Church Development

United Council of Churches (UCC) works for development of church in Pakistan. UCC works with small churches through church and community mobilization (CCM) approach. UCC provides Church and Community Mobilization Training to member churches and help them in forming CCM Structures that include Church-based Community Development Committees (CDCs), CCM Facilitators and Youth Development Groups (YDGs). After formation of CCM structures, UCC provides capacity building trainings to CCM Structures, pastors, youth groups, church leadership and management on governance, financial management and program/project management.

Other than capacity building, UCC provides legal support to member churches for legal status, security and other legal matters related to church business.

Children and Youth Development

United Council of Churches (UCC) works for development of children and youth of member churches through different development interventions that include sports and recreational activities, internship program, career counseling, scholarship program, enterprise development, technical and vocational skills.

Women Empowerment

United Council of Churches (UCC) strongly believes in recognizing and supporting the contribution of women in the ministry of the church. We believe in the value of women in all aspects of ministry with the exception of those areas that exercise governmental authority within the church. We believe a woman can teach and lead within any of the vast array of ministry roles and positions as long as she demonstrates a biblically qualifying lifestyle.

UCC provides equal opportunities to women and girls for jobs, capacity building, vocational and technical skills and economic wellbeing. UCC also ensures equal participation of women in all programs, projects and activities of the council to empower them for building a healthy balanced congregations, community and society at large

PREVENTION OF DRUG ABUSE

Young people in Pakistan are the most affected by drugs and alcohol and the number of these addicts is increasing at the rate of 40,000 per year making Pakistan one of the most drug affected countries in the world while the most disturbing fact is that majority of heroin addicts are under the age of 24.

The Christian youth living in urban slums are more vulnerable to the above mentioned situation. The slums in Islamabad are a kind of safe haven for youth who are involved in drug abuse and drug peddling because in slums they have freedom for their activities as it is difficult for police and law enforcement agencies to monitor these activities in the slums due to physical infrastructure of the slums.

Therefore, United Council of Churches (UCC) is focused on prevention of drug abuse/addiction in slums to protect Christian youth from this evil. So that the Christian youth may lead healthy lives and serve their families, community and church for the glory of God.

Education

Education is a vital component in socio-economic development of a country. The picture of higher education in Pakistan is very grim. The percentage of educated people is as low as only 1.58%of total population at the master’s level. Also, just 17.29% of population clears matriculation according to the latest figures about Population Statistics . Only 4.3% reaches the graduation level. The main reason for this lesser number of population reaching higher level studies is the expense of higher studies in Pakistan . This is the overall picture of higher education in Pakistan. The Christians are lagging far behind their Muslim counterparts in higher education.

United Council of Churches (UCC) provides career counseling, financial assistance for higher education, internship and mentoring to under-privileged and neglected Christian youth who are unable to continue their higher studies due to lack of financial resources. The scholarships are provided to the talented and capable students on merit basis. This scholarship program covers college and university fee, hostel, books and supplies expenses, transportation cost and monthly stipend.

Pastoral Member Care

United Council of Churches (UCC) provides member care support to member pastors through different interventions that include financial support for theological, language learning and academic education, capacity building for social and spiritual growth, legal and moral support. The main purpose for this support is to strengthen the capacity of pastors to enable them to serve their churches and communities efficiently and effectively for the glory of God.

Health

United Council of Churches (UCC) is concerned about health and physical wellbeing of Pakistani Christian community. Therefore, UCC ensures access to and provision of basic health facilities for target communities through different activities related to awareness raising on health issues and provision of basic healthcare facilities.

Disaster Management

Pakistan is vulnerable to disaster risks from a range of hazards including avalanches, cyclones/storms, droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, floods, glacial lake outbursts, landslides, pest attacks, river erosion and tsunami. Human induced hazards that threaten the country include transport, industrial, oil spills, urban and forest fires, civil conflicts and internal displacements of communities due to multiple factors. High priority hazards in terms of their frequency and scale of impact are:- earthquakes, droughts, flooding, Wind Storms and Landslides that have caused widespread damages and losses in the past.

GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT

United Council of Churches (UCC) believes that Gender and Development is an important component of church development. For this purpose, UCC ensures equal participation of girls and women in all development programs and interventions of the council.

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

In the beginning God trusted mankind with the care of a beautiful and perfect world. It's in the Bible, Genesis 2:15, NIV. ``The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.``

God expects us to be trustworthy in our stewardship of resources. It's in the Bible, I Corinthians 4:2, RSV. ``Moreover it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.``

God warns that those who destroy the earth will be destroyed. It's in the Bible, Revelation 11:18, NIV. ``The nations were angry; and Your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding Your servants the prophets and Your saints and those who reverence Your name, both small and great—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.``

Therefore, we at United Council of Churches (UCC) ensure that we as true stewards of the earth protect and conserve our environment and natural resources through our awareness raising and development interventions.

NETWORKING, COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION

United Council of Churches (UCC) believes that networking, coordination and collaboration with link-minded forums, groups, organizations, churches, ministries, para-church organizations, government and non-government organizations, institutions and departments is vital for kingdom building.

Therefore, UCC builds networking and partnerships with link-minded organizations and supports member churches and partner organizations to develop networking and partnerships with one another for the glory of God.