Missions and Outreach
The Missions Team seeks to inspire the congregation by raising awareness and providing opportunities to serve those in need. UCC Medfield will be guided by the vision to love and worship God and to love and serve others as Spirit-filled disciples of Jesus Christ.
Those interested in community service and world mission are encouraged to participate in our programs that provide a wide range of support and services to people in need.
The Missions portion is our church’s financial support of local, national and international projects and programs. The Outreach portion supports hands-on involvement by our church members who want to volunteer in both religious and secular organizations.
The Missions team has developed to encourage ideas and applications for new missions projects from the congregation, encouraging small group “ownership” whenever possible. The Missions Team will consider the following in order to achieve a balance in its mission stewardship:
- Geography (local, national, global)
- Type of need (poverty, Christian education, disaster relief, social justice)
- Population served (age group, special needs)
- Level of involvement (one-time opportunity or ongoing potential
- Objectives
At the same time, the Team developed a list of criteria which included that sponsored ministries must served the disadvantaged, meet a unique need and demonstrate fiscal responsibility.
We are recognized by the UCC as a “Five for Five” church because we take special offerings for Blanket Sunday, Neighbors in Need, One Great Hour of Sharing, the Christmas Fund (retired pastors’ support) and Strengthen the Church. The list below includes many of the organizations that receive congregational support from UCC Medfield:
Local
A Place to Turn
Andover Newton Theological Seminary
City Missionary Society*
A Lift Up
Christmas Shop*
HYPE Program
Cradles to Crayons*
Fourth Presbyterian Church, South Boston
Friends of Seniors in Medfield (Fuel Assistance)
HESSCO (Meals on Wheels)
Hispanic Community Church
Massachusetts Bible Society
Mature Mods*
Medfield Food Cupboard*
Medway House
New England Aftercare Ministries*
Pastors’ Emergency Fund
Project S.O.S*
Soup to Go*
South Shore Habitat for Humanity*
Visiting Nurses Association of Boston*
Robert and Joan Wood Scholarship*
National
Adult Mission Trip (Biloxi, MS - 2008)*
Church World Service Emergency Response Program
50 Clean-up Buckets (purchased and assembled)
College Mission Trip (NYC - 2008)*
Lakota Tribe – “About Group” Weavers Project
Midwest Tornado Relief (One Great Hour of Sharing – Wider Church Ministries)
Youth Mission Trip (Washington, DC-2008)*
International
Equal Exchange
Hurricane Gustav (Haiti) Relief
Healing the Children*
Holy Joe’s Café
Myanmar Cyclone Relief (One Great Hour of Sharing – Wider Church Ministries)
Watoto Children’s Choir (One Great Hour of Sharing – Wider Church Ministries)
White Lotus Sharing Life Ministries (Cambodia)*
World Vision
AIDS Caregiver Kits*
Koro-Bobi ADP, Uganda – Construction of girls’ dormitory for St. Thomas More
Secondary School (5 year financial commitment)*
Mission Trip (Visit to Koro-Bobi ADP and World Vision sponsored children)
Thirty Hour Famine*
* Indicates direct congregational involvement
