AUBURN – Members of the West Auburn Congregational Church designated the fifth Sunday in March as a time to focus on local mission projects. After a brief service, people went to work on three projects.

Baby clothing, books and toys were brought by members to be delivered to the Abused Women’s Advocacy Program and the Jubilee Center.

The items were gift wrapped and labeled to indicate the size of the clothing and whether it was appropriate for a boy or girl. More than 50 items were donated and delivered to their destinations by Holly and Peter Lasagna.

Another project involved the making of 20 dozen large cookies to be given to the Hope Haven Gospel Mission. Kerry Gould and Susan Ference headed that group and the vestry was soon filled with the aroma of cookies baking.

Emily Ranucci and Rachel Raczynski will join youth from the Park Street Methodist Church and High Street Congregational Church to travel to Colorado on a mission project this summer. Karen Ranucci will be one of the chaperones.

The group has been having fundraisers all year, one of which is a bottle drive. Members were asked to bring their bottles to church and some of the members canvassed the neighborhood for more donations. In all, more than $50 in bottles and cans were redeemed.

The Rev. John Ellis, minister of the church, and Karen Ellis, mission coordinator, have set aside the fifth Sunday as Mission Sunday. The first was in September when the members did a fall cleanup of the buildings and grounds, prepared school kits for Church World Service to distribute to needy children in this country and abroad, and prepared a venison stew, homemade biscuits and dessert for Hope Haven Gospel Mission.

In December, members used the time to put away the Christmas decorations. Another group put together “ditty bags” of items donated by members for the seamen who sail out of Portland and Portsmouth to remote areas. The Seafarers Mission Project has been supported by the church for several years. Cookies were also made and distributed to the seamen.

The members of the church feel that they made good use of the fifth Sundays and will continue to hold the mission sessions on future fifth Sundays.