Your February Mission & Service Stories
March 7 - Mission & Service Is Faith On The Move
Mission & Service is often described as the lifeblood of our church. That’s because it runs through the veins of everything we do together. If you have ever sung out of a United Church hymnbook, your life has been touched through Mission & Service. If you have been cared for by a United Church minister, Mission & Service has had an impact on you. No matter which region your church is in, there is an organization near you doing life-changing work that is supported through Mission & Service. Learn more about how Mission & Service connects faith and action.
March 14 - “We Will Not Give Up On Them”
Brenda was close to nine months pregnant and living in a tent. She and her partner Gail couldn’t find housing they could afford. In Hamilton, Ontario, the waiting list for subsidized housing is long – for some, over ten years. With no other options, Brenda and Gail moved into a homeless encampment. Staff at Wesley Urban Ministries, a Mission & Service partner, found them a temporary place to stay. Because they don’t have stable housing, their baby was put in custody. But their story doesn’t end there. Your Mission & Service gifts support Wesley’s Day Centre where 100 homeless people like Brenda and Gail find help each day.
 [Image credit: Cindy Parks, Pixabay]
March 21 - Rural & Homeless – Gary’s Story
In rural communities, poverty can be hard to spot. People rarely ask for money on the street. There are no downtown cores to gather in and few, if any shelters, to turn to. Lack of public transit and nearby resources means that too often people are left to suffer alone. Gary would have starved or frozen to death without House of Lazarus, a Mission & Service partner, stepping up to help. This story highlights the unique face of poverty in rural communities and the many ways your Mission & Service gifts are making a difference.
[Image credit: Trisha Elliott/The United Church of Canada]
March 28 - New Hope & New Life – Jesse’s Story
When he was 12 years old, Jesse had a traumatic brain injury. His life instantly changed because his brain didn’t function the way it once did. Sadly, three years ago, his mother (who cared for him) died of cancer. Without his mom, Jesse’s life spiraled out of control. Two years ago, he survived the winter sleeping in a storage unit. Reaching out to Stella’s Circle, a Mission & Service partner, changed his life. Jesse’s story truly embodies the Easter message of transformation that began on Palm Sunday.
[Image credit: Stella's Circle] |
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You’ve Been Asking For Videos…
The need for videos for online worship and social media is real. We are on it! There are eight stories in video format on this year’s Mission & Service playlist.
As well, the Moderator is in the process of recording the group prayers published in the Your Generosity Matters booklet. A new video supporting the Mission & Service Easter appeal is also in the works. We’ll send an email to congregations and ministry personnel as soon as they are ready to share. |
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Coming Soon
We will be sending resources to support your Mission & Service Easter appeal soon. Here's a short invitation to include in your communication channels whenever you feel it is most appropriate:
Make A Special Easter Gift!
Jesse’s amazing story is proof that your generosity through Mission & Service truly does help transform lives! The transformation that began on Palm Sunday is at the heart of the Easter story.
Jesus lived, died, and rose again to show us what it means to shelter each other with God’s transforming love. A love stronger than injustice, deeper than despair and more expansive than poverty.
Everyone deserves love. No one should be sleeping in a storage unit. No one should go hungry. No one should feel alone. Everyone is someone’s child.
You and I can do something to help. Please make a special Easter gift through Mission & Service.
Let’s be the hands and feet of the risen Christ for everyone who needs to feel his abiding love.
Thank you for your generosity. |
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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. Called to Be the Church: The Journey
Introducing Called to Be the Church: The Journey—tailored and topical modules with coaching and ongoing support to meet your stewardship needs.
Module 1: Stewardship Best Practices is launching in many regions this spring. Four two-hour online classes to dive into these vital best practices:- Claim Your Mission–it's really why people give to you
- Cultivate Generosity–practical ways to increase giving
- Create A Culture of Gratitude–saying thank-you is critical
- Stewardship Is Discipleship–integrating stewardship in your spiritual growth programming
Module 1 also includes a Stewardship Analysis report, customised with your community of faith’s giving and stewardship data. Along with ongoing coaching and support after the four classes, the recommendations in the report will help you set solid, achievable, stewardship next steps.
Starting March 2021 in:- First Dawn Eastern Edge Region
- Regional Council 15
- Fundy St. Lawrence Dawning Waters Region
Contact: Roger Janes
rjanes@united-church.ca
709-486-3239Contact: Melody Duncanson-Hales
mduncanson-hales@united-church.ca
705-618-3032
Called to Be the Church: The Giving Program
The new version of the Called to Be the Church giving program will be arriving in the mailbox of your community of faith any day! This is a five-week program that you can use any time during the year to explore Discipleship is Stewardship, with full liturgies, sermons, kids/youth resources, and Stewardship@Home materials. Inspire, Invite, & Thank with Called to Be the Church to grow generosity and increase revenue.
New Ways to Thank with CanadaHelps!
Say “thank you” to your CanadaHelps donors with new thanking options. Thanking your donors is a crucial part of stewardship, and a personalized “thank you” shows your donors just how much their gifts matter. CanadaHelps makes it easy to reference donation dedication information in their Thank You tool. Now you can:- View dedication information in the same window where you’ll write your message, saving you from searching through donation reports.
- Reference crucial details from this information, such as dedications in honour or In memory of someone.
- Use text formatting to structure information the way you want, include links, and even add emojis or icons.
Sign in to your church account on CanadaHelps to set up your thanking options.
Stewardship Seconds, Offering Invitations, and Offering Prayers
Stewardship Seconds, offering invitations, and offering prayers for March 2021 are available on the United Church’s stewardship worship theme page. |
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| 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. |
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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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