"Go into all the world." -- John 15:16 

Mission trips provide an opportunity to learn how God is at work among people and cultures very different from our own. FAPC sponsors trips that focus on education, witness and strengthening ties to mission areas, while others are geared toward work through hands-on labor, disaster relief and community development. 

As Christians, we step out in faith whenever we travel to communities or countries that do not resemble our own. We go to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to celebrate the ways that God’s love changes lives and communities.

Expect your perception of the world to be dramatically altered and broadened. Expect your faith to be deepened. You will find that you receive much more than you give. 

Coming Up: StayTrip at the Bowery Mission

Our next mission trip is a decidely local affair -- a weekend StayTrip at the historic Bowery Mission on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Participants will spend two nights at the Mission helping to prepare and serve meals, participating in fellowship and assisting in neighborhood outreach.

The trip begins at 5 pm Friday, Oct. 26 and concludes at 7:30 pm Sunday, Oct. 28. Deadline to sign up is Sunday, Sept. 30. For information or to register, contact Susanna Black ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Keith Yagnik ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

To learn more about FAPC's longtime partnership with the Bowery Mission, including our monthly worship and dinner service, visit the Bowery Mission page.

Previous Mission Trips

Over the last decade FAPC has sponsored mission trips to: 

• New Orleans/Louisiana Gulf Coast (every year from 2006-2012)
• Guatemala (every summer from 2010-2012)
• The Philippines (February 2012)
• Haiti (May 2011)
• Egypt (November 2003, February 2010)
• India (1997, 1998, 2000)
• Belize (July 2009)
• Costa Rica (July 2008)
• Madagascar (2004)

Mission Partnership Task Force

The planning of future mission trips is on hold as Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church evaluates how we can better focus our overall mission efforts—including mission trips, benevolence grants and other Outreach programs.

In the spring of 2012, the Session approved the creation of a Mission Partnership Task Force. The Task Force is currently at work to determine how FAPC can forge sustained relationships with a select group of mission partners so that our grants and volunteer efforts make a stronger impact.

The Task Force will develop a process for selecting mission partners and help to structure a comprehensive Outreach program that will afford FAPC members and volunteers a range of opportunities to engage with our mission partners through service, advocacy and financial support.

The Task Force is scheduled to present its recommendations to the Session in January 2013. If you would like to share your thoughts and ideas, please contact Susanna Black at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  

Getting Involved 

There are many ways you can support the mission work of FAPC, even as the Mission Partnership Task Force continues its work:

• Support denominational offerings (including One Great Hour of Sharing and the Christmas Joy Offering) and the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance special offerings. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is the global emergency and refugee program of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
• Support our Benevolence Grants program with a special donation or an annual pledge to Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church.
• Learn about the communities and countries where the Presbyterian Church (USA) and its sister churches are engaged. Meeting social and material need is often the most effective means of presenting the gospel in action, especially in impoverished areas. Many FAPC members have international ties and may be in a position to wield influence, however small, to enhance the well-being of others.
• Talk to those who have been on mission trips and ask them about the resources needed in the communities we serve. You may be the link to needed resources, such as expertise on community water systems in Madagascar, product development and small business management for the Human Development Trust in India, licensed plumbers and electricians for rebuilding Gulf Coast communities.
• Pray for our church’s missions.