Our faith calls upon us to share a portion from our lives so that others may experience a sense of hope and blessing. We support missions that reach out to the needs of the local community and beyond, including many that are of a more “hands-on” nature.
One Great Hour of Sharing, Neighbors in Need, Strengthen the Church, Christmas Fund, Our Churches Wider Mission, Fellowship Dues
These special mission offerings and contributions are taken throughout the year for our United Church of Christ denomination and support wider ministries and missions. The poor are supported in a variety of needs, both in this nation and around the world; local congregations are planted or made more vital; retired clergy their spouses and/or widows are given financial aid when necessary.
Church World Service Blanket Project
Each Mother’s Day, the congregation is invited to donate $5 in honor or memory of a mom, for the purchase of blanket for Church World Service. This organization mobilizes throughout the world, especially in situations of disaster, to distribute blankets. These simple items are able to be used for warmth and shelter.
Heifer Project
Yearly fund drives held in our Sunday School collect money to purchase animals through Heifer Project. This international program provides animals to families. Things like milk and eggs and honey can be used to feed the family, and they can be sold to provide an income to the family. Animals such as sheep and llamas can be sheared and their fur made into clothing. Ox and camels and llamas become work animals for farming and transporting supplies.
Milford Food Pantry and Milford Community Supper
Donations of money and non-perishable items are a year round goal at the church for the food pantry. The Milford Community Supper invites a more hands-on participation as people in the church can provide food for the weekly supper held at the Milford Unitarian Church. This program seeks to provide a hot, nutritious meal to those in the Milford area who are in need.
Interfaith Hospitality Network
This Worcester based program seeks to support homeless families. Often they are caught in the cracks of the “system”. With no home and no job, or a job that pays too little to support housing, up to 15 individuals (adults and children) are able to use this program to get back on their feet. Using churches through the area as “shelters” for the evenings, families are given a place to stay and to eat dinner, breakfast, and lunch at no cost. For one week each year, our church family volunteers to prepare meals, stay overnight, and provide hospitality.
Angel Tree
Each Christmas season gifts are donated from the congregation to residents of the Ledges Community in Hopedale. This facility is home to men and women who have a variety of challenges and limitations. Many have little or no family connections.
Seminary Student
Supporting the future pastoral leadership of the church is an important mission. For the past two years our church has been a Teaching Parish Site through Andover Newton Theological School. We invite seminary students, preparing for ordained ministry, to work with us for a year, or more. In that time, these students get to experience the joys and challenges of pastoral ministry. The congregation's role is financial support to the student, opportunities to experience and learn different aspects of ministry, moral support, and performance feedback.
Community Groups
We feel the use of our building by the community is an important part of our mission. We are pleased to offer our Fellowship Hall to a number of non-profit groups serving the needs of others. These include Troop 1 Hopedale Boy Scouts (which we also sponsor), Girl Scout and Cub Scout meetings, Alcoholics Anonymous (meets Thursday evening at 7:30 PM) and Milford District Court Honor Court Program.
All are welcome at Union Church!