Missions
Salem members Lynn, Carol, Nancy, Bev and Gail prepared food for Daybreak of the Lehigh Conference of Churches.
Someone once asked, “Are you a Mission church or a Maintenance church?” A maintenance church’s focus is inward – just trying to pay the bills and keep its structure sound enough to hold services. A mission church, while naturally aware that bills must be paid and the structure must be tended to, looks outward to its members, its neighbors, its community, the wider area and even the world, and asks, “What would God have us do to spread His love and His message to a hurting world?”
Salem UCC is a Mission church!
Congregational Missions
Prayer Chain – both the phone version and, for those who are more tech savvy, the texting version so we are quickly connected to our members and friends who need prayer.
Many in our congregation are faithful “snail-mailers” – sending birthday, anniversary, thinking of you, get well and sympathy cards to our members and friends of the congregation.
Many members volunteer to provide transportation to and from services, church events and appointments for others in our congregation and community.
Volunteers deliver meals and pick up prescriptions for others.
More able bodied members help shovel out others when snowstorms hit.
Community Missions
Our annual free summer picnic gives the neighbors a chance to mingle and get to know us and each other.
Our annual Trick or Treat at Salem provides the neighborhood kids with generous treat bags.
Our monthly free community lunch on the first Monday of the month
Monetary and material support of the Catasauqua Food Bank
Volunteers to work at the Catasauqua Thrift Shop
Sponsorship of a Brownie Troop
Sponsorship of a weekly Al-Anon group
Support for Catasauqua and North Catasauqua Fire Companies
Material and monetary support and volunteers for Feed the Kids Summer Lunch Program
Collection of school supplies for Sheckler Elementary School
The Cleaning Bucket Project
a 5 gallon bucket filled with necessary cleaning supplies sent to areas that experience natural and man-made disasters
Wider Lehigh Valley Area Missions
At each monthly Consistory (church board) meeting $100 is designated for a mission or charity.
Also at our monthly Friendship Circle (a get together for food, fun, fellowship and service) a collection is taken for a mission or charity. Some of the beneficiaries of these funds are: Meals on Wheels, Allentown Rescue Mission, Allentown Warming Center, Salvation Army, American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Alzheimer’s Association, 6thStreet Shelter of Allentown, Daybreak of Allentown, and Truth for Women of the Lehigh Valley.
Friendship Circle collects small toiletries, personal items and snacks. When enough items are collected, we fill gallon sized plastic bags to make Care Kits that are delivered to Allentown’s Daybreak Center. We also solicit donations from the congregation to buy gift cards that Daybreak clients can use to buy shoes or boots at Christmas. Four or five times a year we cook and serve a dinner at Daybreak.
We regularly donate needed household and personal care items to Allentown’s 6th Street Shelter, and every Christmas we sponsor 5 Shelter families.
We have hosted information sessions for Truth for Women of the Lehigh Valley to educate the community on the serious issue of human trafficking in our area, and we have made monetary and material donations to Truth Home – the program’s safe house.
Pastor Mike’s daughter Gwen holds an annual No Child Hungry Bake Sale and Pastor Mike’s wife Meghan runs an annual chili contest. Extra vote tickets for your favorite chili can be obtained by bringing in a non-perishable chili ingredient for Catasauqua Food Bank.
In partnership with Church World Service our missions to our world include:
The Cleaning Bucket Project– a 5 gallon bucket filled with necessary cleaning supplies sent to areas that experience natural and man-made disasters
Health and Hygiene Project– bins filled with personal hygiene products like wash cloths, towels, toothbrushes, etc. for areas that experience natural or man-made disasters
School Supplies Packs– backpacks filled with school supplies for children in areas where supplies are limited or unavailable
The Blanket Project– a $5 donation purchases a blanket that in many areas of the world can provide warmth, but also shelter or shade
Heifer Project– each spring our Sunday School kids use the offerings they have given during the school year to buy animals for Church World Service
So if you are as committed to missions as we are – come and join us at Salem UCC.
We need YOU to further God’s work in a hurting world.