Love Thy Neighbor
At Greenfield Hill Congregational Church support to missions is not an afterthought or a minor part of our commitment to follow Christ’s commandment to love thy neighbor. It is a major part of our ministry and proclamation of faith.
Hands-on
GHCC is a hands-on, helping community, ministering to people within our church and outside its walls. Our commitment to outreach is reflected both in our mission giving and in the time and talent, this congregation offers to direct caregiving and service in our neighborhood and beyond.
Commitment and Generosity
Today, because of the commitment and generosity of our church, children and widows in India are fed and housed; families in West Virginia are safe, warm, and dry; victims of abuse in Bridgeport are protected; men and women get a second chance on life – from soup kitchens and food pantries to adults learning to read, and so much more – that’s what mission giving means to Greenfield Hill Congregational Church.
Each year your generous contributions are used to support our missions to the less fortunate – locally, nationally, and internationally. A significant portion of our church’s operating budget is devoted to our mission organizations. Your generosity means children, widows, lepers, sick, people in crisis, and men and women have an opportunity for safety and happiness.
Four projects have earned their place at the unquestioned center of mission, just as mission is at the heart of GHCC. They are the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, Operation Hope, the Appalachia Service Project, and Friends of Christ in India (FOCI)
Below is a list of many of the organizations supported by GHCC:
Operation Hope
Greenfield Hill Church has a long history of partnership with Operation Hope, an outreach to those who are homeless and hungry in our community. Along with financial and volunteer support, monthly meals, on every first Wednesday, are provided by Greenfield Hill.
The Appalachia Service Project (ASP)
The Appalachia Service Project (ASP), based in Johnson City, Tennessee, is a home repair ministry to impoverished Appalachian families. Since 1978, Greenfield Hill has sent teens and adults each summer to participate in this home-repair mission to the people of rural Appalachia, making homes ‘warmer, safer, and drier’. In 2013 over 220 youth and adults joined in this ASP adventure!
Friends of Christ in India (FOCI)
Friends of Christ in India is a mission effort founded by David Rowe in 1983 and supported by GHCC since 1997. Greenfield Hill supports many ministries in Telangana: schools, orphanages, churches, micro-loans, homes for the aged, scholarships, evangelism, food and medical care.
Our finances also support the following programs:
Mercy Learning Center of Bridgeport
Mercy Learning Center of Bridgeport provides basic literacy and life skills training to low income women within a compassionate, supportive environment. Women enroll in either the full time intensive study program or in the part-time tutoring program. Support services include childcare, social services, employment/college counseling, and parenting workshops.
Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport
Greenfield Hill has served as a partner church of the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, supporting a variety of ministries throughout the Bridgeport area. The mission of the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport is to turn faith into action by enabling congregations and community partners to combine resources and expertise to provide programs that help people at risk meet their urgent needs.
The Center for Family Justice
The Center for Family Justice provides crisis management, legal assistance and counseling services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault as well as women returning to the community from correctional facilities. It is dedicated to strengthening women and families and eliminating violence and abuse through education, intervention, advocacy and community collaboration.
Community Supper Program
Through Bridgeport’s Community Supper Program, each month youth and adults prepare and serve dinner at Calvary/St. George’s Church in Bridgeport. Contact Rev. Alida Ward to learn more.
CALEB
CALEB is an interfaith organization that develops, preserves and manages rental communities so as to provide safe, decent housing to low and moderate income residents. They strive to create positive, supportive, encouraging communities through the efforts of Service Coordinators, programs, and support offered at property community centers.
Westbridge, Inc.
Westbridge, Inc. is a coalition of individuals from Fairfield County churches who have banded together in order to assist homeowners with essential home repairs which they could otherwise not afford and to help other charitable organizations with necessary facility repairs. Westbridge focuses on improving home safety and functionality. The organization targets homeowners who are disabled, elderly and/or low-income.
Homes for the Brave
Homes for the Brave since opening its doors in 2002, has provided safe housing, vocational training and job placement, mental health and addiction services, and life skills coaching to help individuals, especially Veterans, leave homelessness behind. To date, the organization has worked with more than 600 individuals.
Through the United Church of Christ:
Greenfield Hill Church also does mission work through our denomination and is a member church of the United Church of Christ, one of the largest Protestant denominations in the U.S. From its earliest days, the UCC has been actively involved nationwide in relief work, ministry among the poor, and in the movement for civil rights. Internationally, the UCC sends missionaries worldwide to be Christ’s presence in places of need.
