Mission:

The Mission Committee

The Mission Committee of our church is a branch of the Church Council and is made up of ten people. Eight members are elected by the congregation for two year terms with new members being elected each year. The two other members are a Church Council liaison and a Church Staff member.

The purpose of this annual booklet is to inform the congregation, new members, and other interested parties of the focus of the mission of the church. We offer our budget and descriptions of the agencies and organizations supported by our Mission program.

Church Mission Statement

We, as a community in Christ, shall provide and administer a continuum of opportunities for worship, education, fellowship and outreach. It is our mission to serve individual, local, national, and world needs.

Moments For Mission

During the Sunday worship service we often have a time during announcements called Moments for Mission. A member of the committee or a guest speaks from the pulpit to educate and inform the congregation about our mission organizations and our current mission project. Every other month we promote a non-monetary project and encourage the involvement of church members.

Tri-City Health Partnership

Located in downtown St. Charles, the Tri-City Health Partnership has a goal of providing the community with quality healthcare, accessible to those without the ability to pay. The Partnership is staffed by area physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who volunteer their time to provide quality care. Since opening its doors, the partnership has served over 1,500 individuals. For information on services available, call 630-377-9277.

Tri-Cities Well Child Clinic

The Tri-Cites Well Child Clinic provides well child care, immunizations, and physicals for qualifying families of Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles townships. Volunteers staff the clinic.

Phone 630-584-0771.

Tri-City Family Services

The Tri-City Family Services is a counseling center located in Geneva that serves the tri-cities through therapy and crisis intervention, counseling, education programs, and training in response to community needs. Phone 630-232-1070.

CASA Kane County

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a non-profit organization that trains and supervises community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in Juvenile Court. The first CASA program was born in Seattle, Washington in 1977. Today, all fifty states have CASA programs with advocates speaking up for a child. www.casakane@inil.com Phone 630-232-4484.

Pottawatomie Habitat For Humanity

Our church is a charter member of the Pottawatomie Habitat Partnership, a partnership group of twelve local churches and the Harris Bank of St. Charles. This collaboration works to build affordable housing for needy families in the Northern Fox Valley Region. The Partnership has completed 6 homes in unincorporated Valley View just north of St. Charles and one in St. Charles. The seventh home was completed in January, 2004.

Volunteers, along with donations of money, materials, and lunches are needed to help build a home. The funds needed to purchase the land come from loan payments made by the owners of existing Habitat homes. Home construction costs are paid for by the fund raising activities of the Pottawatomie Habitat Partnership, private and corporate donations, and “sweat equity” from the partner family. Volunteers 16 years and older are encouraged to participate. Call the Pottawatomie Habitat Partnership Information Line at 630-585-4413 for construction schedule updates. Visit their web site at www.phphabitat.org

Family Fund

This is our ongoing fund to help members of our congregation and community members with special needs. This fund is confidentially administered by the Pastors and Council President.

Outdoor Ministries

Outdoor Ministries encompass two camps: Pilgrim Park, located near Princeton, Illinois and Tower Hill, located near Sawyer, Michigan. Both are owned and operated by the Illinois Conference of the UCC and have year round facilities that can accommodate up to 100 people at Pilgrim Park and 140 at Tower Hill. Members and groups of all ages take advantage of the facilities throughout the year.

Back Bay Mission

Back Bay Mission is a community ministry of the UCC. The mission was founded in 1920 in Biloxi, Mississippi. Funds to run the mission come entirely from UCC churches. Over the years, we have sponsored many Back Bay shrimp dinners and various members have traveled to Back Bay Mission for youth and adult work trips.

Back Bay Mission serves low income elderly people in southern Mississippi. Their clients are evenly divided among Asian, African Americans, and Caucasians. Their highly dedicated staff includes two UCC ministers who provide services to those in need through the following:

· · Direct Services include emergency assistance, counseling, referral, and the distribution of food and clothing. Other programs include a thrift shop, an ecumenical feeding program which serves thousands of meals annually, and a family health center.

· · Social Change and Program Development is aimed at organizing new services and improving existing ones to better serve those in need. This service also works toward educating the public and changing social legislation.

· · Work Camp Program. This program offers opportunities for Christian service to youth and adult UCC groups. Not only do work groups provide tangible services by scraping, painting, and repairing the houses of low income owners, but they also gain a valuable experience by being exposed to a different culture and way of life.

Learn more about Back Bay Mission by visiting their website at www.backbaymission.org.

Disaster Relief

We collect special offerings as the need arises to be sent to areas in need of immediate assistance. Money is usually sent by way of the UCC Conference as a way to make sure that our contribution reaches its destination. Clothing or other collections are sent directly as needed.

Neighbors In Need - NIN

This annual fall offering goes to denomination relief projects within the United States. Through NIN we offer food, shelter, education, health, and wellness - in Christ’s name - to our brothers and sisters in need. We also advocate on issues that address the root causes of hunger, poverty, racism, injustice, violence, disease, and harm to the environment. Our church’s support of NIN supports the UCC’s domestic ministries, one-third going to the Council for American Indian Ministry and two-thirds to projects such as: Peace Action Network; UCC Small Family Farm; Cincinnati Black United Front and many more. Please visit www.ucc.org/steward/nin to learn more about this exciting ministry.

Chicago, United, Eden Seminaries - CUE

C.U.E. are three Midwestern UCC seminaries that educate our future pastors. CUE receives funds from local churches from 16 UCC Conferences. These funds are used to provide financial assistance to seminarians. Most of these students will become pastors in UCC churches. Reverend Bill Nagy is an Eden Seminary alumnus. Reverends John Rodgers and Suzy Richards are Chicago Theological Seminary alumni. Eric Fistler is currently a student at Eden.

St. Charles Shelter Assistance

Established by the St. Charles Ministerial Association, this ecumenical ministry is funded primarily by its member churches. The Shelter Assistance Committee has the task of assisting with shelter needs as an extension of ministries to the poor. Its members meet monthly to carry out their mission, by interviewing applicants for housing aid, approving grants, and keeping case files and financial records to share with the Ministerial Association.

Riverwoods

Since 1977, Riverwoods Christian Center has been partnering with churches throughout the Fox Valley, ministering to families in disadvantaged areas. Their 85 acre camp is located on the east shore of the Fox River in St. Charles. Riverwoods sends community advocates to work in specific low-income neighborhoods, empowering families to embrace the hope, power and resources that Jesus Christ offers. In the summer, more than 700 disadvantaged children come to Riverwoods for a Christian camp experience at no cost to their families. Visit their website at www.riverwoodschristiancenter.org.

Lazarus House

When Jesus came to the home of Lazarus in Bethany, they gave a dinner for him…. Lazarus House is a year round homeless shelter serving guests with a connection to the Tri-Cities. They are housed in the Free Methodist Church at 214 Walnut Street in St. Charles, our former church home for 160 years. Our members, confirmands, Helping Hands youth group, and friends volunteer on the third Wednesday of each month to deliver and serve the evening meal as well as breakfast and lunches for the next day.. Each month the new menu is posted on the Missions board where you can sign up. www.lazarushouseonline.com Phone 630-587-2144.

Salvation Army & Tri City Food Pantry

We support the local Salvation Army in St. Charles with clothing and bell ringers at Christmas. On the fourth Sunday of each month, members are asked to bring nonperishable food donations. Volunteers deliver the food to the Tri City Food Pantry housed at the Salvation Army. We publicize “Food On The 4th” as a way to help members remember to donate food regularly. Phone 630-377-2769.

Elderday Center

Elderday Center was established by our own congregation in 1989 with a $10,000 grant as an outreach ministry to provide adult day care. When the program outgrew our church building on Walnut Street, they moved to and are now located in Geneva Lutheran Church. A staff of nine provide care, meals, and activities during weekdays. For information call 630-262-1231.

Love and Action Midwest, Inc.

Love and Action is an interdenominational Christian ministry serving men, women, and children who are HIV-positive or have AIDS, as well as their families and friends. We support this program with the donation of gift baskets at Christmas and Easter. Phone 630-584-5380.

Lifelink/Bensenville

Lifelink is a 108 year old not-for-profit charitable health and human service organization related to the United Church of Christ. Based in Bensenville, Illinois, Lifelink provides a range of services to children, families and the aging including: adoption services, foster care, counseling services, Head Start, housing assistance, health care, and retirement living. Visit their website at www.lifelink.org.

Our Church’s Wider Mission - OCWM

Although our church is independent and self-governing, it is part of the United Church of Christ (UCC) denomination. Clearly, our mission dollars for remote mission activity (state, national, or overseas) can be spent more effectively if they are pooled with those of other churches through an organization such as the UCC.

Of particular note at the national level is the Board of Homeland Ministries, whose mission and work is primarily within the United States, and the Board of World Ministries, which handles all overseas missions and service.

Half of our mission general fund is allocated to OCWM, of which 57% is used by the Illinois Conference and 43% is sent to the national office. Special offerings and occasional designated gifts supplement the annual amount budgeted to OCWM. The Mission Committee of our church believes that participation in OCWM is a significant outreach function.

One Great Hour of Sharing - OGHS

One Great Hour of Sharing is a program of the United Church of Christ which is recognized as a special offering taken each year during Lent. The funds are used to provide disaster relief, overseas development, refugee assistance, and social services to needy people in over eighty countries around the world.

Every year a different OGHS theme is presented in “Moments For Mission” during the announcement portion our worship service. The children also hear messages related to the OGHS theme during church school and are encouraged to participate.

Special offering envelopes are then returned by church members on OGHS Sunday. This is a popular mission program which reinforces how strongly our congregation feels about helping the needy throughout the world.

Our Foster Children

Jeyalakshmi is our 18 year old foster child who lives on the Family Village Farm in Tamil Nado, India. The Village was started by missionary Dr. Pauline King. After attending a work camp and meeting Jeya, then church member Kathy Lenz started the sponsoring project when Jeya was 2 years old.

Talal Abdalia Yousef is our 6 year old foster child who attends the Rawdat El-Zuhur School in Jerusalem. This school serves Arab children through its preschool and elementary classes. Both Christian and Islam religions are taught at the school. Members of our church visited the school during a trip to Israel during the summer of 1999.

This project is not a part of our mission budget. Therefore we ask members each year to sponsor a portion of each child’s annual expenses.

Bethel

Bethel is a home for the handicapped, homeless and disabled in Germany. We collect and send to them canceled postage stamps of all kinds, including the ordinary, every day kind. The canceled stamps are processed by the residents of Bethel and then sold to collectors all over the world. To help in this effort, cut the canceled stamp off all envelopes, leaving a small edge for Bethel’s processing. When you get a container full, drop them off in the basket located in the church office.

Eyes To See

Eyes To See is a UCC Mission project. Eye glasses are distributed by UCC missionaries and doctors involved in public health ministries throughout the world. Save all of your used eyeglasses with frames, hearing aids, and metal jewelry. These can also be deposited in the basket located in the church office.

Special Opportunities

Listed below are a variety of opportunities for members to become involved in the mission work that takes place within our church throughout the year:

· · Annual Crop Walk

· · Annual Blood Drive

· · Annual School Supply Drive

· · Work Study Trips for youth and adults

· · Christmas Giving Tree

· · Holiday Hat and Mitten Tree

· · Monthly “Food on the Fourth” collection

· · Adopt A Highway

· · Hospital and Shut-In visits

· · Garden Angels

· · Building Maintenance

· · Provide meals for families in need

· · Annual Make a Difference Day

· · Rake/mow yards

· · Locks of Love

· · Plant a Row For The Hungry

· · Increasing Our Love For God and Neighbor by inviting a neighbor to church

The Manna Project

Click here for printable Manna form!

In an attempt to raise additional funds to reach out further in our mission work, the Mission Committee is coordinating an ongoing program called The Manna Project.

Church members will be able to regularly purchase Manna certificates that work just like regular money at dozens and dozens of local grocery stores, restaurants, and retail stores. On Sundays, you will be able purchase certificates to the stores you frequent most. There are no fees to shoppers who participate. You receive the full face value of the certificate. It’s that simple.

The stores participating in the program sell their certificates to the Manna Group in such large quantities that participating organizations receive a percentage back. With the support of our church family, this nearly effortless project will help us to fund more programs through our annual Mission budget.