Hillsborough Reformed Church has a rich history of mission work sharing our time, talents, and resources with those in need. The Missions and Benevolence committee organizes many opportunities for the congregation to participate in hands-on projects and develops the annual missions budget.
Here are a few mission activities that are part of our church life at Hillsborough Reformed Church.
The Food Bank Network of Somerset County receives weekly donations of goods from HRC along with special collections organized during Vacation Bible School and Sunday School.
Holiday time is a special time for HRC to support local families through donations of food and money to support Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinners.
Members of our congregation knit, crochet, and quilt shawls and blankets as part of our Prayer Shawl Ministry. A prayer shawl symbolizes Christ’s love, particularly during difficult times, wrapping the wearer in warmth—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
SHIP (the Samaritan Homeless Interim Program) is a faith- based, community funded grassroots organization that provides many families who are in desperate need of emergency housing and associated services with the services they need. We support SHIP through donations, monthly lunches and Christmas stockings with clothing and gift cards to support SHIP’s emergency clothing mission.
HOME of Somerset County provides shelter, meals, and emotional support through a network of congregational partners including HRC. Families are in the midst of planning their transition to independence, HRC supports HOME through donations and benevolences, and hosting families three to four weeks during the year providing meals, a comforting place to sleep, and companionship.
Learning Gate Daycare Centers serve young children in the Raritan community. Each year, Christmas stockings full of mittens, hats, scarves, and clothing are gifted to Learning Gate.
Visions and Pathways supports youth ages 13-21 with housing and support services. Each Easter, HRC fills Easter baskets with candy and at Christmas stockings are stuffed with personal care items, clothing, games, school supplies and gift cards.
Church World Service (CWS) works to address hunger, poverty, displacement, and disasters. Our faith commits us to serving communities across the globe who are dealing with these issues. Here are some ways we help CWS:
- Financial donations through benevolence offerings
- Participating and supporting walkers for CROP Hunger Walk.
- Supporting the CWS Blankets program.
- Assembling hygiene, school, and emergency clean up kits.
While by no means a complete list, here are a few additional organizations and missions HRC supports.
- Reformed Church Colleges and Campus Ministry, including Rutgers Protestant Campus Ministry, New Brunswick, New Jersey; New Brunswick Theological Seminary, New Brunswick, New Jersey; Hope College, Molland, Michigan; Central College, Pella, Iowa; and Northwestern College, Orange County, Iowa. Donations are collected through benevolence offerings.
- JJ and Tim Tenclay - JJ and Tim work with ministry partners locally, nationally, and globally, to provide compassionate Christ-like care for refugees and displaced people.
- Mission Partners India - Founding president Linn Geegh Gann created educational opportunities and gathering places for young children in South India to help them “reach their full potential in the image of God.” Donations through benevolence provide scholarships to children attending the Geegh Nursery School or Hope English School.
- Grace Covenant Ministries - Located in Jackson County, Kentucky, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the community, Grace Covenant Ministries provides Bible camps, alongside sports, art, and gymnastic programs for local youth. We support GCM through benevolence offerings and mission trips.