The First Congregational Church of Pelham,
United Church of Christ is dedicated to serve others
as a true example of Christian love. We believe we are called to fully
live out the Gospel by serving others. We support our church and community
in many ways through serving various Mission programs. We invite you
to browse and visit the missions we support.
As a member of the United Church of Christ, we support Our Church's
Wider Mission (OCWM), helping support partners in more than 70 different
countries working on development projects, hunger programs, services
for displaced people and natural disaster response. We also support
the Special Offerings collected throughout the year for various Mission
opportunities. www.ucc.org/disaster
UCC MISSIONS
 ONE
GREAT HOUR OF SHARING
One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is the relief, refugee and development
fund of the United Church of Christ. It is one of the Special Mission
Offerings received by the United Church of Christ and is a part of Our
Churches Wider Mission (OCWM). OGHS, as part of OCWM, is the special mission
offering of the United Church of Christ that carries God's message of
love and hope to people in more than eighty countries. The UCC works with
international partners to provide sources of clean water and food, education
and health care, small business micro-credit, emergency relief, and advocacy
and resettlement for refugees and displaced persons. OGHS also supports
domestic and international ministries for disaster preparedness and response.
www.ucc.org/oghs
NEIGHBORS IN NEED
Neighbors in Need (NIN) is a special mission offering of the UCC that
supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States.
One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry(CAIM).
Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries
(JWM) to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and
direct service projects.
Most UCC congregations will receive the NIN offering on October 5, 2008
as part of their World Communion Sunday observance. NIN contributions
can be made on-line at any time here.
www.ucc.org/nin
From your attic to a needy home, one wish at a time
The mission of The Wish Project is to provide basic furniture, home and
baby goods to the poor in the Merrimack Valley in order to help them gain
independence while improving our environment by recycling goods back into
original use.
Each year TWP provides
$1 million in value of free furniture, home, clothing and baby goods for
more than 25,000 needy people through recycling more than 600 tons of
furniture, clothing and more back into welcome homes.
Basic things like clothing, furniture and baby gear are life changing
to local families moving out of homeless shelters and struggling to survive
that first year back on their own.
Wish Project is 95%
privately funded and every $1 donated is leveraged into $4 in value of
free goods given out. They help all ages, races and abilities. More than
2/3 served are children. Every couch and lamp in a new home means one
less in the landfill.
www.thewishproject.org
AMERICAN CANCER
SOCIETY Daffodil Days 
Our church supports
the ACS, giving hope to people facing cancer by supporting the American
Cancer Society Daffodil Days program. The Daffodil Days program fights
back against cancer by raising funds and awareness to help beat the disease.
While the Daffodil Days program involves offering daffodils every spring
to donors in appreciation for their contributions, it is about more than
just giving beautiful flowers — it is everyone’s opportunity
to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays, where cancer never
steals another year from anyone’s life. www.cancer.org
The New England Pastoral Institute in Salem ,New Hampshire, is a not-for-profit,
multi-disciplinary, pastoral psychotherapy and education center committed
to caring for the emotional, intellectual, relational, physical, and spiritual
needs of persons, families, and organizations through counseling, education,
training, and consultation. Our church is in partnership with the Institute
through its Congregational Affiliate Program, giving us multiple tools
to assist our members in crisis. www.nepastoral.org
REGIONAL
SEMINARIES
 www.ants.edu
 www.bts.edu
We support our local United Church of Christ affiliated seminaries, understanding
the importance of educated seminarians entering the Ministry. We encourage
any person who is interested in Ministry as a Calling to call our Pastor
to discuss the process and some friendly conversation.
HIGH
SCHOOL MISSION TRIPS
In 2012, our High School students will continue the tradition of participating
in a week-long Mission project. This year we will be serving mission sites
in 6 STATES IN SIX DAYS. We will travel to each New England State serving
various Mission agencies ranging from helping the Homeless to Agriculture
and more.
NEW NEW NEW
2013 MISSION TRIP
to BACK BAY MISSION IN BILOXI MISSISSIPPI
In July of 2103 we will be embarking on a Mission Trip to The Back Bay
Mission of the UCC in Biloxi Mississippi! The vibrant, 89-year-old nonprofit
is a community ministry of the United Church of Christ, servingh the Mississippi
Gulf Coast and the wider church community by faithful witness for social
justice and compassionate service to the poor and marginalized Program
areas of Back Bay Mission . www.thebackbaymission.org
STRENGTHEN
THE CHURCH
Strengthen the Church grows the UCC's future by:
THE
CHRISTMAS FUND
The Christmas Fund Offering (formerly the Christmas Fund for the Veterans
of the Cross), one of four Special Mission Offerings of the United Church
of Christ (UCC), is an important way of sharing our joy at God's renewing
and life-giving grace. The Offering, which is administered by the United
Church Board for Ministerial Assistance of the Pension Boards on behalf
of the UCC, is an expression of joy and gratitude to, and for, those
who serve the church.
Gifts to the Christmas Fund help provide pension and health premium
supplementation to low-income retirees, emergency assistance to the
families of clergy and lay employees and Christmas Gift Checks to hundreds
of annuitants.
www.pbucc.org/interior_art_special.asp?id=cf_donate.
 PROUD
TO BE “FIVE FOR FIVE”
The First Congregational Church of Pelham is proud to be one
of 1250 churches that are 5 for 5!
This list includes churches that contributed in 2010 to each of the
4 mission offerings in the UCC: One Great Hour of Sharing, Christmas
Fund, Neighbors in Need, and Strengthen the Church; and to Basic Support
of Our Church's Wider Mission.
 For
more than 30 years the national setting of the UCC has been on a clear
course of welcome and inclusion, calling for serious study of human
sexuality, supporting the civil rights of LGBT persons, and in 1985
adopting the Open and Affirming (ONA) resolution, that it has publicly
declared that "gay, lesbian, bisexual" (GLB) people (or those
of all "sexual orientations") are welcome in its full life
and ministry (e.g. membership, leadership, employment etc.) It bespeaks
a spirit of hospitality and a willingness to live out that welcome in
meaningful ways.
The UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns provides significant leadership
in the ONA movement, developing resources and urging congregations to
become ONA. Their website is www.ucc.org/lgbt.
LOCAL MISSIONS
 PELHAM
GOOD NEIGHBOR FUND
Established in 1969 to provide food and financial assistance to those
in need, the Pelham Good Neighbor Fund sponsors the Food Pantry located
at St. Patrick’s church at 12 Main Street. The Pelham Good Neighbor
Fund is a non-profit organization. It is not a state or town funded
agency. All of the programs and services are made possible by the generosity
of people like you. All donations are used to provide food and financial
assistance to less fortunate neighbors. Visit the website at www.pelhamgoodneighborfund.org
LAZARUS HOUSE
Lazarus House assists people in need of food, shelter, medical and dental
services, a home for AIDS patients and three thrift stores serving over
8000 people a month in the Greater Lawrence area. Visit www.lazarushouse.org
 BRIDGES is a nonprofit organization located in Nashua, New Hampshire that provides
free and confidential services to victims and survivors of domestic
violence, sexual assault, teen dating violence, child sexual abuse,
elder abuse, stalking, and harassment. We provide crisis intervention,
emergency shelter, court advocacy, support groups, and education and
outreach to both women and men. Their Website is www.bridgesnh.org.
HIGH SCHOOL MISSION TRIP
HIGH SCHOOL MISSIONS TRIPS
Each year, our High School students dedicate a week of service as the Lord leads them, to help others in need. Through fundraising to pay their own way, our High School youth have participated in both Urban and Rural Mission ministries. Clink on the link below to read of their most recent Mission trip.
 MISSION TO VIRGINIA
HARVEST FOR HOPE
NATIONAL MISSIONS
Habitat is a non-profit, ecumenical housing organization, which builds
simple, decent,
affordable housing in partnership with people in need. Their website
is www.habitat.org.
INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS
 NOBODY'S
CHILDREN
Nobody's Children provides medical and humanitarian resources for needy
children throughout the world. The organization was founded in 1991
by Edward and Elaine Yourtee after experiences in Romania while adopting
their son Jonathan. Moved by the plight of orphans in Romania, they
organized their friends to make a limited contribution to improve the
conditions they had seen. They also sought to leverage their efforts
by working directly with Romanian doctors to improve their abilities
to care for children. When a key volunteer from Romania moved to work
in Bosnia, opportunities arose to help children from all factions who
were left homeless by war. www.nobodyschildren.org
CHURCH
WORLD SERVICE
Church World Service is a ministry of the National Council of the Churches
of Christ in the U.S.A.
in partnership with indigenous organizations in more than 70 countries;
CWS supports
sustainable self-help development, meets emergency needs, and helps
address
the root causes of poverty and powerlessness.
Within the U.S., Church World Service assists communities in responding
to disasters,
resettling refugees, promoting fair national and international policies,
providing educational
resources, and offering opportunities to join a people-to-people network
of local and global caring
through participation in CROP WALKS, the CWS Blanket Kit and Layette Program, and the Tools of Hope Program.
www.churchworldservice.org
 Since 1944, HPI has helped more than 4 million impoverished families
in approximately 110 countries and 35 states become more self-reliant
through the gift of livestock and training in their care. A non-profit
organization, rooted in the Christian tradition, HPI joins with people
of faith everywhere to work for the dignity and well being of all people.
HPI provides 24 types of food and income producing animals, as well
as intensive training in animal husbandry, environmentally sound, sustainable
farming practices and community development. www.heifer.org
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