Outreach at First Congregational

United Church of Christ

The pattern of Christ was serving others - the downtrodden, those rejected by society, the powerless. As the body of Christ in today's world, we strive to emulate that pattern. Fundamental in the ministry of First Church and of its members is dedication to mission, both within and beyond the parish.

First Church's service and mission extend from within our parish, through the local community, into the rest of New Mexico, and across the world. Local projects supported by our congregation include Cuidando los Ninos, Project Share, and the United Campus Ministries at the University of New Mexico. Slightly farther afield, we also support the Alice King Memorial Hospitality Center at the State Penitentiary in Santa Fe. Other regional mission support goes to the Southwest Mission Fund, the New Mexico Conference of Churches, and the Pacific School of Religion. World mission support goes to the Family Village Farm in southern India, near Madras, to many more projects the United Church's "Our Churches' Wider Mission" program, and through funds raised at our annual Alternative Gift Market, held each November.

Cuidando los Ninos is one of the few day care centers in the country for children of homeless parents. This center allows parents to hold jobs and to work their way out of their homelessness. First Church provides financial support and occasional services to Cuidando.

Project Share provides food and clothing to many who come to their facility on South Yale Blvd. First Church supports Project Share by cooking a hearty meal in our own kitchen (shown to the left), taking it to Project Share, and serving it on the third Thursday of each month (and on the fifth Monday, if there is one).

Challenged by our pastor, 1st Congregational recently adopted a mission goal of providing one-half of the soup and crackers requirement at The Storehouse,which provides food aid to those in need in Albuquerque. One month's supply (illustrated at the left) amounts to 1000 cans of soup and 146 boxes of crackers each month. These are collected weekly at our Sunday services as part of our regular offering.

TheAlice King Memorial Hospitality Center at the state Penetentiary in Santa Fe provides care for the children of inmates and/or their spouses while the children's parents enjoy a visit. We support the Center with collection of new and used toys and with monetary donations.

TheFamily Village Farm in South India provides a safe, nurturing environment where orphan children, young widows and the lonely aged are brought together to live, learn and work as families and to help develop a brighter future for the people of this impoverished region. First Church has supported the Family Village Farm for over 20 years by "adopting" two young girls. In addition to the joy of mission, we are delighted to hear several times a year from the girls through letters which often contain a photo or two.

First Church's service and mission occur because of the faithful members of the congregation and because of the dedicated support of our staff. We are all, in our different ways, ministers and servants to the final frontier - the world as we individually encounter it in our homes, neighborhoods, places of work, city, state, nation, and beyond. At First Church, we are all God's servants in the service of humanity.

First Congregational also takes a yearly trip to Juarez, Mexico. The program that they participate in is the Iglesia Sin Fronteras program. In Juarez they paint, help with construction, and lead a Vacation Bible School.