Mission and Outreach Ministry Team
First Church is a UCC 5-for-5 church, supporting both Our Church’s Wider
Mission as well as the four annual UCC special offerings:  
One Great Hour of Sharing, Strengthen the Church, Neighbors in Need and
the Christmas Fund.   

Additionally, First Church supports Interfaith Cooperative Ministries on a
weekly basis with both donations and volunteers and has relationships with other local organizations,
including the Beatitudes Center DOAR, Sojourner’s, Valley Interfaith Project and the Arizona
Ecumenical Council.

Other ongoing mission projects include the weekly sale of Just Coffee and the purchase of a second
Heifer International “Ark” of animals as part of our 90th birthday celebration in 2007.  
After church each Sunday, First Church members and friends have the opportunity to purchase quality
fair trade coffee while supporting family farmers in Chiapas, Mexico.   
We surpassed our original 2007 goal of raising $5000 for a Heifer International Ark within just a few
short months.  Then we raised another $3500 which helped purchase individual animals.  Recipients
agree to share offspring of their animals with others in need through a requirement Heifer calls “Passing
on the Gift.”  It multiplies the benefits of every donated animal while making recipients equal partners
with Heifer in the global fight against hunger and poverty.
Ministry Teams & Links to Local & National Resources
First Congregational
United Church of Christ
Phoenix
Care and Community Ministry Team
Care and Community Team presently consists of nine specialty teams:   
                                   Cuisine
                                    Visitation Ministry
                                    Create & Print
                                    Accessible Health Care
                                    Nurses' Monitoring on Sundays
                                    Transportation
                                    Telephone Tree
                                    Special Events
                                    Special Projects


Accessible Healthcare Specialty Team - anyone who is interested is welcome!
Next Meeting, Saturday, July 19 2008, 2-4 pm in Anthony Lounge   
Team Objective:  
 To actively explore and compare healthcare insurances available in our state and country.  
 Team members choose an insurance company in a meeting, then report on it to the team for         
discussion, observations, decisions.  As we become familiar with the types of insurance and the various
insurance company programs, we will eventually prepare data for our church.  As we hear of House and
Senate bills relating to our study, we will visit the capitol and attempt to persuade House and Senate
members to vote in favor of or oppose any bills we feel will strengthen or harm the various healthcare
insurance policies.  From time to time, we will report our findings to the church.
 We encourage visitors to our meetings.  We meet the 3rd Saturday of each month, 2-4 pm.

  • The Cuisine specialty team serves “after-church” refreshments, plans and serves parties,
    helps provide for receptions, memorials and special events.  Whenever food is served, this team
    is usually present.  
  • The Visitation  specialty team visits the sick, shut in, bereaved church members and their
    families. Monthly meetings are held to update the “Sick List” and cards are distributed for
    future visits. Team members enjoy their visits as much or more than the one visited.  
  • The Create & Print specialty team personalizes and sends get-well, sympathy,
    congratulations, new baby, anniversary, birthday cards to church members.
  • The Nurses’ Monitoring specialty team takes members blood pressures and/or blood glucose
    weekly on Sundays after worship in Social Hour.
  • The Transportation specialty team matches non-driving members with members willing to
    drive them to and from church or doctor’s appointments.
  • The Telephone Tree specialty team, used only at discretion of the Pastor or his assignee,
    notifies congregation of a sudden emergency or special message.
  • The Special Events specialty team procures discount tickets to events of special interest such
    as plays, opera, ballet, movies, symphony, art shows, zoo, botanical gardens, ball games, and
    other local events.
  • The Special Projects specialty team assists the Pastor with pet blessings, special tours of our
    historical church site, and it looks for ways to improve our neighborhood i.e. “Trash Collection
    Saturdays", Adopt a street (our 'adopted' street is E.  McDowell from Central to 7th Street).
Each specialty team along with their leaders help the “Care and Community Team” be of benefit to the
church and community and to serve our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ who gives us our motivation,
strength and energy.
Other Ministry Teams to add their team's descriptions to this page - soon!

Christian Education & Nurturing
Growth & Good News
Music & Worship
Spiritual Gifts
Stewardship of Time, Talents, Financial Gifts
Young Adults & Families Ministries
Links to Local Resources & United Church of Christ websites
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house? Do you need emergency food or shelter?  Want to know
about upcoming job fairs?    Click here for AZ State Assistance Website