The Neighbor’s In Need Offering which we receive during the month of October is an offering focused on supporting organizations and projects that are serving homeless and immigrant neighbors or communities. Two thirds of the offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries to fund a wide array of local and national justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects. Through UCCTakeAction.org., our national justice and Witness Ministries office offers resources, news updates, and action alerts on a broad spectrum of justice issues. Working with members of UCC Justice and Peace Action Network (a network of thousands of UCC justice and peace advocates). Justice and Witness continues its strong policy advocacy work on issues such as the federal budget, voting rights, immigration, health care, hate crimes, civil liberties, and environmental justice.
Neighbors In Need also supports our American Indian Neighbors in the UCC. One third of the offering supports the UCC’s Council for the American Indian Ministries (CAIM). Historically, forebears of the UCC established churches and worked with Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, Mandan, Hidatsu, Arickara, and Hocak in North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Norhern Nebraska. Today there are 200 UCC Congregations on reservations and one urban, multi-tribal UCC congregation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These churches and their pastors are supported by CAIM. CAIM is also an invaluable resource for more than 1,000 individuals from dozens of other tribes and nations who are members of other UCC congregations in the U.S.
Neighbors In Need needs our support, it helps make another world possible. Contributions to NIN can be made on-line at any time at :www.ucc.org/nin. An envelope is provided with this issue of the Arrow and envelopes will be available in our sanctuary pew racks. Please make checks payable to Second Congregational Church.
For more information about NIN, please go to www.ucc.org/nin