Outreach & Mission

 Our Church’s Wider Mission – Extending Our Reach!

We carry this out through a number of diverse mission projects through financial support, prayers, and education. They include:

Basic Support – support of the Southern New England Conference and the wider United Church of Christ.

Also these 5 United Church of Christ special offerings:

• One Great Hour of Sharing, Assisting global village development and disaster assistance
• The Christmas Fund – Veterans of the Cross, aid to retired clergy with low retirements and benefits
• Neighbors In Need, assisting neighbors here in the USA including native americans
• Stregthen the Church – assists churches with financial needs.
• Strengthen the Church provides extra funding in areas of youth leadership development

Association of Religious Communities in greater Danbury serves the wider community in housing ministry, domestic violence prevention, and inter-faith understanding through the cooperation of the broad spectrum of religious communities of our region.

Christian Community Outreach Ministries serves in Danbury to those who are caught between the systems that support people in need. Revs. Merideth and Wanda Payton have residential, job training, support, and service opportunities. Christian Community Outreach Ministries, Inc. is a Christian-based community organization whose purpose is to offer support and resources to individuals in order to aid in the transformation toward empowerment, self-sufficiency, and an increase in the quality of life through Judeo-Christian values.

Services and supports:  Provides for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals in the community.

Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School New Haven, CT  Mission Statement: a graduate theological school in the Reformed Tradition, in faithfulness to Jesus Christ, we strive to educate leaders who are: enlivened by rigorous study in a community embracing diversities of faith and life; devoted to the renewing of church and society through ecumenical witness and creative expression of the Gospel and committed to enacting God’s ways of justice and live in the world

Brian O’Connell Homeless Project a modest grant to help this small ministry in providing necessary daily use items directly to homeless persons. Named in memory of one who died on the streets of Waterbury.

The Crosby Fund for Haitian Education  The Crosby Fund for Haitian Education (CFHE) was founded in 2004 by Rebecca and Frederick Crosby of Old Lyme, CT, to provide full scholarships for secondary education to academically gifted students living in the Artibonite Valley (north of Port-au-Prince), who otherwise could not attend school. In 2006, we expanded the program to include university scholarships, and, in 2009, we initiated our technical school scholarships in the hopes that both of these programs would prepare students for professional careers in Haiti. This expansion of our program was a natural outcome due to the success of many students graduating from high school and the need to continue their education for future employment.

IRIS – Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services, based in New Haven, this organization work with community groups to sponsor and settle refugees in local communities.

Washington Refugee Resettlement Project, we have teamed up in support of our neighbors in settling a refugee family in New Milford.

Seafarer’s Friend, based in Boston, MA Provides for the spiritual, social, emotional, and physical needs of sailors on shore in Boston, MA, Portland, ME, and Portsmouth, NH
 Holy Joe’s Cafe , a ministry founded through the First Congregational Church of Wallingford, CT, supports the work of US military chaplains overseas with coffee and supplies so that they can provide the setting for pastoral interactions with those involved in a war and the aftermath.

Renewal House (formerly known as Shelter of the Cross)  – provides transitional housing, support, and services for elderly homeless men and women in the Greater Danbury Area.  

Back Bay Mission– Biloxi, Mississippi – a community ministry of the UCC, serves the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the wider church community poor, homeless, victims of AIDS or substance abuse; works with teenagers and works to provide affordable housing after Katrina.

Uplands Retirement Village– a nonprofit continuing care retirement community of independent living, assisted living, and long-term care in Pleasant Hill, TN.  Uplands is home to over 300 people who value simple living and serving others.  It has been particularly attractive to those who have served the world as doctors, nurses, teachers, missionaries, pastors, engineers, and volunteers

Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry, New Milford – runs the New Milford Community Hospitality Kitchen, which serves meals to the needy.  Sponsored and supported and staffed by area churches.

The Greater Danbury Women’s Center (Center for Education and Empowerment)- free and confidential services to women, children and men of Danbury and area towns to prevent or lessen the trauma associated with domestic violence, sexual assault, and other major life transitions.

Simply Smiles– provides loving homes, appropriate educations, and every chance at happy and successful lives for impoverished children.  Works supporting the mission of the Casa Hogar Children’s Home in Oaxaca City,  and has built homes for the 33 families who call Oaxaca’s garbage dump home(Mexico). They are currently working in the southern jungle region with food distribution for hungry families affected by the globalization of coffee. Simply Smiles also works in South Dakota on an Indian reservation there. Described as “third world”, S. S. is working to rehabilitate housing and provide for basic needs. Our congregation sent mission trips to both Mexico and was one of the first to go to South Dakota in 2010. We have returned in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018.

Daily Bread Food Pantry– – at St. James Episcopal Church, Danbury, distributes food staples to needs CT residents.

United Church of Christ Disaster Ministries

United Church of Christ Mental Health Network

Micro-loan Program, UCC Wider Church Ministries – microloans to needy women around to the world who require equipment/materials to support their families.

Silver Lake Camp & Retreat Center  in nearby Sharon. We support  the camp and scholarships for those who are in financial need.