EDITOR'S NOTE: It will be my turn to present Minute for Mission tomorrow, during the service at Grace Presbyterian Church of Midland. Some of what follows is mine ... but I also took advantage of materials generously provided by Presbyterian Church (USA).
The special offerings of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) play an important role in defining what it means to be a connectional church in the twenty-first century, bringing together the diversity of the PC(USA) into focus, and taking faith-based action on shared concerns. The Offerings are opportunities for partnership, learning, and witness ... and profoundly affect the life of the church as a collective witness to Jesus Christ’s love for the whole church.
One of these offerings, taking place during the month of December, is the Christmas Joy Offering ... those colorful offering envelopes that have been added to the pews.
Each year during the Advent and Christmas season, we turn our eyes to Bethlehem and celebrate the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. By giving to the Christmas Joy Offering, you honor this gift by providing assistance to current and retired church workers in their time of need and developing our future leaders at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges.
Here's one example where Christmas Joy gifts help ensure dignity for a faithful church servant’s final years ...
As an urban minister for more than 40 years, Bob Forsberg dedicated his willing hands, generous heart, and sharp mind to serving people society had cast aside.
Last year however, at age 91, the mental capacity that had served this Presbyterian minister so well began to fade. His memory loss became so debilitating that Bob, after years focused on helping others, found himself in need of help.
He found that help through contributions to the Christmas Joy Offering.
Here's another example ... one where your contributions are helping our next generation of leaders through programs like the Menaul School, located just up the road from here in Albuquerque, New Mexico – where Christmas Joy gifts have helped change lives for generations.
Menaul School is a faith-based, college preparatory day and boarding school for students in grades 6–12. Menaul School is an independent school producing leaders in the community with a reputation for excellent values, ethics, and moral character ... and they've been doing that since 1896.
Today Menaul students are beginning new legacies. Most come from homes where neither parent has attended college, and many sacrifice to send their child to the school because it sends nearly every graduate to schools of higher learning.
Your gifts to the Christmas Joy Offering will help Menaul open the doors of opportunity for more students to begin their own legacies.
Those are only two examples of the impact of past contributions. Won’t you please give thoughtful, prayerful consideration to making a contribution THIS year to the Christmas Joy Offering?
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