Located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1922, Back Bay Mission is one of the oldest
and most highly respected organizations within the UCC. It continues its journey of
providing innovative solutions and compassionate responses to those suffering at the hands
of social injustice and economic hardship. Back Bay Mission has a simple mission: to
strengthen neighborhoods, seek justice, and transform lives.

The Brazos Church Pantry is a local non-profit organization that shares the love of Christ by
providing food to those who need it in the Brazos Valley. The pantry, which operates with no
paid staff and with the help of over 30 churches, survives on contributions and about 100
volunteers who work two hours a day, six days a week. Last year, the pantry provided food

to more than 38,000 Brazos County residents. The first Saturday of each month, Friends
Church volunteers at the Brazos Church Pantry (304A W. 26th Street in Bryan), restocking
shelves and assisting clients. The volunteers meet there at 9:15 am.

BIIN is a 501(c)3 non-profit, is a group of individuals, organizations, and faith communities,
called to promote the human dignity and well-being of all immigrants in our community and
to advocate for and facilitate better access to legal, educational, and social services.
Friends Church is a BIIN partner and as such helps build capacity and strengthen BIIN ties
to the community and its resources. We also help spread understanding of the organization
and of the contributions and needs of immigrants in our community.

This project was initiated with a grant application to the national UCC for a grant from the
Neighbors in Need program, to establish a formal sanctuary church network in the Brazos
Valley to aid undocumented immigrants who might be in danger of deportation. Friends
Church was awarded that grant and our Associate Pastor is leading this effort. The group
has formalized its identity as the Brazos Sanctuary Coalition. Friends Church has formally
authorized use of its space to provide physical sanctuary should the need arise.

Founded in 2014 by members of Friends Congregational Church, this team seeks to
explore justice and inclusion of individuals with disabilities into our church community. Since
its foundation, FIDA has conducted an accessibility audit of the church to assess the
physical access of the church. The team obtained the A2A (Accessible to All) certification
from the United Church of Christ in January 2020. The team also participates in Access
Sunday to raise awareness of how our congregation can be more welcoming and inclusive
for members and visitors with disabilities.

Family Promise is an area-wide, volunteer-based, non-profit organization that supports
families by providing shelter, meals, transportation, training and support services to
homeless families while helping them secure permanent housing. The program provides a
safe environment in which families can stay together and become self-sufficient. It is
affiliated with the nationwide Family Promise in Summit, New Jersey. Friends Church is on

a rotation of one week of support for families with approximately 12 other host churches in
our community.

Want to get involved in reproductive access, especially for young people? Consider delivering free emergency contraceptives + pregnancy tests. All deliveries are contactless. Must be able to commit to delivering two deliveries a month (at times that work for your schedule) and attend the in-person training.

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Please fill out this form if you're interested.

Friends Church supports the work of Jane's Due Process as a part of our commitment as a Reproductive Freedom Congregation.

Every Friday from 2:30-6:00 volunteers from Friends and from the community gather outside
Peace Lutheran Church to distribute fresh produce and bakery items to our community
neighbors.  Volunteers interview, sort food into boxes, and load food into cars.  Come for an hour
or come for the whole time.  For more information or to volunteer contact Anne Wehrly.

In June 2008, Friends Congregational Church unanimously adopted an Earth Stewardship
Covenant. The sustainability team assists the congregation in honoring the covenant through
linking environmental topics to justice issues in worship and Sunday School curriculum.
Additionally, our sustainability team led the way in helping the church convert to using 100%
wind energy for its electricity, utilize rainwater barrels to help offset irrigation, and
reduce/reuse/recycle by practicing recycling and using reusable cups, dishes, and silverware for
church events. In May of 2017, Friends installed solar panels through Texas Green Energy. The
team also brought single steam curbside recycling to Friends Church placing several bins
throughout the church and placing the curbside containers on the street every other week for
collection by Brazos Valley Recycling.

Friends Church is an organizational member of Texas Impact. Texas Impact and its sister
organization, the Texas Interfaith Center for Public Policy, form an interfaith network that brings
faith to bear on social issues through grassroots education and policy advocacy. Texas Impact is a statewide religious grassroots network whose members include individuals, congregations, and
governing bodies of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. Texas Impact exists to advance
state public policies that are consistent with universally held social principles of the Abrahamic
traditions.

A Tiny House Village to end homelessness in Bryan/College Station.

Tiny Hope Village is a permanent housing community for singles and married couples – with and without income – who  have been homeless. It is a missional community where everyone takes part in the work of housing homeless people. It is a supportive community where we care for each other. Tine Hope Village believes in the witness of the early church, who shared all things so that no one was in need. It is inspired by the tiny house village movement’s sustainable, dignified housing. It is inspired by friends who live on the street, who are made in the image of God. It is a family of friends that is inclusive of homeless people in Bryan/College Station through the weekly
Pilgrims in the Park Potluck Meals since 2007.