God's Mission Our Gifts: Your December Mission and Service Stories and more!

As communities of faith move into the busy season of Advent and Christmas, it’s sometimes all too easy to postpone items on your to-do list, like sending in your Mission and Service givings. We’re asking you instead to make Mission and Service a priority because the end of the year is also a busy time here at the General Council Office. In order to help us be as prepared as possible, we’re asking you to send in all donations for Mission and Service right away. Don’t wait until the end of the year or early January, or you may run out of time. All Mission and Service givings must be postmarked before January 15, 2024 to be counted in 2023.

Your December Mission and Service Stories   DECEMBER 3 Education in the Wake of Disaster    [Image credit: Canva]   The start of the first school year in Aleppo, Syria, after the devastating February earthquake was a welcome return to normal for some students, thanks to Mission and Service partner The Middle East Council of Churches. MECC was able to rehabilitate five school buildings in Aleppo before September 2023, so children will have the opportunity to learn and grow safely.  DECEMBER 10 Update: The Holy Bible in Mohawk   [Image credit: Canadian Bible Society] Preserving language enables future generations to engage in their rich culture in a rounded and essential way. As part of the ongoing work of preserving the Mohawk language, a Mohawk translation of the Bible was developed, and it is now ready to use.       DECEMBER 17 Gifts with Vision: Transforming Lives   [Image credit: The United Church of Canada]   Instead of searching “gifts for someone who is hard to buy for,” why not give Gifts with Vision from the comfort of home, with no packaging or wrapping needed? Instead of gadgets and fleeting trends, Gifts with Vision is full of gifts that will help transform people’s lives throughout Canada and across the world.   DECEMBER 24 Nourishing Spirits Through Tradition   [Image credit: Nourishing Spirits Through Tradition] While we recognize this season as a time of joy, for many underprivileged families it is a difficult reminder of their struggle. For Mission and Service partner London Community Chaplaincy (LCC), bringing joy and community-building fun to the social housing complexes they serve goes hand-in-hand with creating and sustaining traditions.  DECEMBER 31 2023 in the Rear View   [Photo credit: Canva] While we look forward to the New Year and all the possibilities for joy and love that 2024 will bring, it’s important to reflect on the growth we went through in 2023. Through the peace, pain, joys and sorrows, it has been a true blessing to see God working through United Church people like you.  Congregational Stewardship/Generosity This is your resource to help you grow generous disciples and do God’s mission. Please modify and use these ideas in your context.   Stewardship in Worship   During the busy Advent season, cut back your workload and help teach solid stewardship principles by using these resources.    Stewardship Seconds (Revised for 2023)   Short, pithy sayings that pack a punch, to help infiltrate stewardship thinking into your community of faith. Add them to newsletters, worship, announcements, webpages, wherever people gather!  Find them at the Stewardship in Worship page.    Offering Introductions and Dedication Prayers (Revised for 2023)   The offering time in worship is NOT about collecting money! It is about growing generous disciples and stewards. These Offering Introductions and Dedication Prayers, for each Sunday of the year, will help. Find them at the Stewardship in Worship page.   Tell us which Stewardship in Worship resources you use Please complete this four-minute survey.   Called to the Be the Church: The Journey Called to Be the Church: The Journey modules really make a difference.  In each cohort, community of faith leaders rediscover how inspiring their church really is and get excited about telling their stories as they invite people to share their resources to grow in faith and make a difference in people’s lives. Come and join the movement!   Register and find all course information on CHURCHx.ca. Getting Started in Stewardship    February 22, 2024 – either 4:00–5:30 p.m. OR 6:30–8:00 p.m. (ET) Join United Church people across the country to learn some stewardship first principles, then continue your learning in three practical projects. Communities of faith that complete this course first have better results as they continue to other courses on the journey.  This course is FREE.    Stewardship Best Practices  February 6 through April 18 (with a three-week Easter Break to apply your learning) Four two-week cycles of Learning Sessions and Cohort Discussion Groups interspersed with practical exercises to examine Stewardship Best Practices in order for you to set goals, create an annual stewardship plan, and get energized!  Course fee: $44.99/Team Setting Up Your Congregational Giving Program January 16 and 30, 2024 – 1:00-3:00 p.m. (ET) or January 17 and 31, 2024 – 7:00-9:00 p.m. (ET) Learn how best to utilize the Called to Be the Church Giving Program materials and develop a plan that will work for your church with two 2-hour online sessions and coaching.  This course is FREE.  Bequests and Planned Giving for Your Community of Faith  April 24, and May 8, 2024 – 2:30-3:30 p.m. (ET) Explore how to set up and maintain a Planned Giving Program at your church, with two one-hour online sessions.  Course fee: $29.99/person Register and find all course information on CHURCHx.ca. Check Out the Most Recent Stewardship Blog   Read The First Step to Success by Roger Janes at Round the Table. An inspiring story about how one community of faith took their first step into deeper stewardship and how it worked! Get the Stewardship Support You Need The people and resources to help you succeed are here.  Your Gifts with Vision Bring Hope and Healing We recently received this report from the staff at Abiona Centre (formerly Massey Centre and Humewood House) on the support you provided through Gifts with Vision in 2022–2023 to the young mothers they serve. Your generosity has truly made a difference to these mothers and their babies. Thank you.   We sincerely appreciate your decision to support the young mothers at Abiona Centre by providing essential supplies for their babies through your generous Gifts with Vision contributions! Your gifts this year have had a significant impact, considering the challenging circumstances these young mothers are facing. They are living on a fixed income that hasn't changed, while the cost of living continues to rise. Additionally, there has been an ongoing shortage of baby formula, making their situation even more difficult. Your contributions this year have already benefited over 100 young families, providing them with formula, diapers, wipes, and baby shampoo.   Meet Diana and Yessenia Diana arrived at Abiona Centre, struggling to balance the responsibilities of being a young mom to her daughter, Yessenia. She had put her education on hold and hadn’t finished high school. Here, Diana was provided with comprehensive support that helped her overcome barriers and build a stable foundation for herself and her daughter.   Diana thrived in this supportive environment, graduated, and received acceptance into college with two scholarships. Now, she has graduated from Seneca College and is preparing to start the Social Work program at York University. Diana's future is bright, and she hopes to help others in the same way she has been supported.   You can make a big difference in people’s lives through Gifts with Vision. Give gifts from the comfort of home, with no packaging or wrapping needed. To order by phone or to get a paper catalogue, call us at 1-844-715-7969. GOD’S MISSION, OUR GIFTS is your newsletter. We want to provide news and information that you can use in your community of faith, whether you’re a minister, a board member, an administrator, a treasurer, or anyone else who wants to make a difference.   What else would you like to see? What can we do to help your community of faith get where it needs to go? Send us your thoughts! Donate Facebook Twitter Website Email Instagram YouTube LinkedIn   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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