First United Presbyterian Church

Global and Regional Mission

First United is a mission partner with the three governing bodies in which it holds membership: Albany Presbytery, the Synod of the Northeast, and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The breadth of mission encompasses everything from hunger relief and refugees to new church development and seminary education.

 Presbyterian Church (USA)

Congregational Mission Support

Bethany Hospitality Center

The Deacons’ budget supports Bethany Hospitality Center, which deals with complex issues surrounding men, women and children including poverty, chronic homelessness; malnutrition; mental illness; addiction; abuse; loneliness and lack of self-esteem.

Bread for the World

FUPC members participate in bake sales, the proceeds of which fund the church’s membership in Bread for the World, an international lobbying organization that fights world hunger.

Craft Fair

Each Fall, the congregation hosts a pre-Christmas alternative gift and craft fair on the second weekend of November.  Proceeds benefit local mission.

Rensselaer County Habitat for Humanity

The Deacons’ budget provides support for the work of the local Habitat chapter, helping to build affordable housing for and with low-income residents of Rensselaer County.  

Joseph’s House

Once a quarter, members prepare and deliver week-end meals for Joseph’s House, the city’s only overnight shelter that provides comprehensive services to the homeless.

Presbyterian Coffee Project

Each Sunday, First united serves Equal Exchange Fair Trade coffee at refreshment time.

Roxbury Farm

The church is a distribution site for a Community Supported Agriculture farm.

Troy Area United Ministries (TAUM)

TAUM is Troy’s interfaith social service provider. Through the congregation’s mission giving to TAUM, First United supports a number of important programs: chaplaincy at local colleges, the furniture program, the Troy Damien Center, Computers for Kids, the Martin Luther King, Jr., scholarships and other important community outreach. Two First United members serve on the TAUM Board.

Youth Mission

 Food Fairs

The faith education classes hold Fall and Spring fairs for which they prepare and sell food items to raise money for local and global mission.

Troy Larger Parish

The Troy Larger Parish is a mission connecting the Oakwood Avenue Presbyterian, Cornerstone Community, and First United Presbyterian churches in the city of Troy in local mission and joint summer worship.

Food Pantry

Non-perishable food items help supply the pantry housed at the Oakwood Avenue Church.

NEST Project

Affordable van transportation for family visits to incarcerated loved ones.

In the fall . . .

 AIDS Walk

A sponsored walk held at the end of September to raise funds for AIDS research and organizations that assist people living with AIDS and HIV.

Thanksgiving Meals

The Deacons of First United shop for and deliver complete holiday meal kits to needy families in our community.

In the winter . . .

Socks for Joseph House

In the spring . . .

Crop Walk

On the first Sunday of May, First United members participate in the Church World Service sponsored walk to raise money for local, national and global agencies that help provide food and shelter for disaster and refugee relief.

Troy Gateway Initiative

Members maintain the small traffic island at the foot of the Green Island Bridge.

In the summer . . .

Simple Summer Lunches

First United along with several other Troy churches prepare sandwich lunches distributed to teenagers attending the TAUM Computers for Kids program.

Rental Space as Mission Work

Unity Sunshine Nursery School

First United rents space to Unity Sunshine Preschool which provides an integrated special education classroom for preschool children with special needs.

Literacy Volunteers of America

First United rents space to LVA-GRC which provides free, confidential tutoring in reading, writing and conversational English and recruits and trains tutors.