Annual Report of the Board of Christian Outreach and Mission (2003-2004)

The purpose of the Board of Christian Outreach and Mission is to manage the Mission pledge income and special offerings on behalf of the congregation and to inform the congregation about the supported missions. We do this through monthly newsletter submissions, posting meeting minutes outside of the office, holding special events such as inviting guest speakers, doing Mission Moments during service, hosting Pot Luck suppers, etc…).

Each year you are called upon to help the under privileged and each year you come through. Last year we committed to help brighten the Thanksgiving Day celebration for 15 families (60+ adults and children) in the Derry area through your canned food and monetary donations. This is the greatest number of people we’ve ever been asked to help and you easily reached that goal. We were also able to provide Christmas gifts to eleven children in the Derry area through your offerings to the Giving Tree (“Angel’s List”) to brighten their Christmas.

Your Missions offering went to support the following programs during the 2003 - 2004 year:

• Our Churches Wider Mission — $10,823
• Kairos — $250
• YWCA Crisis Center — $300
• Greater Derry Domestic Violence — $250
• Community Care Givers — $1275
• Vintage Grace — $1200
• Food Pantry — $1500
• Sonshine Soup Kitchen — $1200
• Youth Trip — $1500
• The Upper Room — $300
• Bangor Theological Seminary — $600
• Blankets/Tools of Hope — $590
• One Great Hour of Sharing — $588
• Disaster Relief — $400

We continue to have concerns about effectively communicating the need to specifically allocate pledges to Missions by indicating the pledged amount next to “Missions” on the pledge card. We will be working closely with Stewardship to assure that all current and new members are aware of this.

We hope that you will continue to provide the level of support and commitment towards the vital Missions work of the Church as you have done faithfully in the past. Even through difficult financial times your offerings have exceeded expectations and we thank you all.