It's about the mission!  Our mission and vision statement are printed in each bulletin and UPDATE, on the web site (www.uccdefiance.org) and more.

St. John United Church of Christ was recognized as being one of the United Church of Christ congregations that is a 5 for 5 Congregation in 2005.  This recognition was for our contributions to Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support, Neighbors in Need, One Great Hour of Sharing, Christmas Fund and Strengthening the Church special mission offerings.  Our congregation was also recognized for meeting our 2005 goal in Our Church's Wider Mission and exceeding the 2004 giving by 10%.  Our Church's Wider Mission is how we pay the staff and run the services and programs of the Northwest Ohio Association, the Ohio Conference and the National setting of the United Church of Christ.

In 2006, St. John United Church of Christ contributed with our Lenten coin folders to the CUE (Chicago, United and Eden) seminaries, the closely related seminaries of the United Church of Christ in the Midwest.  We have given to Back Bay Mission and United Church Homes with our Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday offerings.  We have given to the One Great Hour of Sharing.  We have given to Church World Service through our Blanket & Tools Sunday.  We have given to the hungry in our community with mission outreach dollars and helping hands serving a Community Meal at Zion's Lutheran Church.  We have also given to local groups who are our volunteer "hands" in the Defiance Community.

The Endowment Board also gave its Mission Outreach dollars to United Church Homes, Ravens, Jamaican Work Trip Scholarships, UCC Camperships and money for our church's bill for last year's roof repair.

Yes, we give a lot.  We volunteer a lot.  And, this year we will even be sending people from our congregation to be our hands building a house in Jamaica with our dollars and our volunteers.

Thank you to all who have contributed.  Thanks for all who will volunteer their time with their work in Jamaica.  Please pray with and for our Jamaican team: Harry Doyle & Jody Doyle, Kurt Doyle, Meghan Doyle, Patti Gable, Jillian Gable, Katherine Klein, William & Arevena Nirote, Abby Reichard, Craig Rutter, Lonnie & Mary Williams.

Finally, the Jamaican Mission Work Trip made enough money from individual contributions, community contributions, Endowment Committee, Lay, Life and Work Committee, Outreach Mission Fund of the Consistory and participants' contributions, that they met the financial goal.  The St. John United Church of Christ Jamaican Team decided that the extra funds and the scheduled Port-A-Pit chicken sale on June 18 will be held with all funds going to "seed      monies" for the next mission trip.

Your partner in ministry,

Bill

The Rev. Dr. William R. Nirote