We believe it is important to teach our children to share God’s love with our neighbors near and far. To that end, we are constantly engaging in mission work.

Annual projects include the Christmas Giving Tree, Christmas Eve gift giving and One Great Hour of Sharing collection banks. Each year the Church School children also learn about and raise money for a larger mission project. In the past, we have raised anywhere from $5,500 to $14,000 for Heifer Project, Church World Service, Haitian Health Foundation, the Backpack Project, and Fred Wish Elementary School.

Each year our Church school partners with a non-profit agency to help provide vital funding for programs serving the neediest among us. We are called as Christians to love one another and serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. This year we will be serving close to home, addressing the needs in our own community.

Our partner this year is Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation, a Christian charity which aims to address homelessness and related social issues in the Greater Hartford area. With a stated goal to “provide housing assistance and supportive services to persons who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless,” they operate multiple shelter and transitional housing locations. But housing only goes part of the way to addressing human needs. MHSC also helps to provide counseling, healthcare and food assistance, serving thousands of needy families. Last year MHSC served up a whopping 69,000 meals! At a time when household budgets are strained, and unemployment pervasive, people are cutting back, while need is increasing. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to help MHSC provide food, shelter and other services!

It costs $292.50 to make the 250 meals that MHSC serves EVERY DAY! Your contribution is so important. You can provide 10 meals for just $11.70. As in previous years, the money raised by the church school class sales, children’s offering, and special gifts from congregation members will all go towards this special mission project.

We invite you to consider giving any amount of money to honor a loved one or the memory of a loved one. Giving a donation as a gift is a meaningful way to honor your friends and family. Post cards are available to provide to loved ones. If you would like to make a contribution to this special project, please make your check payable to “First Church of Christ,” with Mercy Housing in the memo line.

We also have mission opportunities where families - children and parents - can serve our neighbors together. Be sure to look for information about our family mission immersion days.