(November, 2006)            Glossary of Ministry and Mission Terms

Ministry - The work of serving others. All followers of Jesus are called to be ministers.

Mission - Any ministry that reaches beyond ourselves. The heartthrob and reason for being of the church. "The church exists by mission just as fire exists by burning." (Emil Brunner) As Jesus was the person for others so the church is the institution for others. Without mission we are not truly the church of Jesus Christ.

Stewardship - The act of caring for all that God has given to us - the earth, all material and spiritual blessings, relationships of nurture and promise, life itself. An important part of stewardship is giving back to God a part of all that we have received by sharing generously of our time, talent, and treasure in the ministry and mission of the church.

United Church of Christ - Our particular protestant denomination

• Local Church - A particular congregation like Old Steeple Community Church www.oldsteeplechurch.com
• Association - A group of local churches that support one another on a county level. We are part of the Suffolk Association, about 12 churches in Suffolk County. The Association together with the local church is responsible for the ordination and installation of all UCC clergy.
• Region - A cluster of Associations. We are part of the Metro-Suffolk Region, which includes Metro Association (metropolitan New York) and Suffolk Assoc. Michael Caine is our Regional Conference Minister. www.uccmetrosuffolk.org
• Conference - A statewide dimension of the church, which provides leadership and guidance in all areas of the church's life. There are 39 Conferences in the UCC. We are a part of the New York Conference with an office in Syracuse. Geoffrey Black is our Conference Minister.  www.uccny.org
• Denomination - A group of Protestant churches with a particular heritage and sense of mission - like United Methodists, Lutherans, various kinds of Baptists, etc. Our denomination is the United Church of Christ. www.ucc.org
• UCC Justice & Peace Action Network, www.UCCTakeAction.org

When you join this church, you become a member of The Old Steeple Community Church, United Church of Christ; of the Suffolk Association; of the Metro-Suffolk Region; of the New York Conference; of the United Church of Christ in all it's national and global settings. You are connected to the world!

Offerings of the United Church of Christ (see www.ucc.org for more info)

• OCWM - Our Church's Wider Mission. The primary mission program of our denomination with people and programs in 85 countries including the US
• OGHS - One Great Hour of Sharing. A special Lenten offering
• Strengthen the Church - A special Pentecost offering
• NIN - Neighbors in Need - A special World Communion Sunday offering
• The Christmas Fund - A special Christmas season offering

Ecumenical Organizations - Entities that bring together churches of various Protestant denominations, Catholic, and Orthodox Christians.

• The Riverhead Clergy Council (RCC) - A group of Riverhead Area Clergy who meet monthly for prayer, fellowship, planning of community religious events, and involvement in various community issues. The RCC is also Interfaith since we include the Jewish community as well.

• The Long Island Council of Churches - A group of nearly 800 faith communities of many different Christian denominations united to improve the well being of Long Islanders through food and clothing distribution and to promote interfaith understanding and cooperation. www.ncccusa.org/ecmin/licc
• The National Council of Churches (NCC) - An organization of "Mainline" or traditional Protestant Denominations throughout the U.S. www.ncccusa.org
• The World Council of Churches (WCC) - An organization of many Protestant and Orthodox churches throughout the world. www.wcc-coe.org
• Church World Service (CWS) - The Mission arm of the National Council of Churches www.churchworldservice.org

Particular Ecumenical Mission Programs in which We Participate

• CROP Walk - A primary fund raising vehicle for the relief and development work of Church World Service. The Riverhead Clergy Council has organized a CROP walk for the last two years in October
• Tool and Blanket Offering - A Church World Service offering for relief and development in refugee camps and throughout the world.
• Habitat for Humanity - a non-profit housing ministry of many volunteers with and for low income families who qualify for a no interest mortgage and who can contribute "sweat equity" to their own home and/or to other homes in the Habitat community. The Suffolk County affiliate is at www.hfhsuffolk.org

Interfaith Friends, Relationships, and Projects - Goes beyond Christian boundaries to include other world faith traditions.

• Long Island Organizing Network (LION) - a faith based community organizing effort addressing such regional issues as affordable housing. LION is a part of the Gamaliel Foundation, www.gamaliel.org

• The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) - a coalition of faith-based institutional investors which seeks to build a more just and sustainable society by integrating social values into corporate and investor decisions www.iccr.org
•  The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) - the collective voice of community reinvestment organizations from across the country who seek to increase the flow of private capital into traditionally underserved communities. www.ncrc.org
• Interfaith Power and Light - Environmental education and ministry www.InterfaithPowerandLight.org and www.NYIPL.org (for New York)
• Eco-Justice Ministries - for ecological justice www.eco-justice.org