of children’s sermons on YouTube have been getting over 10,000 hits recently from all over the world.
If you have any interest in working on PR and communications please speak to Pastor Jon as this ministry is growing and in need of additional help!
Livestreaming our services continues to be a great way to reach our members who cannot get out to worship, as well as many people from around the world who tune in or watch on a regular basis. The team that works in our tech booth on Sunday mornings would greatly appreciate help! If you could lend a hand it would mean they can take occasional Sundays off and our services can still be recorded and livestreamed. Please consider this ministry!
Questions and Answers!
What is per capita?
Each member of the Presbyterian Church is asked to contribute an annual per capita amount, which is determined by the local Presbytery. Here is a breakdown of what makes up this amount for 2025:
General Assembly: $10.84
Synod: $ 4.25
Presbytery: $27.00
Total: $42.09
If you have not submitted your per capita you can do so at any time – simply use an envelope in the pew and mark it “per capita” along with your name. Or mail a check to the church office at 120 Main Street marked for per capita.
What is the job of a ruling elder?
The ruling elders are elected by the congregation and serve three-year terms on the board. Elders share in the government and spiritual oversight of the church, working with the pastor to assist in leading worship and ensuring the church’s spiritual health.
What do the deacons of the church do?
Deacons are charged with acts of care and compassion, often undertaking ministries of feeding, visitation, prayer, and hospitality as well as other acts of service.
Who is in charge of the care and upkeep of our buildings?
The Buildings & Grounds Committee oversees the properties of the church. In addition to our grounds we own three buildings: the session house, the sanctuary, and the manse where our pastor’s family lives. These buildings were built in 1858, 1860, and 1830 respectfully and upkeep is essential for such historic buildings. They need to be safe and comfortable. In addition, this committee deals with snow removal, plowing, mowing, landscaping, and local utilities as well as the cell tower companies who lease space in our steeple.
Who makes decisions about our worship services, like the hymns we sing and the type of bulletin we use?
The Worship & Music Committee oversees all aspects of our worship services. Our pastor and our director of music both sit on this committee and have input into the details of our services, both on Sunday morning and during special church events such as Holy Week and Advent.
What does the Mission Committee do?
The Mission Committee is concerned with the various missions of the church. In addition to their Cuba mission and their work with Maureen’s Haven, they continue to be busy on numerous projects like the annual Heifer Project which provides animals to impoverished areas of the world in order to make the communities more self-sufficient. They also oversee the One Great Hour of Sharing and Christmas Joy special offerings collected every year, as well as adopting families for Christmas who are in need of help with buying gifts for their children.
The Mission Committee also oversees special offerings for disaster relief. The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, whose motto is “Out of chaos, HOPE”, assists churches to care for communities affected by crisis and catastrophic events. It is the emergency and refugee program of the Presbyterian Church (USA). It is funded through the One Great Hour of Sharing program, which our mission committee coordinates every year.
All the committees of the church operate under the oversight of the Session and each provides important work in the life of the church. In addition to the committees already mentioned, there is a Christian Education Committee that is in charge of the education for all ages of the church and makes plans for our children’s Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Bible studies, and any other opportunities to assist in growth for our members. The Fellowship Committee plans opportunities for the congregation to gather outside the walls of the sanctuary. These may include dinners, movie nights, game nights, and other fun activities designed to provide social events where members can get to know the folks sitting in the pews near them on Sunday mornings. A Nominating Committee meets to select nominees to run for positions on the session and deacon boards, and a Pastoral Care Committee is charged with making sure that the needs of our pastor and family are met.
If you have a special interest in serving on one of the committees of the church please speak to the pastor.
What is the Long Island Presbytery?
The Long Island Presbytery is made up of all the churches on Long Island who are part of the Presbyterian Church (USA). There are 52 member churches and each one sends representatives to meetings of the Presbytery. The Presbytery office is located in West Islip. Our Long Island Presbytery (the oldest presbytery in the country) provides resources for churches covering such things as personnel, worship, church development, Christian Education, and Policies, among many others. Our per capita money goes to support the offices and personnel expenses of the Long Island Presbytery.
Where can I find additional information on the church?
First Presbyterian Church has a website which can be found with a simple google search, as well as a Facebook page and (hopefully soon!) an Instagram page where important announcements may be found. The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 1pm and the phone number is 631-324-0711. (Wednesdays are “administration days and no appointments or drop-ins are appreciated except in the case of an emergency).
