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

Your February Mission and Service Stories FEBRUARY 4 Lessons of Racism Learned When Young   [Image credit: Jacob Lund (Canva)]   The name calling started when she was about three years old. They were racial slurs, and names, and taunts. My child, my own flesh and blood, was being ostracized for having Black skin. The people slinging the insults? Other children on the playground… FEBRUARY 11 Small Gifts with BIG Impact   [Image credit:Middle East Council of Churches] Our Mission and Service partner, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), has been providing ongoing help to people living in the aftermath of the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. A Cash Assistance program has been life-changing for families, especially those who do not have a steady or fixed income.      FEBRUARY 18  Leading Generations   [Image credit:London Community Chaplaincy]   The London Community Chaplaincy in London, Ontario helps parents and guardians build a network of support, share the parenting journey, and develop new skills as they navigate raising children in a low-income setting.   FEBRUARY 25 Taking Kids to School     [Video still credit: The United Church of Canada]   When children can’t go to school, society suffers. And that is why Mission and Service is in partnership with 74 organizations that work to increase access to education across the globe. 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.   Is It Finally Time? January is often the month for deficit realization. Finance committees are on edge. Treasurers are calculating. Ministers ponder their future. The question on many minds is, “Did we make it? Did we meet the budget?” For many Communities of Faith, the answer is “No.” Whether you have a plan to cover the shortfall or whether this has taken you by surprise, it’s pretty much always heard as bad news. It shakes you up. Discussions at Board and Council meetings, maybe even at annual meetings, turn to fear or shame, or despair or anger. What can you do? You can only add so many more fundraisers. You can only send out so many more desperate letters of appeal. You can only cut so much out of the already tight budget. You believe your main donors are at capacity. Let me suggest that maybe it is finally time. Finally time to take a new approach. Finally time to stop doing what you have always done while expecting a new outcome. Finally time to start linking giving and generosity to discipleship and spiritual growth, linking money to mission. If this sounds hopeful, then here are two things you can do right now: 1. Get in touch with the Community of Faith Stewardship Support Staff for your region. They really can help and are happy to talk to you. The people and resources to help you succeed are here. 2. Explore and sign up for Getting Started in Stewardship, the first step in Called to Be the Church: The Journey. Taking a step and doing something different is the only way to turn a deficit into good news. We believe in you. You can do it! Maybe it’s finally time. Make 2024 a Year for Improved Stewardship with These Modules All course and registration information can be found on CHURCHx.  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) Best done AFTER Getting Started in Stewardship. 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: Pay what you can. Recommended fee $100/team 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   Setting Up Your Congregational Giving Program:    April 30 and May 14, 2024 – 1:00–3:00pm (Eastern) or May 1 and 15, 2024 – 7:00–9:00pm (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 for those planning to do a Giving Program between July and January. This course is FREE.  All course and registration information can be found on CHURCHx. For more information on these and other stewardship supports, contact called@united-church.ca. Check Out the Most Recent Stewardship Blog   The Rev. Brenna Baker asks, “What If?” and talks about alternative options to traditional budgeting in your community of faith. Read the new blog at Round the Table. [Image credit: Deborah Hudson from Pixabay] Do This!! Thanking with Your Tax Receipts Please be sure to “fill the envelope” when sending out your 2023 tax receipts to donors. This is NOT the time to ask for more. This IS the time to be thankful. You can’t say thank you enough!   You can find sample thank-you letters to customize for your community of faith in the downloads section of the Encouraging Generosity page of the United Church website. Stewardship Seconds (revised for 2024) 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 webpage.  Offering Introductions and Dedication Prayers (revised for 2024)  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 webpage.  Get the Stewardship Support You Need The people and resources to help you succeed are here.  Did you know that Minutes for Mission are now referred to as Mission and Service Stories?   We have been updating many areas of the website to make things easier to find. On united-church.ca, search for either “Minutes for Mission” or “Mission and Service Stories” and you will be taken to a page filled with stories. These can be read from your device or printed and used during services to help inspire your congregation.   NEW! Lenten Devotional The new Lenten devotional Act/Fast: Spiritual Practices for a Climate in Crisis, invites us to deepen our love for Creation and take action or fast for a climate in crisis. It also includes a study guide to help you dive deeper as individuals or within a group. Act/Fast is also the featured book for the 2024 Lenten Study. Join us on Tuesdays from February 20 to March 26, 2024, to expand your love for God, deepen your connection to Creation, and strengthen your hope for God’s dream realized.  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.