Your February Mission & Service Stories

Thank you so much for your feedback about the new Mission & Service stories and format. Based on your responses, we have shortened the stories and simplified the language for the spoken word. Keep the feedback coming! This is our work in progress!

February 7 – LIVING THE DREAM

What are your dreams for the world? And if you could turn your dreams into concrete goals, what would they be? Surely right now an end to the pandemic would top the list! Did you know that the United Nations has made a list of 17 goals for the world? In light of COVID-19, these goals are more necessary than ever. Learn more about what the goals are and how Mission & Service supports “living the dream.”

[Image: United Nations list of 17 sustainability goals]

February 14 – A FRESH START – ARIA’S STORY

We all know what it’s like to need a fresh start. But not all of us have support systems and opportunities in place to help us get the new beginning we need. Aria was in the third year of getting a law degree when she discovered she was pregnant. With limited financial resources and no close family to lean on, she had to take a break from school and go to work. Thanks to support from people like you, her story doesn’t end there. Listen to Aria share her story in this video.

[Image credit: The United Church of Canada]

February 21 – YOUNG ADULTS LEAD CHURCH TO BECOME ANTI-RACIST

It isn’t hard to find statistics that show racism is alive and well. For example, third-generation Black Canadians make about $32,000 a year compared to the $48,000 earned by those who aren’t a visible minority. And Black Canadians are more likely than any other racial group in Canada to be victims of hate crimes. Since 1996, Canadians have been encouraged to observe February as Black History Month. to recognize the realities faced by people of African descent and honour their contributions. It’s the perfect month to make this very cool project announcement.

[Image credit: Logo for the Sankofa Global Project, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

February 28 – WHEN A ROOF IS MORE THAN A ROOF

When is a roof more than a roof? This isn’t a trick question. Buying a roof isn’t exciting. It isn’t particularly inspiring, either. But it is necessary, because it allows exciting, inspiring things to take place safely beneath it. Thanks to your gifts through Mission & Service, West Haven United Church Camp was able to repair the roofs of their registration and cookhouse. A roof is more than a roof when it facilitates the sharing of food, friendship and faith. This story is about how vital “core funding” is to the organizations Mission & Service supports.

[Image: West Haven Camp has new roofs, thanks to Mission & Service support. Credit: Sharon Bell]

Herb’s Story Is a Testament of Care – Thank You

Thank you for giving through Mission & Service this Christmas season. Your support means the difference between life and death for people like Herb.

In his late 60s, Herb spent three winters living on the streets. During that time, he had five bouts of pneumonia. This summer, Herb turned to First United Church Community Ministry Society’s shelter, which your Mission & Service gifts support.

Now, for the first time in years, Herb has a home of his own.

“I have my own place—the first place of my own in decades. The apartment was all shiny when I moved in. It is my sanctuary. It is going to protect me from another case of pneumonia this year. I couldn’t do another winter on the street. I’m so grateful to be where I am today. I’m bound and determined to do some good,” he says.

Your generosity makes it possible for people like Herb the world over to receive physical essentials like food and shelter as well as spiritual ones like love and compassion.

Thank you so very much.

[Image credit: First United Church Community Ministry Society]

Congregational Stewardship/Generosity

This is your resource to help you grow generous disciples and gather the resources you need to do God’s mission. Please modify and use these ideas in your context.

New Stewardship Website

Welcome to united-church.ca/stewardship, the new home for all your stewardship solutions, where you can find ideas, samples, Called to Be the Church resources, narrative budgets, videos, and so much more. This site will be replacing the stewardshiptoolkit.ca website.

Fill the Tax Receipt Envelope

As you get ready to send out your 2020 charitable donation tax credit receipts, please be sure to include a nice letter of thanks to your donors. You might choose to include a paragraph about how your community of faith worked toward your mission in 2020, so donors can see their gifts at work. Please resist the urge to include an “ask” in the letter—this should be a time simply for thanks.

Called to Be the Church 2021: Discipleship IS Stewardship—coming to a mailbox near you!

Your paper copy of Called to Be the Church 2021: Discipleship IS Stewardship will arrive at your community of faith’s mailing address by the end of January. PLEASE OPEN IT! This is your United Church giving program, created and written for you by United Church leaders. It will help you use the three foundational practices of Inspire, Invite, and Thank to grow generosity in your community of faith.

Do you have questions about Called to be the Church: The Giving Program? We’re here to help.

Plan your 2021 Giving Program

Been There? Done That?

Offering an annual opportunity for people to prayerfully consider their giving is a vital part of stewardship practice. If you have already used one of the lectionary-based Called to Be the Church five-week worship series, and want to do the program again for the same weeks in 2021, the Lectionary Worship Starters guide will give you lectionary readings and theme ideas for each week’s sermon and worship liturgy, as well as appropriate hymn suggestions from Voices United and More Voices. Find this helpful resource in the Called to be the Church Worship Sampler, included with Called to be the Church 2021 or at united-church.ca/stewardship.

The Season of Lent (Sunday, February 21-Sunday, March 21)

The first Sunday of Lent is February 21. Try using those five weeks to engage in Lenten practices that will guide people in sharing their gifts with the wider community. This is a great time to focus on generosity as a practice for all disciples. The Called to be the Church worship materials, available at united-church.ca/stewardship, include five weeks of full liturgy, sermons, and kids’ programs for the five weeks of Lent.

The Season of Easter (Sunday, April 11-Sunday, May 9)

Over the five weeks after Easter Sunday, we will dive into some of the stories from Acts, as well as some of Jesus’ stories of the Kingdom of God, and see what they have to teach us—or remind us—about what it means to be a community of faith. Materials for these weeks are available at united-church.ca/stewardship.

Stewardship Seconds, Offering Invitations, and Offering Prayers

Stewardship Seconds, offering invitations, and offering prayers for February 2021 are available in Word and PDF format on the Stewardship Toolkit and will soon be available on the United Church’s stewardship worship theme page.

Visit the United Church’s COVID-19 page for tips and resources for members and communities of faith during the pandemic. And for help with government COVID-19 support, visit the United Church’s emergency funding page.

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.

The United Church of Canada

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Toronto, Ontario M8X 2Y4

Canada

Churches, Denominations and Religions

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

God's Mission Our Gifts: January 2021