Missions PDF Print E-mail

The Missions Board at First Congregational promotes church participation in community outreach and oversees the special offerings. The mission activities of the church are wide-ranging, from local to national to international. Activities are not limited to mission board members and, in fact, many are started and carried out by other members of the church. This page describes Mission activities including:

Mission Trips

  • Biloxi Trip -In April, 2008, 27 members, family and friends of First Congregational UCC traveled to Biloxi Mississippi for the 2nd year to rebuild houses ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
  • Venzuela Medical Mission
  • Youth Mission Trips

OUR Center Lunches

OUR Center lunches - (included pictures) Four times a year First Congregational Church purchases, prepares, and serves lunch on the weekend for the OUR Center clients. The OUR Center mission is "To unify community resources to help people in the St. Vrain region meet their individual needs and move toward self-sufficiency". The St. Vrain district includes: Dacono, Del Camino, Erie, Firestone, Frederick, Hygiene, Longmont, Lyons, Mead, Niwot, Peaceful Valley, Raymond, Riverside, and other parts of Boulder, Larimer and Weld Counties. To read more, please see their site: Our Center

Empty Bowls

The church also supports the Empty Bowls fund raiser for hunger, by painting pottery bowls to be used for the soup meal sponsored by the OUR Center. Empty Bowls is a fun event for the entire family. For more information, please visit the events area on the Our Center website: Our Center Events

Born To Read

Born to Read is a literacy program where parents of newborns at Longmont United Hospital receive information and books to read to their children. First Congregational Church adopted Born to Read when its initiators wanted to retire from the project. The goals of the project are to educate parents on the importance of providing young children with many literature experiences, to develop adult -child bonding through shared reading, and to develop literate children.

Imprinted canvas bags are stuffed with materials from the Superintendent of Schools, the Children's Librarian from the Longmont Public Library, brochures from the American Library Association, Colorado Dept. of Education and the Library Association. In addition, there are printed materials from Rosemary Wells (children's author) and a board book for the baby. Each bag also has an evaluation form. Bags are provided in Spanish and English. All are welcome to be involved with filling the bags or acquiring funding and materials.

Coffee Mission

On the second Sunday of the month, coffee beans from the Unseen Bean are sold as a fund-raiser for mission projects. The organic, free-trade beans are roasted locally by Gerry Leary, a blind man that switched from fixing cars to roasting coffee several years ago. More on his story is available at: www.theunseenbean.com

UNICEF

The UNICEF fund raiser is a fun church activity at the end of October to collect money for this charity. People are encourage to dress up in international costumes and donations are collected during the Sunday service.

Africa Bags

Africa Bags is a non-profit organization focused on creating economic opportunity in the African country of Malawi. At present, four villages are producing re-usable grocery bags on treadle sewing machines. 100% of all profits are returned to the villages. Purchasing Africa Bags not only provides a sustainable income opportunity for Malawi, it also diminishes our need for environmentally hazardous plastic grocery bags. For more information go to africabags.org .

Housing First

In May 2008, the church collected and delivered all the furnishings for an apartment for a formerly homeless person. "JL" is the 29th homeless person that Housing First has helped. He had been homeless for 8 years and sober for 2 years. He now has a 1 bedroom, 1 bath apartment that is fully furnished with kitchen items, housekeeping supplies, and furniture. Housing First believes that getting a homeless person into an apartment, then working on whatever issues led to the homelessness leads to greater success. In the future we hope to assist others in this process.

Alternative Christmas

Mission Board provides opportunites for people to give a gift "in name" as an alternative to traditional gift giving. This has included the Heifer Project, Oxfam, Church World Service, and blanket collection.

Giving Tree

This is an annual Christmas project in cooperation with Boulder County Social Services. Church members buy gifts for families in need, as identified by social services, and social services distributes wrapped packages before Christmas.

Food and Personal Care Product Collection

First Congregational Church has collection drives throughout the year for food and items like shampoo, toothpaste, etc... to support the OUR Center and the Women's Shelter

Military Care Packages

As part of Alternative Christmas Giving in 2008, the Missions Board is collecting items to be sent to overseas military persons or those hospitalized. Packages can be sent to any branch of the service. For a list of suggested items go to Marineparents.com. Collection will start on November 30 and run through February.

Special Offerings

In cooperation with the national United Church of Christ, the church participates in 4 special offerings a year. These are: Strengthen the Church, Neighbors in Need, One Great Hour of Sharing, and the Christmas Fund.

Board of Missions - Brenda Laartz

Board Members of 2008 include Brenda Laartz (chair), Jane Bush (cabinet representative), Amy Doyle, Bonnie and Fred Kueffner, Nina Bennett, Marleigh Jacques, Nancy McClelland, Charles Olivarez, and Sara Weatherman (minister).