2007 MISSIONS SUMMARY  

OVERALL GOAL:  To assist Christians battling poverty and hunger.  

DURING 2007, OUR COMMITTEE:  

  • Checked out the ratings of groups requesting financial assistance to make sure they use the funds appropriately
  • Gave monthly Mission Moments the last Sunday of each month (Sept. – May) to help educate our own congregation
    regarding the causes we support in their behalf
  • Wrote informative monthly Lantern articles
  • Increased our monthly conference contribution to $450
  • Organized the 3 major conference fund raisers – Neighbors in Need, Christmas Fund, and One Great Hour of Sharing  
  • Encouraged our congregation to bring in food items for the Billerica Food Pantry the 1st Sunday of each month
  • Organized the participation of 2 adults from the Mission Committee and 6 PYF youth to participate in the Boston
    Walk for Hunger     & raised about $3,000
  • Supported the Religious Education Committees involvement with their Heifer Project through our Lantern Newsletter
  • Provided Palm Sunday dinners to UCC shut-ins
  • Organized an “Offering of Letters” campaign to support an important U.S. congressional farm bill
  • As voted at our UCC Annual Meeting we: authorized the sending of 10% of our church's undesignated
    endowment interest earnings (from Jan. 1, 2007 to May 16, 2007 ) to the First United Methodist Church
    in Greensburg , Kansas     , following extensive damage incurred by a tornado
  • Created an annual Missions calendar
  • Authorized a church member to coordinate the collection of turkey vouchers at Thanksgiving for
    the Billerica Food Pantry
  • Assisted Barbara Reinecker in staffing the White Elephant tables at our Harvest Fair
  • Gave the Father’s Day sermon
    • Larry Bliss on the Chernobyl Children’s Project
    • Bob Miner on Project Chacocente
  • Attended monthly Executive Cabinet or Executive Leadership meetings
  • Authorized supporting the following agencies
    • Alternative House - $200
    • Andover- Newton Theological Seminary - $300
    • Billerica Food Pantry - $300
    • Chernobyl Children’s Project - $1,000
    • Habitat for Humanity - $200
    • House of Hope - $200
    • Lowell Transitional Living Center - $300
    • Mass. Council of Churches - $200
    • The Navigators - $300
    • Protestant Campus Ministry - $100
    • Project Chacocente - $800
    • OXFAM America - $200