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Our Focus:

Outreach to a Wider Community

Our service with and in the world happens every day in working with those who are struggling financially, spiritually, and emotionally.  We do this with love through our own programs and through our partners in ministry.  We invite you to read about and get involved with the many ways our Christian outreach touches those in our community and beyond.

Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

SURE

“…and what does the Lord require of you, oh mortal, but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” ~ Micah 6:8

We participate in SURE (Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity).  This is an Ecumenical Justice Ministry Network of 15 congregations who work together to bring about God’s realm in our community.

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Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

Love Offerings

At Christmas and Easter we invite the congregation to participate in a Love Offering.

Christmas Love Offering: Acting Locally
Each Christmas, our special offering supports local agencies such as food banks, homeless shelters, and child and adult protective programs.

See How We Made an Impact

Easter Love Offering: Acting Globally
Each Easter, our special offering supports national and international agencies such as hunger and disaster assistance, mission work, international sponsorship programs, and theological education.

Contact the collector to find out how to donate to these programs.

Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

Brady Campaign

We actively support the Brady Campaign, a nonprofit organization that advocates for gun control and against gun violence.  Their goal is to unite people of all identities, races, ethnicities, political bent to create a safer America by dramaticlly cutting the number of gun deaths.

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Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

Sarasota PRIDE

Our outreach extends to our active participation in Sarasota PRIDE and we celebrate “God’s All-Embracing Acceptance” in worship.  There is also COLLAGE, our own LGBTQ group who meet weekly.  It’s a wonderful chance for support, fellowship, and advocacy information.

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Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

Equality Florida

Equality Florida is  the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. They recently worked to curb legislation that would have removed important protections for LGBTQ people and they continue their work for the education and safety of all.

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Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

Family Promise

Family Promise of Sarasota-Manatee is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization affiliated with the national Family Promise organization that works to ensure that children and their families have safe, stable housing.  First Congregational, UCC supports Family Promise of Sarasota-Manatee through donations of money, needed items for families, Christmas gifts for children and providing meals for occupants of Francis House, a home for pregnant single moms with children.

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Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

Project 180 Reentry

“Building Communities, not Prisons”

Project 180 is the newest member of our outreach network. Its mission is to reintegrate formerly incarcerated citizens to community life. Many of these men have nothing when released. The Project works with qualified men to provide education, financial literacy, food, jobs, clothes, housing and other needs so they do not have to return to unsuitable environments or criminal activity. They recently added a second residential home to Nick’s house which served 6 men. Their new initiative is First Week Out that is to provide what is immediately needed by the newly released to be successful in entering the community.

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Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

All Faiths Food Bank

All Faiths Food Bank is the area’s largest hunger relief organization providing nutritious food to those in need. In January, 2021, we launched our partnership with All Faith’s Food Bank to make the church campus available for their food distribution once a month. Find out more about how the food is stored and distributed and how you can get involved by clicking on their Facebook page:

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Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

Volunteering

Giving means more than just money.  Locally, our church members’ outreach to the community through volunteering consists of more than 1400 volunteer hours each month to over 54 local agencies.  Please join us in the spirit of giving of our time and talent by searching for local volunteer opportunities by area of interest on the VolunteerMatch.org database.

Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

Community Meal

Our Congregation participates in a Community Meal program organized and hosted at St. Paul Lutheran Church, a neighbor congregation. The Community Meal program serves  a meal every Tuesday night to people in Sarasota who don’t normally have access to hot, nutritious, and balanced meals.  Our congregation prepares and serves the meal on the 4th Tuesday of each month.

Each month we recruit volunteers to help with setting up, serving the dinner, and cleaning up.  We also invite volunteers to bake dessert for the meal.

Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

Resurrection House

Started by First Congregational UCC and four other local churches Resurrection House is a non-profit, faith-based organization serving as a day resource center to the homeless of Sarasota County, Florida.

Their range of services includes showers, restrooms, laundry, counseling, medical treatment, food, clothing, veteran’s assistance, post office, phone and many more.  Since the founding of Resurrection House in 1989, they have seen over 30,000 individual clients.

Several people from First Congregational UCC volunteer weekly at Resurrection House as counselors, front desk assistants, data enterers and helpers in the laundry section and clothing room.

The church is also a committed supporter of Resurrection House through its Christmas Love offering.

Outreach through SURE, Sarasota United for Responsibility and Equity

Our Church's Wider Mission

Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM) supports the ministry and mission of the Florida Conference United Church of Christ as well as the National setting of our denomination.  Our financial gift to OCWM helps support staff, churches in ministry transitions, and supporting congregations in sharing God’s love.  Just as members because of their love of the local church, we give beyond our walls to share God’s love across the state and country.  Please click here to read more:
Our Church’s Wider Mission Basic Support