Outreach

The largest portion of our financial outreach, currently designated as 10% of annual pledges and loose offerings, goes to Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM). 55% of that total goes to the New Hampshire Conference of the United Church of Christ to support its ministries within the state and for the Conference’s ongoing support and nurture of local churches and ministers. The remaining 45% goes to our denomination, the United Church of Christ, which coordinates the wider mission of the church enabling us to reach out within the United States and throughout the world in the name of Jesus Christ: preaching and teaching, speaking and working for peace and justice, providing programs of relief and development, seeking to empower all God’s children to enter into the wholeness God desires for each person. Other special offerings are also received during the year for specific ministries within the United Church of Christ and the ecumenical community. People are an important part of outreach and members of First Church join with members of other local UCC churches in serving on various boards, committees and task forces within the New Hampshire Conference and the United Church of Christ.

We also believe that local outreach is important and allocate funds to a variety of community helping organizations. First Church is an active member of the Nashua Inter-faith Council and supports dialogue and action between and among local faith communities. One of the largest activities of this group is the annual CROP Walk. First Church sponsors three important local outreach ministries: Transitional Housing -- a program of the Nashua Pastoral Care Center, provides housing, childcare, and support for single mothers seeking to become self-sufficient -- uses First Church apartments for housing, and the First Church Thrift Shop which provides good clothing, very inexpensively, primarily for residents of the church’s neighborhood. Funds generated by the Thrift Shop are used to support other local helping programs.

First Church is a host congregation for the Greater Nashua Interfaith Hospitality Network. This program looks to provide shelter and support for homeless families. Participating churches, on a rotating basis, provide meals and overnight accommodations. A day center in which day-care will be provided while parents do job and apartment searches, individual and family guidance and counseling will be provided, and training in parenting, budgeting, job search, and apartment search will be offered. This program requires a great deal of volunteer support and provides an important resource in meeting a very real local need. Watch the Sunday bulletin and monthly newsletter for more information.

Another outreach of First Church is the Parish Nurse Ministry. Our Parish Nurses, members of First Church who are R.N.’s, offer monthly blood pressure clinics following Sunday worship and each month offer educational material on a particular health issue. Parish Nurses also do visitation as requested by the pastors. Beyond the monthly educational opportunities the Parish Nurses offer occasional courses, such as CPR, for members of the congregation. The practice of holistic health, the care of body, mind, and spirit, is the mission of our Parish Nurse Ministry.

Individually, members of First Church are encouraged to, and do in fact, participate in a wide variety of service organizations throughout the community.

At First Church, we hold to the old adage, “Mission is to the church as a flame is to burning”; the two are inseparable. We are continually looking for ways to expand our outreach within our congregation, our community and our world.