“You know how you feel when you receive a greeting card? Once a month it was my turn to send a card from our church family to those who asked for our prayers during our Sunday service. Most significant about becoming a card ministry team member was that I could do that … but wow, I did not expect the Holy Spirit to guide my sentences. This process brought me closer, in this remote way, to the one asking for prayer and it added to my intimacy with God.”

The struggle against world hunger is a major concern at ACC. We participate annually in the Pasadena area CROP Hunger Walk to raise funds for Church World Service. Their goal is to eradicate hunger and poverty and to promote peace and justice around the world. Not bad for an afternoon’s stroll around Pasadena!

The money raised by the walk supports grassroots development projects around the world and immediate disaster relief, with 25% earmarked for local organizations, such as our ACTS Food Pantry. Though our church is one of the smaller groups involved in the walk, we consistently rank among the top contributors.

We are pleased to support the work of Jeffrey Mensendiek through Global Ministries (www.globalministries.org), a joint United Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ organization focused on justice, peace, and poverty issues. 

The son of missionaries, Mensendiek grew up in Japan.  He works to promote a culture of inclusion and tolerance and speaks against militarism in contemporary Japan.  He works for justice, with particular outreach to the victims of radiation in the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

ACC supports mission trips for both individuals and groups. Our most recent trip consisted of eight members and friends who traveled to For His Children, which runs two large children’s homes in Ecuador. On the 10-day visit in the summer of 2010, our mission team fed and cared for children in the cities of Quito and Latacunga. Many of the children have disabilities, so the staff welcomes extra hands. We pitched in on whatever was needed, which included some painting, woodwork, and other projects to improve and maintain the facilities. We also prepared a Bible study lesson and crafts activity, which we delivered to three groups of school-age children. Part of the joy in the trip was the bonding between team members, which started prior to the trip as we planned the Bible study lesson.

We are a member of ECPAC (Ecumenical Council of Pasadena Area Churches) and actively participate in the organization’s Friends In Deed church and community partnership, which provides coordinated and effective social services to those in need in the greater Pasadena area.