Ministries

Benevolence

Being benevolent is not just giving out groceries or meeting physical needs. We are genuinly concerned for the well being of others. We know that Jesus gave up everything for us. It is our privilege to care for others as a natural response to the love that He showed to us.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40)

Communications

One of the significant challenges in the life of a congregation is effectively communicating on a daily basis between the members. In his letter to the Christians in Galatia, the apostle Paul wrote, “Bear one-another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2) It’s important that we can share things that are going on in our lives even when it is not possible to be together. In an effort to keep everyone informed and “in-the-loop”, the ministry of communications includes producing a weekly bulletin publication (the “Beacon”). Communications also includes daily email messages to communicate important information such as prayer requests, event information, schedule changes, and other needs.

Education

Learning God’s word and the meaning it has for us in our lives is what empowers us to more deeply understand the God and Savior that we serve. While we know that this learning happens each and every day, we also believe that it is important for the church (the body of Christ), to have opportunities to study and learn together. The work of the education ministry requires a serious commitment from those both organizing and teaching classes so we can provide the best possible learning environment for young and old alike. During our Sunday morning bible study time, we typically have classes for all ages from infants up through adults. Occasionally, we will also have special studies that focus on the issues of a specific age group or other special need. “David found favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: ‘HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET; WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?’ says the Lord, ‘OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REPOSE? ‘WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE ALL THESE THINGS?’

Facilities

Even though we know that God does not dwell in a physical structure, having a central meeting place has many benefits. It allows the church to meet together under one roof, enjoy fellowship together and to serve various other needs that would be very difficult to do otherwise. Since our building is on the older side, it requires quite a bit of maintenance and upkeep.

Fellowship

Oneness of mind and purpose. Sharing our walk and being together. As we can see from the passage above, the type of fellowship we read about in the New Testament goes way beyond sharing a meal together. It is our desire to have fellowship that builds stronger bonds among the brethren and allows us to get to know one another better so we can help each other along our faith journey. Sometimes this includes worshiping together and remembering the sacrifice of Christ, while other times it may be sharing a meal together, doing a community service project, or just having fun playing ultimate Frisbee at the park. It has become increasingly important in a society which has put such a premium on spending our time “doing something productive”, to take the time to just be together.

“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (I John 1:5-7)

Fresh Start Emergency Relief

The Fresh Start Emergency Relief initiative is a mission of the Meriden church of Christ in conjunction with the United Way of Meriden/Wallingford. As the United Way identifies people of need in the area, Fresh Start will be called upon to help fulfill those needs. In order to accomplish this, Fresh Start will collect items throughout the year and store them until the time of need. As the program continues to develop there will more information available here and at the Meriden church of Christ.

Involvement

It is vitally important that each and every member of the body use their gifts and abilities to support the body. As the apostle Paul was describing to the Corinthians, everyone matters. When someone thinks they don’t add some value, then they typically view themselves as unimportant and the church suffers for it. The ministry of Involvement focuses on helping individuals find their talent and how they can use it to help grow the kingdom of God. “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be?” (I Cor 12:14-19)

Missions

What an amazing example of sacrificial giving! When we think of mission work, we think about bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to “all nations”. This message of love and sacrifice is often best displayed by rolling up your sleeves and working side-by-side with other Christians to accomplish some work. When we can do this for brothers far less fortunate than we are, it is amazing how God blesses the work. We have planned and participated in numerous missions including trips to Mexico, Honduras, and Haiti. Some of the early trips were to build homes for needy families. On other trips, we have helped sister congregations in Mexico construct meeting places for the local church, or fed the hungry at a dump in Honduras where people scavenge for anything of value that can help them purchase food or other necessities. Congregations throughout the Northeast participate in these trips which further strengthens our bond in Christ.

Worship

When Jesus was speaking with the woman at Jacob’s well about her adulteress relationship and her past husbands, he explained to her more rightly the truth about worshiping God. The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:19-24) It is clear from Jesus’ explanation that worship is not something that happens in a specific place, but something that happens out of a pure heart. Praise, adoration, thanksgiving, and joy are characteristics of true worshipers and should be a part of our lives every single day. Of course, there are also special times when we have an opportunity to worship together which is a gift and blessing as we come together to encourage and support each other. Jesus prayed to the Father about the unique bond we have with Him and each other and desired that we live in unity: “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” (John 17:17-23)

Youth

In writing to encourage his young protege, Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote…”Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:12) The youth are not the church of tomorrow, they are the church of today. They have a great capacity to serve and show determination in the face of life’s difficulties. They inspire us with their excitement and model Christ in so many ways as an example to those both younger and older.