Mission

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." 1 Peter 4:10


First Presbyterian Church, Franklin, boldly lives out its mission of witnessing actively to God’s saving love revealed in Jesus Christ by reaching out to serve others in our community, our nation and our world.


The Mission Committee strives to answer the call to mission. Your participation is needed, valued and welcomed!


The following are Missions FPC helps support financially & hands on.

For information or questions about below listed missions: mission@fpcfranklin.org.

Better Decisions

WOMEN HELPING WOMEN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS

Better Decisions brings together women from varied backgrounds and gives them a unique opportunity to learn from each other.   They have trained more than 1,200 volunteers who have taught and mentored over 1,500 women incarcerated in Nashville at the TN Prison for Women.  Four members of FPC have now undergone this training and continue to mentor once or twice a year for a 9 week session.

Bridges of Williamson County

Bridges Domestic Violence Center serves women, men, and their children affected by domestic violence, ensuring a safe transition to successful independent living through education, intervention, and case management.  FPC collects food/toiletry items for the residents in our Basic Essentials Cart for regular delivery.  For many years, FPC's "Bible Class" has collected funds towards providing gift cards for those living at Bridges during the Christmas season.

BrightStone is a comprehensive work, social support, and future residential community for adults with special needs, helping them develop mentally, physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We worked closely with them during the March 2017 2NDSAT at their beautiful new property on Columbia Pike. We always look forward to seeing BrightStone pottery, foods & cards being sold in Wilson Hall during the holidays. It has become a favorite place to be for FPC.  

GraceWorks Ministries

GraceWorks is a Williamson County nonprofit organization helping families in crisis. Many church members volunteer their time and talents at GraceWorks, both in Franklin and Fairview on a weekly basis as well as for special projects.  FPC collects food/toiletry items for them in our Basic Essentials Cart with regular delivery.  


Other ways we support GraceWorks are:

  •  Share the Table operates from Father's Day through Labor Day on Sunday mornings offering homegrown or store bought fruits, vegetables, and plants as well as baked goods. 
  • The Manger Tree is an FPC Christmas tradition.  The tree is set up in Wilson Hall and covered with angel tags. Each tag includes gift suggestions for purchase. The gifts are delivered to The Manger who distributed over 10,000 gifts into a store-like operation for Christmas shopping. We collect gifts year-round at the Basic Essentials Cart to take advantage of good buys during the year.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with people in need to build and renovate decent, affordable housing.  The houses are then sold at no profit and with no interest. Volunteers provide most of the labor, and individual and corporate donors provide money and materials.  FPC has contributed funds and helped to build several homes in Williamson County.  The 2018 build involved landscaping, interior & exterior painting, appliance installation, general cleanup, and building the side deck in Columbia TN for Aja Silvestri, the future homeowner.

Hard Bargain Association

Hard Bargain Association (HBA) is a grassroots, non-profit organization seeking to preserve Hard Bargain, an historic African American neighborhood, which was founded over 130 years ago. The emphasis is on restoring the current community and not allowing gentrification of this historic neighborhood. Through donations, HBA repairs existing homes and offers quality, affordable homes for purchase to people who have not been able to attain the dream of home ownership.  FPC members are active in HBA by serving on the Board of Directors and teaching computer classes in the community center located in the neighborhood as well as financial support of their yearly fundraiser, the BlackBerry Jam.  

Insight Counseling Centers of Tennessee

       Provide excellent professionally licensed psychotherapy to any individual, couple or family in our community.
       Offer help and healing from a heart of compassion and personal faith that accepts and respects the beliefs of every individual with whom they work.
       Raise and provide financial support to help those who cannot otherwise afford care.

Kairos Prison Ministry

The mission of Kairos is to share the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ with incarcerated men, women, youth and their families, toward becoming productive citizens of their communities.  

Martha O'Bryan Center

Located in the heart of the James A. Cayce Homes in East Nashville, they operate as a Christian outreach ministry.  They empower and support individuals and families in need living in East Nashville and the surrounding communities. The center provides numerous services including adult, preschool, and after school education, transportation, parenting education, and the largest food pantry in Nashville.  The FPC church bus and a volunteer driver transport patrons to the Crankin’ each year.
 

Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels is a non-profit organization providing home-delivered nutritious meals to shut-ins.  FPC prepares and delivers meals for elderly and disabled residents in Williamson County on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the first week of each month.  FPC Franklin members and friends arrive at the First Methodist Franklin kitchen to prepare, package and deliver meals.   The drivers arrive and pick-up these meals around 10:45 a.m. and are back within the hour. The current drivers and kitchen helpers are an eclectic group of volunteers who love to welcome new friends - folks on their lunch break, young moms and dads, married couples, retired folks, and friends from other churches.  Many drivers often take their children. You don't have to "fit" any particular criteria, just give one hour of time once a month!  

Monroe Harding Children's Home

This children's home has served in Nashville since 1893. They facilitate matching into foster homes, group living, mentoring, relationship-building skills, safety and structure, encouragement, spiritual formation, life skills training, education, job placement, and more.  Monroe Harding does for kids in foster care what a family would do. They provide security, support and give young people a chance for success.  They meet this mission through four key programs serving young people who are currently in or are transitioning from the foster care system:  
       Foster Care
       Cooperative Living
       Youth Connections
       Independent Living

My Friend's House

They have worked on behalf of at-risk youth since 1982. It is a nonprofit community-based organization whose focus is helping youth change negative behaviors, learn to make good choices and provide opportunities to develop into responsible young adults.  Their Evening Diversion Program serves youth in DCS custody in need of a stable/supportive short-term home-like environment as well as private family referrals in need of respite, community-based A&D education and family assistance.   FPC collects food/toiletry items for the residents in our Basic Essentials Cart for regular delivery.  In 2017, we purchased new bedding for the boys.

OneGenAway

Dedicated to eliminating racism, denominationalism, and poverty in America, believing that we are one generation away from such. They put food into the hands of those who are hungry. We collaborate with them for two 2NDSAT’s yearly in Food Distributions, and contributed the $5,000.00 needed to purchase the food for these distributions.  

Room in the Inn

Room In The Inn (RITI) operates at FPC on Wednesday nights, November through March.   This interaction continues to be an inspiration to us as we share a meal and enjoy each other's company.  Thanks to our youth, Sunday school classes, small groups, Stephen Ministry, Confirmation program and our congregation at large, each week we are able to serve our guests a hot dinner, breakfast, and a sack lunch to take with them.  In addition, we offer hot showers, personal hygiene products, clean underwear and socks, as well as donated winter coats.
 
RITI provides food and shelter for up to 225 people each night in over 150 area congregations from November 1st to March 31st:
       22 nights yearly, alternating men & women
       14 guests weekly, approximately 308 guests yearly
       44 FPC members serve as overnight Inn Keepers
       44 bus drives to Nashville or back
       264 bed set up's
       264 dinners served
       264 lunches prepared
       264 breakfasts served
       22 laundry services purchased

Society of St. Andrew

The Society of St. Andrew salvages fresh, nutritious produce from American farms - produce that otherwise would be left to rot, and delivers it to agencies across the nation that serve the hungry. SOSA educates about hunger and poverty to people from all denominations and organizations that partner with them financially, and through gleaning fields and getting food to those who need it.  SOSA has become an FPC 2NDSAT favorite, with sweet potato and green bean drops and gleaning locally when available.  

UKirk Nashville

A Christian community dedicated to experiencing Christ on campus through worship, mission, and fellowship. Vanderbilt and Belmont students gather each Thursday night for a home cooked meal supplied by various local Presbyterian churches.  The Mission Committee provides a dinner to share with the students yearly.  You can join that effort, or contact them directly and have your own small group choose a night and prepare a meal for around thirty to serve at the beautiful St. Augustine's Chapel on the Vanderbilt campus.

Lena Reynolds

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FRANKLIN CELEBRATES THE LIFE AND WORK OF MISS LENA REYNOLDS.