14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters,[e] if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill’, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
James 2: 14-17 NRSVA
NPC UCC encourages everyone to demonstrate their faith through their actions, providing opportunities for giving of your time, goods and money.
Contribute Your Time and Effort
- Prayer shawls: Knitters and crocheters gather twice a month for fellowship and to make shawls. The shawls are prayed over and given to individuals who are experiencing illness, grief and other hardships. All individuals are welcome whether or not you can knit or crochet.
- Grief Seminars: NPC UCC holds an annual, one-day grief seminar for anyone who has experienced loss, as well as clergy, funeral directors, Hospice personnel, and social workers.
- Red Kettle: Each year we provide volunteers to ring bells for the Salvation Army’s annual holiday collections.
- Bed mats: Volunteers cut plastic shopping bags into strips, tie the strips together and crochet them together to create 6′ x 3″ bed mats. Each mat takes 500 to 700 bags and about 100 hours of effort. The bed mats are given to organizations supporting local homeless people.
Contribute Goods
- Monthly Food Drive: We collect food and provide it to the Salvation Army for distribution to the needy
- Operation Christmas Child: “The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world. Through this project, Samaritan’s Purse partners with the local church worldwide to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and make disciples of the nations.”
- Undies Sunday: collection of new underwear and socks in July for elementary school-aged children which are distributed through the non-profit Children’s Clothing Closet on Sam Shapos Way.
- Christmas Gifts for Needy Seniors: Salvation Army provides Christmas wish lists of needy seniors. Church attendees may select one or more wish lists to fulfill.
Contribute Financially
- Holy Joe’s Cafe: “Since 2006, Holy Joe’s Café has been sending free coffee to U.S. military bases around the world. Our mission is simple: serving a little bit of home to those who serve our country.”
- Neighbors in Need (NIN): “A special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States.” Contributions are typically collected in the fall on World Communion Sunday.
- One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS): This Lenten Offering supports the disaster, refugee, and development ministries of the United Church of Christ.
- Our Church’s Wider Mission Basic Support (UCC): Provides funding for Conferences and the national ministries of the United Church of Christ (Wider Church Ministries, Local Church Ministries, Justice and Witness Ministries, General Ministries, and Pension Board).
- NPC UCC: The NPC UCC Operating Fund is used to fund the North Port Community United Church of Christ operations, including salaries, utilities, maintenance, supplies, etc. Mail checks to the church office.
6 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 NRSVA