MISSION OUTREACH PROGRAMS

Here at Christ United Church of Cypress we strongly believe that Christ is leading us to reach out and help people locally, throughout the State of Texas, as well as nationally and internationally.

We have a unique program for collecting funds for various missions. Each month we take a special offering for a particular mission. In this way, each person can decide for himself/herself were their outreach giving is directed. We are a "five for five" congregation; meaning we support the five designated missions of the United Church of Christ. In this way we minister together with other churches in our denomination to support Our Church's Wider Mission, One Great Hour of Sharing, Strengthen the Church, Neighbors in Need and the Christmas Fund. Along with these missions we also help support Chicago, United, and Eden theological seminaries. Closer to home, within Texas and here locally in the Houston area we support Slumber Falls Camp and Eden Village in New Braunfels, Young Life Ministry in Fredericksburg where one of our church members serves as director, and here in Houston we help support Houston Hospice and Settegest Heights, an apartment complex for low income individuals.

A Helping Hand In Our Community
Beyond our monthly designated mission we also collect food each month to help people in need in the Cypress/Northwest Harris County area through Cypress Assistance Ministries (CAM). Through CAM we have also adopted a group of senior citizens to help them with food and other things that they need. Each July our Women's Guild sponsors a Christmas in July program to collect school supplies along with socks and underwear for needy children. During the Christmas Season we have an Angel Tree to collect Christmas gifts for families sponsored by CAM.

Of course, participating in missions is more than giving of our money to charity and it is more than collecting items for the needy. Giving to missions also means doing hands on ministry. We have members from our congregation who volunteer at Cypress Assistance Ministries and help individually. In this way we can reach many people in need right here in the Cypress area. Our youth also volunteer in the community particularly at the Houston Food Bank. They have also participated in ongoing restoration projects in response to the damage done in our area by Hurricane Ike.

From Houston To Africa
An exciting thing happened this year; we became part of an international mission program! With the help of our Sunday School offerings, special Youth giving, and love offerings from our members, we are helping to support, through Catalyst International, two overseas missionaries; Brian and Keanne Stocks. Their mission work has taken them to West Africa where they are mobilizing local churches to bring Christ to the unreached people of the area.

We are an active, vital congregation that believes Christ is directing us to reach out to those around us however and wherever we can. This continues to be our mission.