As it supports and its members participate in a wide variety of local helping missions, First Church also provides opportunity for members to participate in outreach throughout the nation and internationally. High school youth and adults of all ages make a big difference in the life of “strangers” while learning about themselves and their faith as they journey to different sites during the February and April school vacations.

First Church’s mission trip ministry is overseen by a task force that plans, organizes, arranges fund-raising for each year’s trips. Check in at this web site throughout the year to read reports from those who have gone on one of the trips and to learn where the next mission trips will be going.

Dominican Trip

For the last five years a group of high school youth and adult chaperones have worked with Orphanage Outreach in the Dominican Republic during the February school vacation. We stay at the Hope of a Child (Esperanza de un Niño) orphanage in Monte Cristi where we have an opportunity to spend time every evening playing with the children of the orphanage.

In addition to our activities with orphanage children, a primary focus of the Orphanage Outreach program is the outreach to the community. During our pre-trip preparation we collect donations of clothing, food, school, hygiene and first aid supplies. Each volunteer transports 100 pounds of donations for the people in the surrounding community.

We also spend part of each day teaching English or health in the public schools.  The rest of the day often includes work projects around the orphanage. In past trips we participated in various construction projects including the addition of the second floor of the orphanage, building bunk beds, clearing land or general clean-up.

The 2009 Mission Trip video is posted here.

South Dakota Trip

For the past three April school vacations the First Church in Nashua, New Hampshire has sponsored an intergenerational mission trip to Pine Ridge, South Dakota to participate in a service/learning experience through Re-member.   Re-member is an independent non-profit agency that works with the Oglala Lakota People, forming lasting relationships and bridging two worlds.

Pine Ridge is one of the poorest communities in the United States. On past trips we have re-roofed homes, built wheelchair ramps, built and installed outhouses, fixed windows and doors, and made homes more secure for families on the reservation.

Each evening we participate in cultural programs that include native speakers, Lakota singing, dancing and craftmaking.

Watch the 2009 video here.

Yard Sale Information

First Church Yard Sale
Saturday, August 14, 8 AM- Noon

Do you have large items (such as furniture) to donate?  Contact Jim Casey, 231-3565, to arrange for pick up.

Household items, toys, books, and jewelry are now being accepted.
Leave your items at the courtyard entrance during office hours, 9am- 3:30pm, or on Sunday.
We will not accept clothes, tires, infant car seats, and computers.

Proceeds to benefit the 2011 mission trips.

Mission Trips Information

The 2010 brochure describing the Mission trips and 2011 application are available now.  The poster is available also!

Applications for the 2011 trips will be accepted for First Church Members starting August 1st, 2010; non-First Church Members can apply for any remaining spaces starting on September 1st.    All applications and scholarship applications are due by October 31st, 2010.

Space is limited; once the available spaces are filled a wait list process will be used.   An application is not considered completed unless it is accompanied by a deposit check – see the form for more details on the deposits.

A limited amount of scholarship aid is available for First Church Members; fill out a Scholarship Application to apply.