Ways to give

General Operations

The general operations account supports the whole of First Church’s vibrant worship, community life and ministries. Contributing to general operations ensures that your gift can be used where it’s most needed.

Reparations

We are committed to the ongoing work of making reparations for racial injustice. In 2022, we are building relationships and sharing reparations funds with three organizations: the Anishinabe Academy, Black Men Teach and Makoce Ikicupi (Dakota Land Recovery)

Long Term Building Maintenance

Our beautiful, historic building is in great shape! And the needs for maintenance are many and ongoing. At the moment, our sewer line is in need of a major repair. Gifts for building maintenance supplement budgeted funds and enable us to provide safe, comfortable space for the community to use.

The Preservation Project

In recent years, we have completed a series of major building improvements. Currently, we are working on plaster repair and painting the sanctuary and gathering hall. In the future, we hope to be able to restore a stained-glass window from the Tiffany studio which is now in storage. We are grateful to have received several grants from the MN Historical Society. Gifts to the Preservation Project allow us to provide matching funds when applying for these grants.

Monthly Special Offerings

Monthly special offerings are dedicated to various needs in our local and wider community. Here is our 2026 calendar of offerings:

January: University Area Solidarity Circle. This is a group of churches in the University Area who are committed to immigration justice.

February: Community Emergency Service. CES provides food to Minneapolis neighbors in multiple ways—a shoppable market, all-hours pickup lockers, partnership with Meals on Wheels, and pet food deliveries.

March: First Church Little Free Pantry. Repeated vandalism has taken the pantry down from its spot in front of the church, but we’re still using these funds to get food to hungry folks in our neighborhood.

April: One Great Hour of Sharing. This is one of four special offerings of the United Church of Christ. It supports the disaster, refugee, and development ministries of the United Church of Christ.

May: Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. Interfaith Power & Light works in partnership with faith communities to address the climate crisis by building transformative power and identifying the lights of people’s unique gifts.

June: Strengthen the Church. This is one of four special offerings of the United Church of Christ. The funds raised support leadership development, new churches, youth ministry, and innovation in existing congregations.

July: ISAIAH. This is a community of congregations of thousands of Minnesotans from a variety of faith backgrounds who are motivated to act for justice and equity because of love for God and belief in the dignity and sacredness of all people.

August: Every Meal. This organization provides weekend meals to elementary-aged students experiencing food insecurity. Your dollars go to the Every Meal organization, but First Church works directly with nearby Marcy School to pack and deliver the meals.

September: Eastside Meals on Wheels. Meals on Wheels provides hot nutritious meals to seniors and folks with disabilities who cannot prepare their own adequate meals. They allows individuals to remain in their own homes longer, without the trauma and significant cost of nursing home care.

October: Neighbors in Need. This is one of four special offerings of the United Church of Christ. It supports ministries of justice and compassion in the United States.

November: Southeast Seniors. Southeast Seniors is committed to helping seniors in the Southeast neighborhoods live well at home, providing both health and social supports.

December: The December offering is split between two organizations. The Christmas Fund, one of four UCC Special Offerings, provides emergency grants, supplementation of annuities and health premiums, and Christmas “Thank You” gift checks each December to lower-income retirees. Friends of San Lucas supports development in San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala through programs that impact the lives of more than 25,000 people each year.