CHCC Mission Overview

 

Mission  of the Month:

    January     *Christmas Fund: this national UCC offering distributes “thank you gifts” and emergency

                         assistance to retired UCC ministers and missionaries.

    February   Hunger: in-kind food staples and monetary support for our church’s Little Pantry and other local

                      pantries.

    March        *OGHS (One Great Hour of Sharing): this inter-denominational offering seeks to meet 

                      humanitarian needs, like health, education and agricultural development; emergency relief, like

                      disaster relief; and refugee ministries all over the world… as well as supporting Association and

                      Conference work across the UCC.

     April          New Beginnings: supports the Laconia agency to address needs of those facing family abuse

                       and violence (also Sophie’s Place—shelter in Meredith).

     May           Backpacks: fills backpacks with school supplies for students in local schools (to be distributed

                       in September).

     June          United Campus Ministries: supports campus chaplains and their work at NH universities in

                       Plymouth, Durham and Keene.

     July            *Strengthen the Church: this national UCC offering supports local church leadership

                       development, new churches, new initiatives in local churches (innovative ways to “being the

                       church”), and youth ministries.

     August       Habitat for Humanity: supports the local habitat organization to build/rehab homes for families.

     September Our Ministry of Space: this is our own church effort to support the use of our building for

                       various ministries.

     October     *Neighbors in Need: this national UCC offering supports justice and compassion projects

                       throughout US and gives grants to American Indian Ministries.

     November Interlakes Community Caregivers: this local program (Center Harbor, Meredith, Sandwich, etc.)

                       was started here at CHCC in 1998 to provide support and transportation to appointments and

                       services to the elderly and disabled.

     December Angel Tree Gifts: offers Christmas gifts for local children and families in need, coordinated

                       through local schools.  In addition, suggestions are made for Alternative Gift giving (supporting

                       an organization instead of giving an actual gift).

 

Our Churches’ Wider Mission (OCWM): this national UCC program supports the entire mission program of our denomination.  OCWM supports all four national missions (*above) so that ALL money donated to those individual offerings goes to that particular mission.

     5 for 5 Church: a “5 for 5 Church” contributes to all five national offerings (OCWM and the four starred

     national UCC offerings above).  These are especially acknowledged and thanked.  CHCC is a “5 for 5

     Church”.  (FYI only about 1/3 of NH UCC churches support all five national offerings).

 

IN ADDITION:

•      Regular offerings are given to the Deacons Fund (offering received on Communion Sundays), which is used by the Pastor for discretionary uses (emergency assistance to church members and community folks).

•      The Gertrude Matthes Mission Matching Fund: for several decades, the interest of this invested fund is added annually to the designated CHCC offerings given during the previous year (this mission match is a proportional match).

•     Through the Christian Education Board, Camperships are available to church families to attend camp programs like Horton Center and for other Christian-Ed opportunities for young people.  This money comes from the Bliss Fund.

•      The Village Pre-School is a certified pre-school program operating during the school year.

 

BUT WAIT!  THERE’S EVEN MORE!! 

Offerings are periodically requested outside of the monthly “mission of the month”

•      Our Little Food Pantry gives on-going support offering non-perishable food items and personal health items for our outdoor little pantry (inside during winter) and emergency needs for neighbors.  Extra items also passed on to other local food pantries.

•      25:40 was begun by church member Pat Thomas to support work in South Africa; this receives an annual offering of $500 from the Bliss Fund (coordinated by Board of Christian Education).

•      CROP Walk is an annual walk by church members to raise money for hunger issues locally and around the world, sponsored by Church World Service.

•      Special Disaster Relief offerings are requested in the aftermath of natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis) and war emergencies (Ukraine).

•      Isaiah 61 in-kind gifts of paper goods and plastic “silverware” used in feeding program in Laconia (box in sanctuary hallway).

•      Store to Door works in cooperation with Heaths Market to deliver groceries and other purchased items to house-bound members in the community; church members donate their time and cars (and friendship) for these deliveries.

•      Camp Resilience donations from free hot dogs and water offered at the Memorial Day parade go to support service members.

 

AND… AS IF THAT WEREN’T ENOUGH: a number of mission-minded organizations use our church building as home base for their ministries.

•      Center Harbor Soup Kitchen provides hot meals every Tuesday (for pick-up and some deliveries). Our church members cook and serve these meals once a quarter.

•      Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Al-Anon find safe space in our building for their meetings.

•      Humble Grunt Works’ coordinating committee meets here to plan events and various means trying to serve service veterans.

•      Red Cross Blood Drives are held in our church 2 or 3 times a year.

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