Outreach and Service

“To believe is to care, to care is to do” is our church motto. It defines who we are and what we do. We strive to be ministers of faith, lending a hand where needed to those who need it.

The range of our outreach is diverse. We provide shelter, food, pastoral care, ministerial support, support for the young, and support for the elderly. Each new project adds a weave to our tapestry of faith.

The Board of Outreach and Service addresses the church's response to our stated mission by identifying community need and coordinating efforts to address the need. Jodi Flick and Cindy Kahler are co-chairing the BOS this year and welcome inquiries about current projects and encourage new ideas for outreach and service.

Chapel Hill/Carrboro Peacemaking Scholarship

Food and Shelter

Community House Shelter (men) - 2nd Thursday

Coordinated by the Interfaith Council, Inc. (IFC), the Community House in downtown Chapel Hill provides daily shelter and regular meals for men who are homeless and/or hungry. UCCH volunteers serve a casserole dinner meal at the shelter on the 2nd Thursday of every month, along with checking in guests early in the evening and hosting the guests until 11 p.m.

If interested in helping with meal service, call Roscoe and Mary Stuart Reeve. Keith Rokoske coordinates volunteers to host at the shelter each 2nd Thursday of the month.

Homestart Shelter (women and children) - 3rd Thursday

The IFC managed shelter for women and children is located on Homestead Rd across close to our church. Women and children are housed in this shelter in buildings designated as emergency and long term residences. UCCH is playing an expanded role with these shelters by providing and serving a dinner meal on the 3rd Thursday of each month, (5:30-8PM) followed by volunteers babysitting the children while the Moms attend a group session. The emergency shelter has requested that volunteers help out at the emergency shelter for 3 hour shifts during the day with various office and hands on projects. Call Cindy Kahler for information.

Community House Shelter - 4th Thursday

UCCH also provides casseroles for the shelter at lunchtime on the 4th Thursday of each month. Volunteers bring casseroles to the church to stockpile them in the kitchen’s chest freezer. To help on 4th Thursdays at lunch, call Gerry and Helen Michael or John and Betts Karvazy.

Meals on Wheels

The Women's Fellowship raises funds for Meals-on-Wheels, which provides lunches for those who are sick, disabled, or unable to provide for themselves.

CROP Walk

The spring CROP Walk gives members of the church a chance to contribute to local and world-wide feeding programs of Church World Service through a 10K walk, sponsorship of a walker or by helping staff this community-wide event.

Habitat for Humanity

A Christian housing ministry that seeks to work along side of those in need of decent shelter to build low-cost housing with the help of “sweat equity.”

In partnership with other congregations and groups, we have built hopes as well as homes for families, both in Orange County and in other states. Call Katie Rankin for more information and to help locally.

We have also sent volunteers to Guatemala to build homes and bridge the gap of difference by experiencing the life and culture of the Guatemalan people. We hope to plan another Habitat project to Central America or to Eastern Europe working along side members of our sister church in Germany.

Local Housing

Covenant Place is a 40-unit facility of supportive housing that was developed by a partnership between United Church of Chapel Hill, New Covenant Christian UCC and the United Church Retirement Homes. It is underwritten by a program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development that offers assistance to senior citizens (62+) whose income is under $20,000. Mindy Kizer is the manager, 919- 929-0061.

Shepherd House is a 66-bed assisted living facility developed by the same partnership. It is now managed by Salem Senior Services but its mission continues to be as a place of care inclusive of those with economic need.

Extending the Table of the Lord

A feeding project to stock the pantry of the Inter-Faith Council. The goal is to extend God's table to feed the hungry. Gifts of food are received every Sunday, but on those Sunday's that we receive the gift of bread and cup it is appropriate that we share what we have received.

Peanut butter, rice, beans, tuna, canned fruits and vegetables, powdered milk, juices, canned meats, cereal, crackers, macaroni and cheese, pasta and pasta sauce are especially needed.

Children and Youth

A large part of our outreach efforts revolve around children and youth. We regularly budget support for local programs that seek to protect, nurture, and support children. In the past, we have sponsored, through our gifts of money, facilities, and volunteer time, programs like Chapel Hill Day Care Center, which we helped start more than 25 years ago in partnership with the Chapel Hill Service League; Kidscope for preschool children with emotional and behavioral problems; and Volunteer Emergency Families for Children.

Currently, we support the Elon Home for Children, Volunteers for Youth (a mentoring program), and the United Church Preschool that meets in our church. We seek to match supportive adults with children in our own congregation through the Secret Pals program. For several summers we have supported the Bilingual Bible School of Iglesia Unida de Cristo with a goal of reaching out to Hispanic families. Both Hispanic and Anglo children participated and had a wonderful time.

Support of the Larger Church

We play an active role in the Southern Conference, attending conference meetings, supporting their scholarship fund, and helping to develop new churches. Vicki Gardner is the chair of the Board of Directors and Ed Flowers is the Treasurer of the Blowing Rock Conference Center, our denomination’s mountain retreat center. Jodi Flick serves on the board for Johns River Valley Camp.

We regularly sponsor interns from Duke Divinity School. We have also sponsored and trained interns from partner EKU programs in Germany.

When the needs go beyond our Community our concerns go with them. We support Our Churches Wider Mission, the Church World Service, Neighbors in Need, One Great Hour of Sharing, and the Christmas Fund. Approximately 15 years ago, we began the Alternative Christmas Market which encourages a celebration of the season by purchasing gifts that will ultimately serve those in who have the most need.

Neighbors in Need

A yearly offering in October assists projects within the US, particularly ministries with and to Native Americans, ministries for peace and justice, and ministries that seek to heal the divisions of race and class.

One Great Hour of Sharing

An offering taken during Lent by many of the churches that participate in the National Council Of Churches, the money is used by Church World Service for relief and development world around the globe.

Church's Wider Mission

Every congregation of the UCC makes a contribution for the work and ministry of the denomination as a whole. This contribution, usually established as a percentage of the congregational budget provides for the ministry of our national and conference staff. Special offerings make particular programs and ministries possible.

Veterans of the Cross

A special fund for pastors and ministers with the UCC who have not been able to fully participate in the Pension Fund or find its benefits insufficient to in times of emergency or crisis.

Building Bridges and Partnerships

The common element that runs through our mission is partnership. We helped start the Chapel Hill Day Care Center more than 25 years ago in partnership with the Chapel Hill Service League; we build Habitat homes in partnership with other churches and organizations; we were in partnership with New Covenant Christian Church and UCC Retirement Homes as we built affordable apartments and an assisted-living facility for the elderly. We are in partnership with each other, guided by our faith, and motivated by our two ministers, Richard and Jill Edens, who, by their energy. experience, and example, have encouraged us.

International Mission Projects

This year UCCH is embarking on 2 international projects. Funded by gifts to the Capital Campaign, a hospital in war-torn Jaffna, Sri Lanka will receive funds to support the services of 2 physicians each of 3 years and help with the repairs. The hospital has been closed for a few years due to the fighting in the country. With a tentative peace agreement, physicians and hospital staff will once more make the hospital operational. Church members will travel to Sri Lanka to oversee the progress and provide support to these new acquaintances. Contact Cindy Kahler.

The second project, still in the infancy stage, will provide funds and hope to the Mayan Indians through the organization, Christian Action of Guatemala (ACG). These Guatemalans are refugees who fled to Mexico during the turmoil there and now have returned to their homes to rebuild their lives. The work with this population will focus on community projects in the areas of education, culture, economics and ecology using spirituality, community cooperation, and inter-religious dialogue to promote harmony and peace among and within the indigenous populations, and training communities to defend the human rights of the people.

Partnership with German Churches

The Evangelical Church of the Union in Germany and the United Church of Christ are bound together in a “Full Communion” relationship. This means we look for opportunities to join together in ministry and mutual support. Thus far, our relationship has been strengthened through pastoral exchanges, choir trips, and sponsoring students.

The Inter-Faith Council for Social Services

A non-denominational non-profit social service agency, the IFC manages the Community House and Community Kitchen as well as providing other services such as family aid, health clinic, and transitional housing. To volunteer, call the IFC directly at 929-6380.

Pastoral Care

Learn how to request pastoral care or to become a pastoral care provider on our pastoral care pages.

Health Ministry

This group seeks to promote wellness, to support individuals and families facing acute or chronic illness, and to support individuals who are terminally ill through education/support sessions or referral to community resources. The Health Ministry facilitates education/support sessions, referral to community resources, coordinates volunteers, and is available on a pastoral/personal level. Please call Aly Breisch or call the church office for further details or referral.

P-FLAG

A Triangle-wide ministry to the parents and friends of lesbians and gays, this community group has held its meetings in a room at United Church until Sept. 2007. It then decided to move them to a location more central to everyone in the Triangle, at the Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Durham. For details, see www.pflagtriangle.org.

Iglesia Unida de Cristo

A church for Latinos, Iglesia is “nested” in our church. While we share programs, activities and space, Iglesia Unida and United Church are two separate congregations. We have held joint Christmas Eve potlucks, Bi-lingual Bible School, and other celebrations. For more information, call 919 932-4818.

Iglesia has multiple activities each week including mid-week Bible study, “Citizenship and Immigration Help” classes, and Bilingual Church School for children. A service of praise, prayer, Bible study and fellowship is held Sunday nights at 5:00 p.m.

Mi Escuelita

Mi Escuelita is a pre-school Spanish Immersion program sponsored by Iglesia. It is located at 405 Smith Level Road in Chapel Hill. Sonia Wiggins is the director (919-969-7949).

People of Faith Against the Death Penalty

A special project of the NC Council of Churches that organizes and educates within churches about issues related to the death penalty. It sponsors two outreach programs, one to families of murder victims and one that links death row inmates to penpals (Project Link). Call Wanda Hunter,who is organizing a statewide conference this November for PFADP, or Richard Edens to find out more.

Orange County Prison Ministry and Yokefellows

Our church joins with other Orange and Alamance County congregations in making a contribution to support a chaplain at the prison unit located in Hillsborough. The Hillsborough facility is a minimum security unit housing persons serving short sentences and preparing to re-enter society. Chaplain Barker has been serving the unit for almost ten years.

If you're interested in providing support and companionship to the inmates at this prison, become involved with Yokefellows. This group of volunteers comes to the prison, with cookies and drink in hand, each Tuesday evening (7:30-8:30), to share refreshments and fellowship with those prisoners who desire some companionship and conversation. You can help by baking cookies (cookie tins are provided) and leaving them in the Parish House (label “Yokefellows”) or by coming along on the weekly visits.

Call Richard Edens for more information or speak with Dave Jenkins or Alan Young.