Your Impact

Donations help Second Congregational Church sustain our staff, maintain our building, and support community outreach locally and worldwide. Learn more about the areas in need below. You can designate to where you would like to give your donation.

 

Stewardship and Generosity Giving

Many donate  weekly, monthly or annually by putting a cash or check in the collection plate during  the worship service or by mailing a check (not cash) to the office at 115 Hillside Street, Bennington, Vermont 05201. You can also make credit card offerings by calling the office or using the “donate” link  to our church. If you have already registered your email and received a password, simply click the donate link. If you would like to register or if you are having trouble logging in, call our office administrator, Jana, at (802) 442-2559. She is very patient and happy to help!

Memorial Fund

The Memorial Fund consists of donations given  in loving memory of church members who have passed on. It also serves as a place for those who wish to remember Second Congregational Church in their wills. It can serve as a final statement of what matters most to them, ensuring their values continue to be expressed through the work of organizations they care about.

The Memorial Fund is used to acquire items to improve the worship and spiritual life of the congregation. Most recently, it was used to fund, in part, new hymnals and the AV system for the sanctuary.

Deacon’s Fund

The Deacon’s Fund is managed by the pastor and the board of deacons and serves to provide direct financial assistance to community members in need.

Greater Bennington Community Services (GBCS)

Greater Bennington Community Services or GBCS (pronounced jee-bix) is a community-based, non-profit organization.  They  work with people who live in or near poverty in Bennington County, Vermont.  Their  mission is to advance the health of our neighbors by helping them meet their basic human needs, including access to food, shelter and healthcare. GBCS provides the Kitchen Cupboard  and the Free Clinic.

 

Wider Church Offerings

Second Congregational Church supports several vital ministries that bring hope to people in the US and around the world. These wider church offerings include the following:

One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) works with international partners to provide sources of clean water, food, education and health care, small business micro-credit, advocacy and resettlement for refugees and displaced persons, and emergency relief and rehabilitation. OGHS also supports domestic and international ministries for disaster preparedness and response.

Neighbors in Need supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States, including the Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM), justice and advocacy, and direct service projects supported by Justice and Local Church Ministries. This offering is received on the First Sunday of October as part of World Communion Sunday.

Church World Service is the primary agency through which the UCC gives support for relief and recovery efforts when disaster strikes. This assistance may take the form of winterized family tents for Pakistani earthquake survivors, food packages and tankers full of water for displaced people in violence-torn Darfur, Sudan, or long-term recovery assistance for families affected by hurricanes, tornados, or flooding across the U.S.

•  Church World Service Tools of Hope helps empower farmers by providing training, seeds, livestock and tools to help them grow more food and secure stable incomes. It also helps improve nutrition through training, feeding demonstrations and mother-to-mother support groups–ensuring healthier futures for families.  Through this mission, nearly 90,000 people now have the tools they need to grow food, provide for their families, and build sustainable futures.
• Church World Service (CWS)  Blankets. Your gift of a CWS blanket brings comfort, care, and hope to someone facing a difficult moment. Every blanket tells a neighbor,”  You’re cared for.”
• Church World Service  Kits, including Kids’ Kits ( pencils, notebooks, and other school supplies)  and hygiene kits (soap, towels, tooth brush/paste, etc. )  make a difference in the lives of kids and families all over the world.

Heifer International is a global nonprofit working to eradicate poverty and hunger through sustainable, values-based holistic community development. Heifer International distributes animals, along with agricultural and value-based training, to families in need around the world as a means of providing self-sufficiency.