The Big White church reaches out to our community and the world through our mission work.
OCWM (Our Church Wider Mission)
UCC congregations are involved with mission in many ways. In the United Church of Christ, we affirm that, although the congregation is the fundamental unit of mission, mission is not just local. We are connected to one another, across boundaries of neighborhood, class, race, and national border.
At First Congregation Church we are what is known as being a Five for Five church
What this means is that we participate in One Great Hour of Sharing, Christmas Fund, Neighbors in Need, and Strengthen the Church; and to Basic Support of Our Church's Wider Mission. Each of which help the church reach out to the world.
We participate with more than just money to help those in need.
Point Of Light Ministries- This is the blanket listing of the mission programs tat our local church. Some of the missions we partake under this blanket include
We send a group of our church members to Mexico every year to take part in a program called
This is a chance to reach out to people who are much less fortunate and help them to have a home.
We also participate in
This ministry is in Biloxi Mississippi and reaches out to the local community. They have been working hard since Hurricane Katrina to rebuild for the people of the area. We sent a group to help in 2006 and will send another in 2008. They are so overbooked with people wanting to help we were unable to go in 2007 but have been helping with monetary donations as well.
We are also helping on a local level with a mission at the
Agape House
This is a house that is dedicated to taking care of local people with AIDS in Sandusky. This summer we sent a team of our people out to help repaint the house. Here are some pictures
Around the world coffee and fellowship come together where we share community. As one of the most heavily traded commodities in the world, coffee is a direct link between our communities and farming communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Through the UCC COFFEE PROJECT, your congregation, school or office can enjoy great coffee while helping small farmers as they build a better future for themselves and their families. Through the project, farmers earn a fair price for their products, have access to affordable credit, and gain a long-term trading partner they can trust, a Fair Trade Organization called Equal Exchange. With your support, these communities are able to invest in education, health care, and agricultural improvements. In addition, for each pound of coffee, tea or chocolate purchased by UCC congregations through the project, Equal Exchange makes a contribution to the UCC “Small Farmer Fund” for projects supporting small farmers and their families.
