Missions at First Church

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Free Little Library
missions kits

Missions: Changes the world! Missions at First Church is an active team that coordinates service and justice work in our community, country, and world. Specifically, they collaborate with our church community to provide access to shelter, food, and clothing through contributions and good works.

Our Missions Committee is particularly active in winter and spring. They meet quarterly to dream, strategize, and plan current, upcoming, and new projects to serve our community and beyond.

We meet monthly and consider any ideas for fundraising and distribution to worthy causes. The meetings are open to all.

Check out below some of the projects and enterprises our Missions team is involved in!

  • Monthly collections to the Bridgton Food Pantry
  • Annual contribution to neighboring food pantries
  • Backpack project in August for local school children
  • Maintenance of our Little Blue Library
  • Provide gift bags to our “Home Alone” church members
  • Mail birthday cards to all our church members
  • Collaboration to provide clothing needs requested by Jeanette’s Closet
  • Fundraisers to support our Teen Mission projects
  • Provide funding and gift cards to Tucker’s House
  • Support the UCC Gun Safety Coalition
  • Financial support for Special Olympics
  • Financial support for Pilgrim Lodge Scholarships
  • Encourage participation for the Rotary Reading Program, Big Brother/Big Sister Program
  • Provide annual donations to Church World Services with Health Kits and/or other requests
  • Five for Five-Quarterly collections and donations to UCC sponsored charities
  • Annual collection and donation to Honduras based Daisy’s Children and Heifer

Missions in Review

Thanks to the generosity of First Church members, our Missions team has been able to accomplish so much in the past year!

  • Provided 44 children with backpacks and school supplies
  • Supported Police Chief Jones for the Torch Run and Special Olympics in June
  • Provided Tucker’s House with $500 in cash and gift cards for new residents
  • Provided the Bridgton Food Pantry with monthly donations of food, cleaning supplies, and $500 in gift cards to Hannafords for folks in need
  • Donated $250 to the Sweden Food Pantry
  • Provided 61 health kits to Church Worldwide Services
  • Donated $700 to World Central Kitchen for Gaza relief
  • Provided 16 folks who are “home alone” with gift bags in November
  • Provided Jeanette’s Closet with winter boots for 20 children and outerwear for adults in need
  • Provided funds to beautify the new walkway
  • Provided dessert for 44 people during our progressive dinner
  • Added a new Little Blue Free Library for children
  • Provided breakfast for all our hard workers on Church Clean Up day
  • Supported the Teens Missions by using Clynk bags from November through January, donating and purchasing holiday greens, and donating transfer station redemption money in November