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MISSIONS... POSSIBLE !
Church World Service web page
The Board of Community and World Service is the arm of our church designated
to oversee mission donations and disbursements. The Board with your help, supports
outreach programs in our community, our state, nationally, and internationally.
The mission work of our church is done basically in three ways:
The first is through “special offerings.” Five Sundays a year you are asked to help with an extra
cash donation which is used for Neighbors in Need (poverty in the U.S. and Puerto Rico), Veterans of the
Cross (to support retired clergy and their spouses), Blanket Sunday and Tools of Hope (to help the
impoverished around the world), and One Great Hour of Sharing (disaster relief around the world.)
The second is when we ask for your help with donations of goods such as: our Food Drive, where
we collect and deliver canned goods to the Red Cross and to the Wallingford Emergency Shelter; the
Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt to fill food baskets; the Angel Tree at Christmas; the Easter Baskets filled for
families and children who would otherwise go without; the Community Dinners where we help out with
both donations and time. Your response is always generous!
The third area where the mission work of our church is enabled is through mission pledging.
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What is church without an active mission program? How better to serve our faith
than to share God’s generosity to us with others. In our church it is the Board of
Community and World Service that has the honor and responsibility for organizing
opportunities for outreach and overseeing that your pledge dollars go where they
can do the most good. In these difficult times, the Board is especially gratified that
mission pledging has continued to flourish and grow. A big THANK YOU to all.
For without you the food baskets would be empty, the Community Dinners unmanned, the holiday and
Easter Baskets unfilled.
I think we can all be proud that our church has become increasingly aware and active in mission work.
From participation in the Walk for Hunger in November that enabled us to deliver a jeep full of food to
Wallingford’s Emergency Shelter, to work with the Bawa Health Initiative in Cameroon, to providing the
funds to support a school teacher in Liberia, to sponsoring what has become an annual mission trip for our
senior high youth. So many ways to put our faith into action!
The Board of Community and World Service
made grants to the following groups at their
January, 2010 meeting:
• Haitian Relief $1000
• New Opportunities (local fuel and shelter
relief) $500
• Columbus House Homeless Shelter in New
Haven $500
• Chrysliss Women’s Shelter in Meriden for
necessary toiletries $300
Words of Thanks,
Back Bay Mission, a ministry of the U.C.C.
located in Mississippi received our gift of 500
at Christmas time. “150 families registered to
receive holiday food baskets. Demand for
emergency assistance services remains
extremely high, evidenced by the crush of
people who visit us every day. Volunteer work
groups continue their amazing service with us,
hammering and building and painting
countless homes as neighborhood recovery
continues. With your help we do make a very
real difference. Thousands of people will have
experienced that difference this year. On their
behalf, and ours, thank you…”
Connecticut National Guard Foundation
writes: “We appreciate your generosity. With
your commitment and support we, at the
CTNGF are able to assist the Connecticut National
Guard family program...to provide aid to
family members, soldiers, and airmen of the
National Guard and Organized Militia in the
State of Connecticut. CTNGF received $500.
Liberty Community Services in New Haven,“has offered a new beginning to individuals in
our community facing homelessness, addiction,
or chronic illness. Liberty provides a stable
place to live with supportive services that help
foster physical and psychological health...On
behalf of the individuals we serve, our Board
and staff, we wish to thank all our donors…”
Liberty Community Services received $500.
During the months of January and February
the church received $5,162 in donations for
Haitian Relief through February 8th. The
Board of Community and World Service would
like to thank each of you for responding so
quickly and generously.
One Great Hour of Sharing is our
own denominational offering to help those who
need it everywhere, including Haiti. This year’s
theme: “Do you love me...feed my sheep” is
particularly appropriate. On Sunday, March
14 the One Great Hour of Sharing collection
will be accepted. Watch for your flier in the
March 7 Sunday Bulletin. Envelopes will be in
the pews for your convenience.
Would you like to know more? Visit the
website at: www.onegreathourofsharing.org
for more information.
One of the Missions already in place in
Haiti is Church World Service. Port
-au-Prince, Haiti -- Since the earthquake
hit parts of Haiti January 12, the
CWS-supported ACT Alliance has
assisted more than 150,000 people. The
majority of people are assisted with
ongoing support such as water, sanitation,
shelter, or regular food supplies/
meals. Others have received relief items
such as cash, family kits, or hygiene sets.
Others have benefited from medical assistance
and supplies to health clinics.
Note: the layettes made by our sewing
group, and shipped to Church World
Service, could be helping in this effort.
The giving never
stops here and for that we thank God
and all his people.
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