Service and Social Justice

First Church has a long history of refugee resettlement. Beginning in the 1980’s with the Viet Nam refugees to our most recent settlement of an Iraqi family in 2013. While the face of the ministry has changed over the years, our mission has not.

The refugee resettlement ministry believes in God’s call to care for those who are persecuted, those who are homeless, those who are hungry and in need. Our current refugee resettlement program consists of working closely with Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) in New Haven which is a part of Church World Service (CWS).  CWS works on a global level, IRIS works on a regional level, and our group works on a local level, closest with the families. We work in partnership with Temple Beth Tikvah to welcome immigrants in our communities. Recently, we have acted as a co-sponsoring church in cooperation with IRIS. We accept the responsibility of caring for a family for approximately one year after their entry into the U.S. 

The Refugee Resettlement Ministry is a working group that meets and assists with many elements of a family’s resettlement. We as a church community and committee, decide when we are ready to commit to a family. When the church has the opportunity to commit to another family, a committee is then formed, money is raised and IRIS helps us to find an appropriate family to assist. 

The Environmental Ministry Team (EMT) serves as a forum for sharing and bringing  environmental church policy and resource information to the notice of the congregation and the church’s leadership. Given the overriding danger of climate change to earth’s life support systems, our Christian tradition is called to take a far more active role. We are called to articulate the sacredness of God’s creation powerful enough to replace personal consumption as our highest right and entitlement.  

As a Green Church, our congregation endorses the ideal of environmental stewardship as part of our Christian discipleship. We pledge our ongoing commitment to the care of God’s creation, and we offer the following resources:

• Kinship Garden- located on our campus, we grow flowers and vegetables for the community. Volunteers welcome! 
• energizect.org – information about CT programs for home & business
• CTUCC Environmental Ministry Team — “Green Church”
• IREJN.org – climate stewardship
• 350.org – effect of carbon dioxide on atmosphere
• ResponsibleTechnology.org – for information about GMO’s

First Church, through its Peace, Affirmation, and Justice Ministry, actively seeks to study, support and advocate for the dignity and equality of all people and the protection of the environment.  We believe that harmony, friendship and understanding is God’s plan for all of humanity. 

Since 2005 the Peace Affirmation and Justice Ministry Team has sponsored our expanding prison ministries to include backpacks for returning women, a re-entry education fund, and building a network of faith communities and individuals committed to prison reform and criminal justice.

Since engaging with Kairos Palestine, a Moment of Truth, a call to the churches of the world, written by Palestinian Christians in 2009, the Peace Affirmation and Justice team has sought to support and advocate for Palestinian human rights, equality and dignity. It has focused on educating the congregation and sent two delegations of church members to visit Palestine-Israel in 2014 and 2019.

PAJ and the Church Council have endorsed two Resolutions of Witness put forward to the UCC General Synods of 2015 and 2017 by the UCC Palestine Israel Network (https://www.uccpin.org/2015-Resolution; https://www.uccpin.org/2017-resolution), one calling for boycotts of certain goods and companies connected to the Occupied Territories and the other calling for the UCC to “Advocate for the Rights of Children Living Under Israeli Occupation.”

We are in regular conversation and maintain contact with Representatives on both the Federal and State level to  provide opportunities for work with our legislative representatives on issues of mutual concern.

All are welcome to this sacred work of helping work for Peace, Affirmation, and Justice in our world! 

Care is a hallmark of the First Church community. Our Parish Care Team sends notes of support and organizes meal trains for those who are recovering, undergoing treatment, or welcoming new babies. The Prayer Shawl ministry takes shawls knitted in our community, blesses them, and distributes them to those who need a tangible reminder of community support and God's love. Our care for each other is expressed through support during times of crisis, sorrow, and life transitions. 

The Widows Who Lunch gather each month at a local restaurant for fellowship. The location changes each month. 

Our pastors welcome appointments to discuss issues of faith and to offer support through times of crisis. They make visits to hospitals, rehab centers, and longterm care facilities. 

Please contact our office to find ways to connect! There is a place for everyone and the work you are called to at First Church. 

On September 30, 2018 the congregation voted to become a Sanctuary Congregation and now an Immigrant Welcoming Congregation of the UCC. To bring the experience of what it means to “live” in sanctuary, the traveling Sanctuary Photo Exhibit was brought to our congregation with the exhibition held in the sanctuary.  The photographs captured the challenges, cost and family strife when waiting for legal protection to remain in this country.

We have joined the state-wide Rapid Response Network organized by Unidad Latina en Acción as we continue to work with the immigrant community. We offered our congregation as a Safe Space if there was an ICE raid in our community offering extravagant hospitality to those overcome by fear and possible deportation.

As a witness of solidarity with asylum seeking children and families our pastor, the Rev. Dr. Ginger Brasher-Cunningham, joined over 500 faith leaders in a Moral Monday protest at a U.S. Border Patrol detention facility. Faith leaders of all denominations called for an end of migrant family and child detention and offered prayer for those incarcerated.