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The Church Does Not "Have" a Mission;
the Church "Is" Mission
This statement is our guiding principle at First Congregational United Church of Christ of Corvallis, Oregon.
Since 1981, we have intentionally pursued this by designating an agency each month to receive our Communion Offering, above what is budgeted for our ongoing Ministries and Missions. Annually, the Board of Outreach Missions receives requests from its members as well as members of the congregation regarding local agencies which provide services to those in need. Decisions are made as to who monthly recipients will be. Each month, a member of the Board prepares a bulletin board, submits an article in the
church newsletter, and arranges for an agency spokesperson to visit
a worship service to explain the outreach efforts of the designated agency.
Summaries of our Mission Offerings
available online are:
Beginning February 2001, the UCC rolled all of its annual church-wide collections into four
special offerings: One Great Hour of Sharing, Neighbors in Need, Strengthen the Church, and the Christmas Fund (Veterans of the Cross).
Our church supports each of these offerings.
Additionally, our church supports the "We Care" emergency assistance program, with budgeted monthly contributions as well as contributions
to our Farmers' Market. This past year, "We Care" had its best year ever in terms of donations. Our church was also one of the original supporters of the Pastoral Counseling Center, whose mission is to "promote psychological and spiritual wholeness and health through affordable counseling and psychotherapy." The PCC offers these services on a sliding financial scale, based on ability to pay. We also are a covenantal partner with the Benton County Habitat for Humanity.
A more recent ministry of our church is as a regular participant
in the local Stone Soup program. This program provides a hot
meal, every day, to those who otherwise would have nothing to
eat. Our church, in cooperation with many other local churches,
plans and shops for, prepares, and serves the hot meal on the
3rd and 5th Tuesdays of every month.
Our college students are fortunate
to have a wonderful offering of programs through United Campus
Ministry at Westminster House. The Revs. Leah McCullough and Tim Stover provide the vision and energy to make WestM
a "happening place".
On a global basis, each year on Worldwide Communion Sunday, we hold a MissionFest
Sunday morning. The Board of Outreach Missions chooses a theme
each year, sometimes focusing on opportunities for local
agencies to display their information and other times focusing
on a particular country or concern in the world. In October
2000, we began to explore the possibility for a relationship
with the UCC (Japan) Takarazuka church. In that month, Kiko
Kimura of our congregation led a small delegation of First
Congregational UCC members to Japan, where they worshipped with
that congregation. In October 2001, the Rev. Masato Tsukuda and
his family visited our church. Since that time, our two
congregations have alternated years in sending a delegation to
each other's church. In October 2004, on Worldwide Communion
Sunday, the two churches entered into a covenantal partnership,
with the formal signing taking place at our church during
worship. We continue to receive and send delegations between the
two churches in alternate years.
A review of our historical mission
giving by year indicates our ongoing concern for all of God's
family as we seek to help bring justice and peace to a broken
world. We are blessed to have such a giving congregation, both in terms of time and financial resources.
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