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October/November 2006
It’s only early Fall, but now is about the time department stores start to hang their Christmas decorations. Many UCC churches are beginning to plan their holiday mission projects, which may include encouraging their members to donate items to The Christmas Shop – the City Mission Society (CMS) of Boston program that brings the joy of the holiday season to over a thousand individuals. But the City Mission Society is much more than a holiday helper and this year they are celebrating 190 Years of service to the community.
“City Mission Society has been under the radar screen for awhile,” said the Rev. June Cooper, Executive Director of CMS, “but we are an integral part of the inner city and as the second oldest multi-service agency in the country, have been addressing the educational, economic and social needs of impoverished area residents since 1816.” CMS serves the greater Boston area and beyond, including communities as far south as Hingham and as far west as Framingham.
The City Mission Society is an urban social justice agency serving over 3,000 people each year. In addition to the Christmas Shop, CMS conducts crisis intervention, social action ministries, youth programs, healthy food initiatives, conflict resolution education, vacation bible schools and a host of other outreach programs. Their Common Ground initiative brings together groups of youth and adults from Greater Boston congregations to perform service projects, worship together, and learn first-hand about social justice issues. This work is supported by the Metropolitan Boston Association of the United Church of Christ, churches, individuals and foundations.
The celebration, which was planned for October 1st (past this issue’s deadline) at the Old South Church in Boston, promoted Rev. Liz Walker, local news celebrity and executive producer and host of Sunday with Liz Walker, as the guest speaker. Walker, who earned a masters degree at Harvard Divinity School, is actively involved in public service campaigns and many community projects.
“This year we celebrate our history and we will continue to build on that legacy in new ways,” said Cooper. Most recently, they have hired former Conference Associate for Youth and Christian Education Ministries, Carl McDonald, to direct an expanded youth mission program to be known as Boston Urban Outreach. The program will strengthen the relationship between CMS and MACUCC. It will also extend the presence of the CMS in the city, linking congregations with local agencies who provide services to those most in need in the greater Boston area.
“We are making collaborative efforts with communities and churches to address contemporary social issues like youth violence. We want to provide opportunities for young adults to make connections and work on problems.”
Cooper invites all UCC members to “come into the city, get involved, and contribute. We can help others,” she said, “but we need support. We encourage congregations to look at these opportunities to engage in social action and change and help others grow and learn in our faith. It’s about our ability to reach out and reach into our communities together.”
For more information, contact June Cooper at City Mission Society at (617) 742-6830 or visit www.cmsboston.org.