| “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” to encourage generosity. As Christmas approaches, and communities of faith begin celebrating the four Sundays of Advent, people are thinking about Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, but also about gifts and giving. They are bombarded by invitations to give from a multitude of charities. Don’t let the mission of your community of faith be left out. Here are some tips and ideas to help you encourage generosity through Advent and into Christmas. |
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Make giving easy- The more ways you offer to give, the better. Be sure to provide instructions and support to make giving easy.
- Include links to your CanadaHelps donation page and the donation page for direct Mission & Service giving in all of your newsletters and email signatures.
Tell inspiring stories of how your community of faith is doing its mission- Make the connection to Christmas. For example: “At Christmas we celebrate how God came to be with us in Jesus, as part of God’s mission to love and save the world. This is a story about how we share God’s love with the wider community.”
- Pick a Christmas-related story that inspires people to get excited about your community of faith. Something they would share with a friend, or talk about in the community. Who was impacted? Would they share their story?
- Inspire your community of faith to connect with God’s mission in the world through the Minute for Mission stories in this newsletter.
- Remind people that their gifts make mission possible and invite a special Christmas gift to the community of faith and Mission & Service.
Provide opportunities for people to share personal stories about giving at Christmas- Giving is relational. Provide a channel for people to share stories about a special gift they gave and the impact that giving it made on them. Use a video conference app like Zoom, or connect by telephone with conference calls or one-on-one calls.
- Have a key leader (maybe the minister or chair of council?) record their “Why I Give” story and share it on YouTube, in newsletters, or as part of the introduction to the offering during worship. Tie this to an invitation to join them in making a special gift to the community of faith and Mission & Service at Christmas.
Thank them!- Always acknowledge the giving that people are already doing. They are generous and that is amazing!
- Be specific and personal.
- Have your governing body (Council/Board/etc.) send each participant in your community of faith a Christmas card with a note of thanks for their participation and giving, and just for being them. DO NOT include an invitation to increase giving! Just thank them.
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Stewardship Seconds, offering invitations, and offering prayers
The Stewardship Seconds, offering invitations, and offering prayers are available for November 2020 in Word and PDF formats from the Stewardship Toolkit. |
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If you just read ONE book this month:
Holy Currencies by Eric H. F. Law
Eric Law, an Episcopal priest and founder of the Kaleidoscope Institute in Los Angeles, looks at and beyond money as a currency of exchange and explores the abundance each of our congregations already has. He shows us how to help the six currencies in the “Cycle of Blessing” flow through us, “recirculating resources and regenerating more currencies, thereby growing and expanding the ministry.” Through the author’s stories, exercises, and activities, you’ll learn to evaluate how your church enables church members to measure and value the six holy currencies.
Available from the United Church Bookstore. |
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COVID-19 means changes to Minutes for Mission
Minutes for Mission has long been a key way of telling stories about the shared justice work of the United Church. And it’s changing in 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we look at sharing our Mission & Service stories. “Usually, we write Minutes for Mission stories a year in advance. When the pandemic hit, many of the stories...were completely out of touch with our current reality,” says Sarah Charters, the Acting Director of the United Church’s Philanthropy Unit.
So this year, we are publishing eight stories in our Minutes for Mission booklet, called “Your Generosity Matters.” Rather than describing programs, these stories will feature eight real people whose lives have been transformed or who are helping change lives, thanks to generous Mission & Service gifts. All eight stories will be accompanied by videos that can be adapted for a variety of screens, as well as devotions, including scripture readings, prayers and reflection questions for personal devotions, meetings and small groups.
There will also be special Minutes for Mission stories and videos for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In addition, more news-focused features that can be shared as Minutes for Mission will be published all year long. All of the Minutes for Mission stories will be available in January, and the news stories will begin to roll out in the new year. All of the stories will be accessible by clicking on Mission & Service on the United Church website's home page at united-church.ca and will also be shared in this newsletter. |
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Mission & Service gifts support critical conversations about disability and COVID-19
Gertrude Fefoame, who is visually impaired, explains how COVID-19 affects people with disabilities in a webinar supported through Mission & Service
COVID-19 safety protocols can save lives, but only for those who can access them. Staying home is an inconvenience for some, but it can be a nightmare for those who rely on a support network that must enter their home. Masks prevent the spread of the virus, but they can also present significant barriers for those who need to read lips to communicate.
These and other challenges that COVID-19 heightens for disabled people around the world were highlighted in a recent, ground-breaking webinar hosted by the Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network (EDAN) of the World Council of Churches. The webinar is the first of a free, upcoming series of webinars through the World Council of Churches aimed at raising awareness of the issues and challenges faced by a variety of groups because of COVID-19. Get the full story! |
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Help shine Christ's light this Advent/Christmas
The Advent Wreath at Rothwell United Church is featured in this year’s Christmas Mission & Service appeal. (Photo Credit: Rev. Mike Perreault)
As the pandemic continues, more and more people will need our help. In 2019, a quarter of the global population experienced hunger or did not have access to nutritious food. That’s 1 in 4 people! And now the UN predicts that because of the pandemic, that number could rise by 12‒19 percent.
Mission & Service gifts support people who rely on food banks, shelters, and emergency relief at home and abroad. Now more than ever, those of us who have enough to share need to do what we can to help.
Office administrators and ministers will soon receive an email with links to an Advent/Christmas video, a special Minute for Mission and a prayer to share with their communities of faith. Please help share the good news of Mission & Service so that we can support those who are even more vulnerable because of COVID-19. |
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Your generosity enables the United Church to love, serve, and minister in the world. Make an online donation or learn more about your options to support the work of the church. |
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