Our Church's Wider Mission is who we are:

• It is how we are Church-the United Church of Christ, a unique expression of God's Mission in the world.
• It is what we do together as a family of faith.
• It is each local church contributing to support God's mission in Illinois, nationally and globally.
• It is our witness to the "Still Speaking God" who in Jesus Christ called us to minister and witness as one.
• It is made possible by local church giving.

How much of Our Church's Wider Mission money stays in Illinois and how much goes for national and global Mission?

Here is how Our Church's Wider Mission dollars in our Conference are used to do MISSION:
$71.00    Stays right here in Illinois Conference and its Associations! Combined with contributions of other congregations and individuals helps carry out our Conference mission.
$29.00    Goes to the national setting of the United Church of Christ. Here our gifts support ministry that reaches from local churches in our own Illinois Conference communities to people in need throughout the world.

Here are the ways that Giving to Our Church's Wider Mission results in the Conference and Associations helping you serve Christ and do God's MISSION in the world:

• Helping to broaden your world and that of your local church with the ministry and MISSION of our denomination and International partners.
• Helping congregations find new pastoral leadership.
• Doing new church development and renewal of existing congregations.
• Mediating and aiding in resolving church conflict.
• Providing audio visual resources to local churches.
• Serving as pastors to pastors.
• And much more! 

Your giving to Our Church's Wider Mission also helps provide:
Camping, support to seminarians, work for justice, ecumenical partnerships, campus ministry, support for missionaries, partnering in international projects around the world such as the Angola Partnership, Aids and HIV education in Africa.

Your faith commitment makes a difference for God's Mission!

• Share the message with others in your church?Give to Our Church's Wider Mission!
• Give generously to your church and ask your pastor or Stewardship Ministry about other ways (such as Mission Friends) that you can support the Ministry of Our Church's Wider Mission.
• Be sure that your church fills out and sends to Conference the 2008 OCWM goal sheet stating the dollar amount the congregation is committed to giving in 2008. 

Note: For a printable version of this page to included in your church's bulletin click on this link What is OCWM?