Social Justice & Outreach
Mission
Peace With Justice
We believe we are called to express God’s peace and love by working for peace with justice in our personal lives, in our church, in our community and in the world. We commit to work persistently for non-violence and the peaceful resolution of conflict. We advocate for human dignity, defending and respecting the basic human needs and rights of every individual.
As a Peace with Justice Church, First Congregational responds to the present conflict in Israel and Palestine, please view document here.
Open and Affirming
FCC boldly states at the beginning of each worship service that “No matter who you are or where you are on your faith and life journey, you are welcome here!” and we mean it. We are a congregation of heterosexual, binary, non-binary, cis-gender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning people.
This committee serves as an umbrella committee for church teams and one committee which directly serve our members and the community:
As a Peace with Justice Church, First Congregational responds to the present conflict in Israel and Palestine:
FCUCC Israel-Palestine Statement.
Social Justice E-Blasts
Purpose
Committee identifies social justice-related topics requiring public action; sources may include any event, pending legislation or budgets under consideration.
Committee provides event information via email alerts with suggested action to take, including emails, letters or phone calls to decision-makers.
Other topics for Social Justice e-Blasts are always welcomed. Please let the editor (Paul Oostenbrug) know.
Cash for Change Recipients
Sponsored by the Social Justice and Outreach Team, a large jar is placed near the entrance to the Sanctuary for the collection of monetary donations (Cash for Change).
Past Recipients
03/2025 – 05/2025 Recipient: New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC) - NMILC is the primary organization providing free legal assistance to low-income immigrants in the state of New Mexico. Now more than ever, immigrants are seeking legal assistance to remain in the United States in the face of threats of mass deportations. For more information on NMILC, please go to: https://www.nmilc.org/
12/2024 – 02/2025 Recipient: Tewa Women United – This organization is a multiracial 501c3 organization formed and led by Native women, located in the ancestral Tewa homelands of northern New Mexico. The organization offers programs inn the areas of environmental justice, reproductive justice and gender and generational healing justice. For more information, please go to http://www.tewawomenunited.org/
2024
09/2024 – 11/2024 Recipient: UNM Lobo Food Pantry – Students at UNM and CNM have large numbers of students experiencing food insecurity. For more information on the Lobo Food Pantry please go to https://loborespect.unm.edu/services/campus-lobo-food-pantry.html
2025
08/2025 - 12/2025: Albuquerque Public School Program