How We Serve
Mission Work
The early Jesus Movement was not built on a new belief system. The only proclamation that mattered was, “Jesus Christ is Lord!” Which meant, quite literally, that Caesar was not. Jesus overturned the power structure of his time. His dream of the Reign of God was based not on the love of power but on the power of love. At First Congregational Church, we favor simple, authentic, non-performative worship and service to our community, especially to those who are struggling.
Our mission work is ongoing, under the direction of our Social Justice Committee. We continue to seek out new ways to help our neighbors in Norman and make a positive contribution without any religious or theological agenda. Our giving is truly “no strings attached.” We take the word of Micah 6:8 to heart: “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
We provide financial support to the following organizations:
Norman Coalition for Refugee Support
Women’s Resource Center
Red Dirt Collective
Center for Children and Families (CCFI)
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church Blessing Bags
Oklahoma Appleseed/Law and Justice
La Luz
Americans United
ACLU of Oklahoma
Madison Elementary School
Food and Shelter for Friends
Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
Virtue Center
Thunderbird Clubhouse
Bridges
Norman Housing Ministry
As First Congregational Church does not maintain a church office, please contact Oklahoma 211 helpline by calling 211, or texting 211OK to 898211, or contact Food and Shelter for Friends (405) 360-4954 or other established non-profits. As noted above we support many of them financially.
You can also click on the following link for a comprehensive list of community resources:
https://hbedle-subsurface.github.io/Community_Resources/
Circle of Care
Circle of Care is a group of church volunteers at First Congregational Church who stand ready to assist with any of the many needs that church members might have. Anything from visiting sick or shut ins in the hospital or home, delivering meals after surgery or illness, sending cards of condolence, celebration, or concern, making phone calls, taking members to doctor appointments or any of the other ways that folks in our community may have needs. If you need any of these services or know of someone that does, please let us know so that we can be of assistance. Feel free to notify us by sending an email to uccnormancircleofcare@gmail.com or by listing the need or contact information on the form at church on the weekly Communications Card.
Adult Education
From the beginning, the people of First Congregational Church Norman UCC have believed in the importance of biblical scholarship and the life of the mind as well as the heart. Early in the life of this congregation, we invited important theologians and those committed to social justice to speak to our congregation and the wider Norman community. These events have included presentations by Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers, Bishop John Shelby Spong, Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, author Rilla Askew, Stephanie Mott, Bob Minor, Rev. Rita Nakashima Brock, Jesus Seminar on the Road scholars Maria Kotrosits and Hal Taussig, and former Jesuit priest and pacifist John Dear, among others. We have studied numerous books together, and we value the opportunity to learn, grow, and ask questions in a Beloved Community devoted to being curious and courageous as well as faithful. Anyone can join our book studies or other classes at any time. We usually meet at 2 pm, an hour before worship. Check the calendar to see if there is a current book study.
