Social Ministries helps celebrate God’s love for all people and creation by sponsoring activities in ministering to the needs of the local and world community. Our ministry is involved with choosing and prioritizing needs and determining how we can best respond with our time, talents and resources. Social Ministries makes our congregation aware of needs and encourages members and friends to get involved in addressing them. Some of our areas of emphasis are:
Dorcas Ministries
For over 40 years, Dorcas Ministries has served the Cary community by providing service to the disadvantaged following the model of the Biblical namesake “Dorcas” (Acts 9:36-42).
Our congregation is closely involved with the work of Dorcas Ministries, including quite a few of our members who volunteer on a regular basis, as well as those who donate to or purchase items from the Dorcas Shop. Social Ministries serves as our church’s liaison with Dorcas Ministries and keeps members informed of its news and needs. We encourage church members and friends to donate gently used household items and clothes to the thrift shop and to purchase items, as both donations and purchases provide revenue for assistance to those in our community who are in need. We also periodically collect non-perishable food items in our narthex that the Dorcas Ministries food pantry uses to provide assistance to those who are hungry. Our efforts to help Dorcas Ministries relate to Community, one of our church’s 6C’s.
The Carying Place
The Carying Place operates a transitional housing program in WakeCounty. It gives homeless working families with children an opportunity to improve their financial situation, leading to permanent affordable housing, while providing short-term housing and support services. Each family accepted into the program is paired with a volunteer team that works with the family to develop a personalized plan for self-sufficiency.
Social Ministries assists The Carying Place by providing meals four times a year. This involves purchasing, preparing, and serving dinner, eating with the families, cleaning up, and possibly sitting in on some of the classes for the adults or helping children with their homework or other activities while their parents are in classes. Our efforts to help The Carying Place relate to Community, one of our church’s 6C’s.
Special Offerings
Social Ministries encourages the participation of the congregation in special offerings (Neighbors in Need, The Christmas Fund and One Great Hour of Sharing) received by the United Church of Christ.
West Virginia Mission Trip
Every other year members of our congregation participate in a mission trip at the Appalachian South Folklife Center in Pipestem, WV. In 2011, we partnered with Cary First Christian Church and Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church and had 32 youth and adults who worked on teams that refurbished homes of individuals who were unable to do the work themselves. This trip is a wonderful opportunity to help improve the living conditions of families in West Virginia, as well as to form closer bonds with members of our sister churches through working and sharing time together during the week.
Other
We strive to encourage and train our congregation to get involved in mission opportunities, to provide education about social concerns and issues, and to be a model of racial and ethnic reconciliation. We invite you to join in our ministry!