Outreach

Our gardens are growing again

2012-03-21T13:22:00.001-07:00

How great it has been to see children and adults planting our garden boxes! Vallejo's Food Rescue program is managing our gardens, which will soon produce food to be distributed throughout our community. The watering system is laid out. Many boxes have seeds growing. Beanpoles are in place. Others beds will be planted in a few days. We owe gratitude for those hearts, minds and hands from our past who conceived and labored to put this garden in place. Like many things that can lie dormant for a while, its fun to see them spring back to life.

A "Soup"er Idea

2012-02-04T15:09:00.001-08:00

We participated once again in the "Souper Bowl of Caring" - on Super Bowl Sunday, we collected canned goods (and donations) for the Amador Street Hope Center's food giveaway. It's all part of the Souper Bowl's mission of "Using the energy of the Super Bowl to mobilize youth in a united national effort to care for people in their local communities who are hungry and those in need."

Walk to Fight Hunger a Success

2010-04-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

The crowd gathers at the beginning of the 2010 CROP Walk (left); the First Christian Church contingent celebrates at the finish (right).

First Christian Church participated once again in this year's CROP (Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty) Walk, held Saturday, May 15th at the Vallejo waterfront. The event benefits four local and one international agency fighting hunger. Because of the extreme need and poor economy, these agencies need our help more than ever. We were glad to help make the event such a success.

FCC lends a hand for Haiti

2010-03-13T22:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the generous donations of our church family, we filled 26 infant kits to send to the beleaguered people of Haiti! Each kit, which will be distributed through Church World Service, contained six cloth diapers, two undershorts, two washcloths, two sleepers/gowns, two diaper pins, one sweatshirt, and two blankets. We also sent additional diapers, washcloths, and blankets to be used to make more kits, along with $2 per kit toward the shipping costs to get the kits to the people in Haiti. Well done, FCC Vallejo!

Relay For Life raises hope, August 2-3

2008-08-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

Once again this year, we set out to do our part to "Paint a cancer-free world" at the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. We were so pleased when the community stopped by to assist. The end result was a beautiful painting, and not only funds raised to assist the American Cancer Society, but also hope as we continue to search for a cure.

Together, we really can make a difference in the fight against cancer.

Mission collection project part of region-wide effort

2008-03-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Our regional church once again made a mission collection part of this past year's Annual Meeting in April. Our church played its part, bringing used eyeglasses to help the vision of people in the developing world. Another effort was collecting children's books to donate to a women's shelter in the Pacific Grove area (where the Annual Meeting is held, at the Asilomar conference grounds). Given our own ongoing efforts to collect and distribute kids' books, this was a great project for us to take part in!

Global Holiday Faire: amazing!

2007-12-01T20:28:00.000-08:00

The annual Global Holiday Faire - the one-of-a-kind gift faire which we host in our church fellowship hall - was held on Saturday, December 1st! Our ecumenical committee - made up of members from 6 churches in Vallejo, American Canyon, and Benicia - created another successful event for what was (amazingly!) our 10th year!

The Faire is unique among holiday gift faires because it combines elements of traditional crafts shows, church bazaars, alternative gift markets, and fair trade sales to present the community with a wide range of gift choices, with all of the money spent going to nonprofit organizations. To read more about this outstanding and fun-filled event, and see how much we raised for 15 local and national nonprofits, click here.

Christmas Collection to benefit young readers

2007-11-25T20:20:00.000-08:00

In what is fast becoming a Christmas tradition, we will once again be collecting gifts for youngsters during the Advent season. Following on recent years' collections of baby items and stuffed animals, this year's collection will focus on young readers as we ask you to bring in donations of new books appropriate for preschoolers. So what kinds of books are we looking for? Books of nursery rhymes would be great, along with books with pictures and bright colors - whatever you think will be good to get youngsters off and running on a lifetime love of books! So keep an eye out for possibilities as you do your Christmas shopping, and then bring in your books anytime between now and Christmas. Thank you all for your continued generosity!

October is Fair Trade Month

2007-10-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

What are you doing to support Fair Trade this month? Buying Fair Trade coffee? Or chocolate? (Fair Trade minis would be perfect for Halloween!) Have you thought to ask your local supermarket to carry Fair Trade items? Could you talk to even one person about what Fair Trade is and why it matters so much? If you need other ideas, visit the Fair Trade Resource Network to see what you can do.

Relay for Life success inspires community

2007-08-08T22:43:00.001-07:00

Our team did a great job raising funds for the American Cancer Society's 24 hour Relay for Life for Vallejo/Benicia. We also raised awareness about colon cancer with our paint can quiz, which fit into our booth's theme "Paint a Cancer-Free World." Thank you to everyone who supported the FCC team, and all of the teams in this year's Relay for Life!

One member adds some flowery touches to our community effort to "Paint a Cancer-Free World."

Sponsor our Relay for Life team!

2007-06-04T20:49:00.000-07:00

Our team members are raising funds for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life for Vallejo/Benicia. Want to help us? Then visit our team page.

Want to learn what Vallejo/Benicia's Relay (which will be held on August 4th-5th at St. Patrick's-St. Vincent's High School) is all about? Then click here.

Celebrate Fair Trade - May 5th!

2007-04-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

First Christian Church held its first ever World Fair Trade Day celebration! Our celebration came in two forms: a fair trade world market and a free film screening. The market shopping on the church lawn featured great gift items from SERRV/A Greater Gift and Bridge for Africa.

The film, "Black Gold," takes a hard look at the coffee industry and the low prices most coffee farmers receive. This film is a must-see for any coffee drinker!

If the term "fair trade" is unfamiliar to you, then a good place to start might be our Fair Trade Primer. You can also visit our Global Holiday Faire site for more information about fair trade. And the Fair Trade Federation is a great resource!

EarthDay Film Series a success

2007-03-21T22:28:00.001-07:00

We celebrated the Earth by watching these celebrated films: On March 31st, we kicked off our Saturday series with "Winged Migration" followed on April 7th by the award-winning "An Inconvenient Truth." Then on April 14th we watched "Who Killed the Electric Car?" before winding up on Earth Day, April 21st, with the blockbuster "March of the Penguins." Here at FCC Vallejo, we take our charge to be good stewards of God's Earth seriously; but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun at the same time. See you at the movies!

Faire another success

2006-12-03T19:40:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 2nd was the date for the annual Global Holiday Faire, the unique craft and gift faire initiated by First Christian Church, Vallejo. In the 9 years since we took our old "alternative Christmas faire" and opened it up to the community, we have seen an increase every year in funds raised, patrons in attendance, nonprofit organizations benefited, and congregations partnered with. This year was no excepttion, as several new congregations joined in the planning and implementing of the faire; volunteers from 9 churches assisted us in raising over $11,000 for 15 nonprofits!

Every year the faire offers great gift shopping and does so in a socially conscious way; all the funds raised go to nonprofit organizations working locally and globally. In addition to fair trade items from third-world countries, there was art, crafts, baked goods, gift baskets, and lunch available for purchase. Choirs entertained those in attendance, and everyone had a great time shopping, visiting, eating, and learning about the important work of the nonprofit organizations supported. Thanks to everyone who made it happen! Go to the Faire's web site for more information.

October mission project

2006-10-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, we heard that local family service agencies need suitcases, luggage, and other bags to assist when they have to remove people from a dangerous situation in the home. If the agency doesn't have any suitcases, then a plastic garbage bag must suffice to hold as much of a child's belongings as it can. We can help by donating our old pieces of luggage and duffel bags. During the month of October, we will collect any you have and then deliver them. All you have to do is give!

Once again, let us "Touch the Earth Lightly"

2006-04-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

With the arrival of this year's Earth Day came another chance for our congregation to explore ways in which we can "Touch the Earth Lightly." While we believe we are Earth-conscious all year long, this time of year gives us a chance to explore what more we can do as we lift up the concept of Earth Stewardship.

On April 22nd, we participated in our second Earth Day celebration in Vallejo, sponsored by VALCORE. The next day, our worship service was a grand celebration of the Earth and all of God's creation, followed by a special vegetarian food tasting. To read Pastor Judith's Earth Day sermon, click here.

In the following weeks, our campaign included a commemoration of World Fair Trade Day, a discussion of our eating habits and how they affect the environment, and a continued emphasis in our worship service that we must be mindful to "Touch the Earth Lightly."

Monthly service prays for peace

2006-02-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

There are many places in need of our prayers for peace in the new year, and at our February peace prayer service we learned about the Sudan and prayed for an end to the violence and ethnic conflict in that nation. Remember, our peace prayer service is held the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m., and at each service in 2006 we will be focusing on a different part of the world in need of peace. We would love to have you join us!

Best Global Holiday Faire ever

2005-12-04T17:39:00.000-08:00

The Global Holiday Faire, our biggest outreach/mission project of the year, was held on December 3rd - and what a day it was! This year's faire enjoyed the largest attendance in its 8 year history and also raised more money for nonprofit organizations than it ever had before.

The Faire is a way that we 1) raise money for nonprofit organizations, in our own community and around the world; 2) raise awareness of these organizations so that the public learns who they are and what they do; and 3) raise social consciousness about the way we shop.

We host the faire, but we work with other churches in Vallejo and American Canyon to make it happen; this is an event for the entire community - it is much bigger than our own congregation. So thanks must go out to everyone who helped in whatever way they did to make it such a success: thanks to our volunteers, our donors, our shoppers, the organizations, the participating churches and choirs, and the entire community! For all the details, click here to visit the Global Holiday Faire's home page.

Members of the church's choir sing at the Global Holiday Faire (left), where shoppers are delighted to find great gifts

Peace Fest!

2005-10-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Vallejo's first-ever Peace Fest has come and gone, and it was quite an event. Although the turnout wasn't as high as hoped for, everyone who attended appreciated the effort and First Christian Church drew much praise from both the peace representatives who staffed tables and the members of the public who came. We should be proud that our little church made such a profound statement for peace; and we should know that our call for peace has been heard - in our own community and beyond! If you would like to see some pictures from the October Peace Fest, click here and see the photo gallery.

Disciples respond to hurricane

2005-08-31T10:46:00.000-07:00

Through its Week of Compassion program, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has already responded to the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. An initial $18,000 has been given to Church World Service for relief efforts, but more will be needed. Click here to view the Week of Compassion web site, or here to visit the home page of Church World Service.

August peace service featured several themes

2005-08-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

The August peace prayer service wove together several appropriate themes. One was the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Japan, which happened in early August, 1945. Also, in honor of our Native American brothers and sisters, and coinciding with that weekend's powwow, we explored peace from the Native American standpoint. The bond that tied the two together was praying for the earth and the devestation wrought upon it by nuclear weapons. It was a meaningful event - maybe our best peace prayer service yet!

Summer sale benefited Kenya kids

2005-06-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

We hosted a different kind of yard sale on Saturday, June 25th at the church. People stopped by and purchased handmade items (jewelry, clothing, and carvings) from Kenya, plus coffee and tea. In total, the effort raised $740 - not bad for a few hours' work! All the proceeds of the sale will be returned to Nairobi, Kenya, to assist with the education, job training, and life skill learning of the young people who produced the goods that were bought.

The sale was sponsored by our friends at Holy Family Catholic parish in American Canyon, with whom we collaborated on the "Building Bridges to Nairobi" Fashion Show and Dinner in February (to refresh your memory, click here). The beneficiary of both that dinner and this sale is the Nairobi Street-Children Project, which is hoping to soon reach $25,000 in total funds sent to Kenya. We should feel good about being able to play a part in their success!

Learn about World Fair Trade Day

2005-05-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

World Fair Trade Day was May 14th! And although the event has come and gone, now is still a perfect opportunity to spread the word about fair trade. Or, if you're not that familiar with fair trade, this is a good time to learn about it. We've put together a Fair Trade Primer to introduce the concept, and it also contains links to fair trade agencies and partnership organizations if you want to get into more detail.

We support fair trade every year at our Global Holiday Faire. But Fair Trade Day serves as an important reminder for us that we need to keep fair trade in our minds year-round. The theme of this year's World Fair Trade Day was "Fair Trade is Peace." Fair Trade is a worthwhile effort, one which we here at First Christian Church are proud to be a part of.

FCC heard about Heifer on May 15th

2005-05-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

We had a special guest on Sunday, May 15th - Suzanne Awalt, who shared with us about Heifer International. Following worship, there was a luncheon at which time she presented a program of photos and stories from her 2003 Heifer study tour to Poland and Slovakia. Although we support Heifer each year at our holiday faire, we don’t often think of Poland as a Heifer recipient country. In fact, since 1992, Poland has been the flagship of Heifer's Central and Eastern European Program that now assists families in 13 countries. The main focus of Heifer's work here is to demonstrate the value of self-directed small farm co-operatives.

Suzanne has been a volunteer in Heifer's Northwest Region for 14 years. She served on the Heifer International Board of Directors from 1998-2004. We're really grateful she came to Vallejo to share her stories with First Christian Church at this special event!

Disciples of Christ Join Call to End Hunger

2005-05-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) General Minister and President Chris Hobgood, along with other prominent religious leaders, will participate in the first Interfaith Convocation on Hunger on June 6, at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. This event, organized by Bread for the World, will include a call for the country's president and members of Congress to join with Christians, Jews, Muslims and people of other faiths in a new national commitment to end hunger. The event will be the culmination of One Table, Many Voices: A Mobilization to End Poverty and Hunger, a conference that will be held June 4-7 at American University in Washington, D.C. The national gathering will include workshops, plenaries and a lobby day on Capitol Hill. For more information on the conference, go to: http://www.onetableconference.org