MISSION
Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. ~ Matthew 25:40
Middleton Community Church is engaged in a wide variety of mission projects throughout our community and beyond. Through everything we do at Middleton Community Church, we seek to offer help and hope in material and spiritual ways.
Described below are some of the many mission opportunities available through Middleton Community Church. For more information about these or other mission opportunities, please contact our church office at (608) 831-4694 or mccucc@chorus.net.
Interfaith Hospitality Network
Our church is a long-time member of the “shelter network” for the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), now a part of The Road Home Dane County. www.trhome.org/main.cfm. IHN shelters homeless families with children through a network of area churches and synagogues. During the day, the Road Home office and day center provide daytime shelter and case management services. Families work with a case manager to seek housing, employment and other community services and attend educational workshops.
We host homeless families in our church approximately four times per year, converting our Sunday School classrooms into living quarters for our guests. Our church members prepare breakfast, cook dinner, host games for the children, and sleep overnight each night during the week. Our church has awarded an educational scholarship to a past participant in the IHN program.
Middleton Outreach Ministry
Our church is a dedicated supporter for Middleton Outreach Ministry (MOM). www.mompop.org. In fact, for 15 years, the offices for Middleton Outreach Ministry were located in our former church building on Elmwood Avenue in Middleton. Middleton Community Church has been a MOM member church for over 25 years.
MOM staff and volunteers lead a community-wide effort to improve the quality of life for all citizens, especially those with critical needs. MOM offers food, clothing, financial support and counseling. Volunteers help home-bound seniors with rides, chores, shopping, caring visits and much more.
At MCC, the first Sunday of every month is “Food Sunday.” People who attend worship on Food Sunday may bring food or other items with them to donate to Middleton Outreach Ministry. A member of our Board of Missions then brings the items to Middleton Outreach Ministry. We also dedicate a portion of our worship offering every year to Middleton Outreach Ministry.
Jamaica Mission Trip
Approximately every other year, a group of adults and high school youth from our church organize a mission trip to St. Ann Parish on the north coast of Jamaica. On past trips, we have delivered clothes, books, computer and musical instruments. We also have painted school buildings, designed and painted murals, made a cement net ball court by hand, and repaired or replaced plumbing. In addition to the volunteer work, we worship at a local church and share vespers. No one comes home unchanged from our Jamaica mission trips.
The Crossing Campus Ministry
The Crossing is a Christian commun-ity at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where individuals can explore, question, understand, and affirm their relationship with God, each other, and the world.
MCC members serve as board members, help raise financial resources, and provide meals for UW-Madison students. www.crossingministries.org
Our Church's Wider Mission
OCWM is the name of the financial support we provide for the work of the UCC at state, national, and international levels. It supports national and international missions, ecumenical relationships, advocacy, resources for congregations, and more. OCWM is supported through MCC’s annual budget and through special offerings such as One Great Hour of Sharing, Neighbors in Need, Strengthen the Church, and the Christmas Fund. www.ucc.org/ocwm
Equal Exchange Coffee
MCC brews fair trade coffee during Fellowship Hour and offers a variety of fair-trade products for sale during the year. www.equalexchange.com/ucc
Seeking Volunteers to Help Bhutanese Refugees
Lutheran Social Services has asked MCC and other local churches to help as they resettle about 20 Bhutanese refugee families in Madison over the next year. They plan to establish a “Welcoming Committee” of 8 to 12 people for each refugee family. Ideally each committee would be made up of members of one church, but churches can also partner together to form a committee or invite non-church friends to be a part of the group. An additional or alternative option for helping a family is to donate furnishings and supplies towards the refugee family’s new apartment. More information can be found in the FAQ document, Task overview, and Apt. supply list. The background story of these refugees can be found at http://www.bhutaneserefugees.com/
Contact Bill Love at bglove @ charter.net or call 831-2776 if you are interested in this mission opportunity.
2005 Joint Supply List
Background
Overview of Tasks
Welcoming Committees
Farmer's Market
We help collect surplus food from vendors at the Dane County Farmer's Market. All donations support Community Action Coalition and their effort to provide nutritious food to hungry people in the Madison area.
