First Christian partners with local and global ministries to share in the mission and outreach of the church universal. Partnerships are both financial and hands-on as determined to best serve the agencies. 

In addition to the partnerships highlighted below, First Christian provides meeting space for daily and weekly meetings for several addiction support groups. The church and groups within the church are responsive to needs of agencies such as Sparrow’s Nest, The Salvation Army, Bigger Vision, Campbell-Stone Apartments (Disciples of Christ low-income residence facility in Atlanta), and more.

As a church, we practice the spiritual discipline of tithing. As part of that discipline, we support the regional and general level ministries of our denomination, The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), through regular Disciples Mission Fund giving and special offerings throughout the year including Reconciliation, Week of Compassion, Easter, Pentecost, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. 

 

Primary Local Partners

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEEK OF COMPASSION

Week of Compassion is the relief, refugee and development mission fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. We seek to equip and empower disciples to alleviate the suffering of others through disaster response, humanitarian aid, sustainable development and the promotion of mission opportunities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ark

The Ark is a united ministry that supports Athens-Clarke area residents providing a safety net for those who are just able to make ends meet until an unexpected job loss, reductions of hours, or unexpected medical or auto expense puts them in danger of being evicted and /or losing utilities. Residents also benefit from comprehensive financial education and loan program assistance.

First Christian has been a community ministry partner with The Ark since its founding in 1989.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J. J. Harris Elementary School

First Christian is paired with J J Harris Elementary School through the Clarke County School District Community Partners in Education program. Our involvement with the school includes support for special events such as Fall Festival and field day, donating supplies, leading a literacy program, participating in "Read Across America," and presenting on Veterans Day. We also provided financial assistance for 5thgrade overnight field trip to Jekyll Island.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Athens Area Emergency Food Bank 

The Athens Area Emergency Food Bank food pantry supplements existing services for residents of Athens-Clarke County who are faced with emergencies. The AAEFB meets food needs for one week for families or individuals upon referral. 

First Christian has supported the mission of the AAEFB since its foundation in 1980 through the collection of non-perishable food items for the food pantry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Food Bank of NE GA

The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia gathers donated items and purchased surplus food and distributes it to approximately 225 human-service agencies in a 14 county area. The Food Bank works with local, regional, state, and national product partners to bring food into the community.

There are multiple, individual, or group volunteer opportunities. First Christian currently volunteers on-site monthly.

 

 

 

 

 

Church World Service

Church World Service is a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster.

First Christian provides space for the Southeast Office and collects offerings for the Church World Service Blanket program.

 

 

 

 


Action Ministries

Action Ministries addresses the challenges of poverty, focusing on hunger relief, housing, and education. Their programs are designed to provide community partners with the tools needed to help cycle Georgians out of poverty. First Christian provides hands-on support for the Smart Lunch, Smart Kid program.