Witness and Service

Local Outreach

We’re involved in our community in big and small ways. Here are some of the programs we support:   

We are pleased to support Open Table MDI, which provides free, chef-inspired, vegetarian meals to the community every Tuesday of the year, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. In the wake of COVID-19, all meals are currently take-out. As of March 8, 2022, Open Table MDI is preparing and distributing meals from their new, dedicated location at 116 Cottage Street, Bar Harbor.  The MDI Food Access Project is an extension of Open Table MDI.  Many of our church congregants volunteer for Open Table and the Food Access Project.

In collaboration with other area congregations and community agencies, we provide weekend nutrition to students in area schools who might otherwise go hungry. We welcome donations of specific food items and / or financial contributions. Please call the church office if you’d like to volunteer or make a financial or food donation. 

Traditionally, the Bar Harbor Congregational Church manages the island-wide Thanksgiving Basket Drive in coordination with the Bar Harbor and Westside Food Pantries. This effort supports neighbors who might not otherwise be able to have a Thanksgiving dinner. Food is collected by area churches, schools, and banks. It is collected, sorted, and packaged in boxes and bags that have been decorated by school children. Monetary donations make it possible to purchase turkeys and hams.

This project involves dozens of community volunteers. Each year, the Thanksgiving Basket project helps more than 225 families on MDI.

Our church supports the Bar Harbor Food Pantry with volunteers staffing as well as financially and with food donations. Canned and packaged goods may be dropped off at the church or at the pantry itself. 

 

Community Partners

We partner with other organizations in the community:   

Window Dressers brings volunteers together to improve the warmth and comfort of homes, lower heating costs, and reduce CO2 emissions by producing low-cost insulating window inserts that function as interior-mounted storm windows. The Bar Harbor Congregational Church is the build site for area window dresser inserts. This usually takes place during a 10 day period in the winter. 

Come enjoy table top games at our once-a-month Friday night community gatherings! All ages welcome. 

The Wider Church

Witness and Service extends beyond our town. As a congregation in the United Church of Christ, we are part of a wider network of UCC churches.  At the regional level, we are part of the Sunrise Association, comprised of UCC churches in Waldo, Hancock, and Washington counties.  At the state level, we are part of the Maine Conference, and at the national level we are part of the United Church of Christ. Through Our Church’s Wider Mission we support programs and disaster relief in the nation and world. 

We also offer financial support for:

  • Maine Seacoast Mission
  • Pilgrim Lodge
  • UCC Disaster Relief Fund
  • Bar Harbor Food Pantry
  • Thanksgiving Food Baskets
  • The Christmas Fund (for low income and retired church workers)
  • Open Table MDI
  • Island Connections
  • Local Solutions
  • One Great Hour of Sharing
  • H.O.M.E. (Homeworkers Organized for More Employment) 

Friends of Haiti

Through our Friends of Haiti project we are invested in relationships of hope, care, and support for Haitians. Past activities have included mission trips and hosting Haitian students on exchange trips. 

Want to volunteer, donate, or make an in-kind donation? Please contact the church office. We’d love to hear from you!Â