We support many local programs:
St. Clair Food Pantry
St. Clair County Habitat for Humanity
Safe Horizons
Blue Water Hospice
We support a number of national and international mission programs:
Heifer Project International
Evangelical Homes
Olivet College
CUE (Chicago, United, and Eden Seminaries)
American Bible Society
Church World Service
We are a “5 for 5” congregation—supporting all five of the UCC denomination-wide offerings :
OCWM (Our Church's Wider Mission) the name we use to describe the work we do as the United Church of Christ beyond the local church–through our Conferences, national ministries, and UCC-related institutions. Our Church’s Wider Mission is also the name we give to the financial support given by UCC members and congregations that makes this broader mission possible. Congregations are central to the ability of The United Church of Christ to do mission in local communities, within the United States and internationally. As a congregation works in its own community, it is a representative of the entire denomination and embodies the UCC in that place. And when a congregation determines its giving to Our Church’s Wider Mission, there is a direct impact on levels of funding for the Conference and national ministries. Every local congregation has a responsibility to be aware of opportunities for local mission and to be knowledgeable about the work underway by its own Conference and by the national ministries.
NIN (Neighbors in Need) supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the US and Puerto Rico. It also helps support UCC Council for American Indian Ministries as well as justice advocacy and direct service projects supported by Justice and Witness Ministries.
OGHS (One Great Hour of Sharing) works with international partners to provide clean water, food, education, healthcare, small business micro-credit, emergency relief, advocacy and resettlement for refugees and displaced persons. It also supports domestic and international disaster preparedness and response.
The Christmas Fund helps provide pension and health premium supplementation to low-income retirees, emergency assistance to clergy families in need and Christmas gift checks to hundreds of annuitants. Contributions to the UCC 2005 Christmas Fund totaled $1, 350,789.
In 2005, members of the UCC contributed $444,555 to the STRENGTHEN THE CHURCH offering, to support leadership for new churches and renewing churches, programs for youth and young adults, and leadership development. Gifts to Strengthen the Church have helped over 150 new and renewing churches since 2000. Conferences retain 50% of all gifts to this offering for their own leadership development and church growth work.
From our abundance, we give to fill a need.
We fill food baskets for local families in need at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and purchase Christmas gifts for these adopted families.
We support two adopted children: Rizki and Emmanuele. We began this mission with Christian Children's Fund (now Child Fund International), and decided to stay with their program even after the UCC began a similar program. Our adopted children are supported by money given on our birthdays and by the children in Sunday School.