St. Paul United Church of Christ, located at 200 N. Main Street, Waterloo, has long been known as the “Chicken Church” with its golden rooster sitting high upon the church’s steeple.  The Mission Committee of the church decided to take advantage of our nickname and challenged the members, friends, and Sunday school students of the congregation to help purchase chickens for individuals and families in Ecuador.  Working through the ministries of the Illinois South Conference, the congregation was urged to donate their four-week long September mission monies to this project.

With each contribution of $2.50 a chicken could be purchased. The initial goal of raising enough funds to purchase 400 chickens was set so that a starter flock of 100 chickens could be provided for four families in Ecuador.  Colorful plastic eggs with reminder slips were passed out before worship services.  Caricatures of chickens, who were given brightly colored feathers for each chicken purchased, began to fill the church’s entryways.  Sunday school students measured their donations by creating paper eggs.

Within the first two weeks of the project, the congregation had more than doubled their original goal.  The challenge went out to try and reach a goal of 1000 chickens by month end, but that goal was reached before end of the third week.  So once again a challenge went out to try and meet the goal of 1200 chickens, three times the original goal set for this project.  With an outstanding effort, the members, friends, and Sunday school students of St. Paul raised more than $3150 for this project, which translates into more than 1260 chickens for individuals and families in Ecuador!

Truly the “Chicken Church,” through their generous giving, has something to crow about!