First Congregational Church of River Edge, NJ United Church of Christ

Mission and Outreach
We are a Global Mission Church, but just what IS a Global Mission Church?

A Global Mission Church is…

  • one whose vision for ministry embraces the whole of creation.
  • one which, out of their belief that God loves and redeems the whole world, connects itself internationally through many means, including education, prayer, and financial support, and this connection is done in every aspect of congregational life.
  • one that gives to global missions, who explore the theology behind global missions, who maintain contact with global partners.
  • a body that is well-informed of mission and carries it out in its living.
  • committed to learning, supporting, and becoming involved in wider mission programs and projects.
  • a church that serves others locally, nationally, and internationally
  • one that acts in the knowledge that God’s mission for all people has a church and NOT that God’s church has a mission.
  • one that reaches out with care, concern, compassion, and support to embrace persons throughout the world.
  • one that sees the whole world as a stage on which to practice one’s faith.
  • a receiver and a giver, sharing cultures and theologies of Christian faith.
  • involved in seeing and responding to the needs of our neighbors.
  • a church which has a world vision and sees its mission as bringing Christ’s compassion to bear world-wide.
  • a church whose members want to reach out to people all over the world to do whatever good they can by whatever means they can.
  • aware and involved with mission efforts in the world.
  • aware of the world and its needs and seeks to respond to those needs.
  • a church which knows about the mission outreach of the UCC and Disciples and supports it with both money and at least occasionally personnel.

Some of our congregation's Mission and Outreach activities include:

  • providing Gifts of the Heart Kits (School Kits and Health Kits) through Church World Service.
  • collecting food for local distribution through the Center for Food Action.
  • providing on-site housing for our homeless neighbors through the Inter-Religious Fellowship for the Homeless.
  • riding and sponsoring riders in the IRF's Bike Bergen.
  • offering social and educational opportunities for developmentally disabled adults through our Second Sunday program.
  • hosting UCC/Disciples Global Missions Personnel for educational programs.
  • providing livestock for third-world countries with the Heifer Project.
  • raising money for reconstructive surgery for children with cleft palates through Smile Train.
  • working to provide bicycles for pastors in our partner church, the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa.
  • contributing to Our Church's Wider Mission as well as the One Great Hour of Sharing, Neighbors in Need, Strengthen the Church and the Christmas Fund special offerings.