top of page

Our Ministries

Ministry Teams

Ministry Teams are small groups of people who help the church in many different ways, such as small ongoing tasks or one-time-only events

​

A list of a few of the forty-some Ministry Teams are:

  • Friendship Room: Volunteers help prepare and serve free meals at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church

  • Feed-A-Family: Monthly food donations to Salvation Army food pantry

  • Needle Craft: A Group, who knit, crochet or do other handwork and donates items to charitable projects

  • German Outreach: Discussions in German and contact with sister church in Germany

  • SERRV Bazaar: Sale of fair trade items to benefit craftspeople around the world

  • AppleFest: Cider-making demonstration on lawn, with samples and fellowship after church service

  • Thanksgiving Baskets: Turkey and all the trimmings donated and prepared for delivery to needy families

  • Christmas Eve Reception: Traditional fellowship time after the Christmas Eve service

  • Office Support: Volunteers who help with various office tasks

Ongoing Projects

FEED-A-FAMILY PROJECT — Numerous bags of groceries and cash donations contributed each month, and delivered to the Salvation Army for needy Alpena families.

​

NEEDLE CRAFT GROUP—make afghans, prayer shawls and lap blankets for members of our congregation and others in the community; also make and buy items for baby kits for Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM) of the United Church of Christ.

​

CALL US FOR HELP–A special mission founded by our church and other local churches and administered by the Salvation Army, providing temporary assistance to Alpena families who have special needs.

​

OGLALA LAKOTA TRIBE in Pine Ridge South Dakota. Through the Re-Member Project, we have participated in the construction of bunk beds and the rehabilitation of housing, supplied bedding and multiple hand-made quilts, sent members to help with construction and supplies and helped fund the Loaman School in Pine Ridge.

Missions

As a congregation of believers we seek to provide increasing service to one another, to our community, our nation, and our world. Every year our church participates in the following scheduled collections and mission activities:

​

January: BLANKET SUNDAY/TOOLS FOR HOPE assists with funding for individuals/communities in crisis in America and world-wide.

​

March: ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING supports the work of the UCC, working with international partners to provide sources of clean water and food, education and health care, and supporting domestic and international ministries for disaster preparedness and response.

​

June: STRENGTHEN THE CHURCH assists with funding for new church starts and with invigorating existing congregations, and nurturing lay and pastoral leadership.

​

September: NEIGHBORS IN NEED assists with supporting the church`s justice work in communities throughout the nation.

​

October: SERRV BAZAAR offers for sale handcrafts from artisans in developing regions around the world, improving their lives by offering them fair wages for their goods.

​

November: THANKSGIVING BASKET PROJECT – large food baskets are assembled and delivered to local families in need.

​

December: CHRISTMAS OFFERING, assists in the support of retired UCC clergy in need of financial/medical help.

​

MITTEN TREE PROJECT–dozens of hats, scarves, mittens and socks, made and purchased, are distributed to needy children through the Alpena school district.

Community Involvement

First Congregational UCC is dedicated to serving the community and helping others in many different ways. In addition to thousands of dollars donated to nonprofits every year through the Comstock Fund, Church members have been involved with community events such as Martin Luther King Day programs and the Gettysburg Sesquicentennial, as well as several interdenominational services such as the Lenten series, LARCC (Lutheran, Anglican, Roman Catholic and Congregational) programs, the Month of Peace and the Week of Christian Unity.

​

The church offers meeting space for Community Non-Profits at no charge.

Heifer Project

Comstock Fund

​

Our church has been blessed with a large bequest of money from Andrew W. Comstock. Mr. Comstock gave the money in memory of his mother, who was a member of the church. Mr. Comstock (1890-1977) envisioned for others the kind of help his family was given in the 1890s when his father died at the age of 34 and left his mother with four small children, all under six years of age. Those were tough times for the Comstocks and Mrs. Comstock’s church was a mainstay in the family’s life. One way that our church strives to carry on that tradition of service is by offering grants.

​

Following is information on applying for a grant.


First Congregational United Church of Christ of Alpena invites non-profit agencies and organizations to apply for grants from our Comstock Fund. The Comstock Fund supports programs that render service to all people and strives for righteousness, justice, and peace.

Grant applications must be submitted by October 1 on the provided application form. An original signature is required on your application.

 

Faxed or emailed applications are now accepted (officeuccalp@gmail.com). Each project should be on a separate form. Grant applications should be sent to:

​

Comstock Committee
First Congregational United Church of Christ
201 South Second Avenue
Alpena, MI 49707

​

​

​

Wacky Wednesday Fun Club

Vacation Bible School

Be Inspired
bottom of page