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w i l l yo u g i ve t o
one great Hour?
2015 Planning & ResouRce guide
Photo by Craig Thompson
w w w. a b c - o g h s . o r g
Photo by Craig Thompson
Contents
Special Thank You from the World Relief Officer...............................1
A Message About This Year’s Theme:
“Give and Change the World.”........................................................2
Guide to Your Promotional Materials..................................................3
Promotion Checklist...........................................................................4
Bulletin Insert Mission Stories............................................................5
Meet Your World Relief Committee.................................................11
Where Your Gifts Made a Difference in 2014..................................13
From the Offering Plate to the Needs of the World.........................15
Sample Congregational Letter..........................................................16
Worship Resources: Creating a Fair Balance....................................17
Order of Worship.........................................................................17
Sermon Starter: “Our Fair Share” 2 Corinthians 8:9-15...............20
Children’s Sermon: Sharing Our Lunch........................................21
Children’s Activity: Sharing Our Favorite Food ............................... 22
Coloring Page...................................................................................24
Youth Activity or Intergenerational Activity: Movie Night.................25
Dramatic Interpretation: “Hopes and Dreams”................................27
Sharing Calendar 2015..................................................................... 30
Clip Art..............................................................................................31
Special Thank You from the
World Relief Officer
W
hen the Ebola virus broke out in West Africa in mid-2014, we responded immediately.
Long before our news media picked up the rapid spread of the virus, we provided One
Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) funds to our partner, IMA World Health, who was working
alongside the Liberian Ministry of Health to educate people on Ebola prevention. And equally as
important, we were supplying the proper protective equipment to healthcare workers to prevent them
from contracting the virus as they provided life-saving medical services. In total, $125,000 of your
gifts to the Annual OGHS offering were used to make possible life-saving remedies in a situation that
was quickly spiraling out of hand.
My ministry on your behalf is to stay on top of what disasters are plaguing our world. Honestly, at
times it can feel daunting. But knowing that through your generosity to OGHS we have the resources
to make a contribution to these needs, it makes this sometimes daunting ministry feel possible.
I would be remiss if I didn’t note the extraordinary nature of 2014—at least from the perspective
of my ministry. Last year was punctuated by many disasters, but what was different is that a good
number of them weren’t of natural origin—they happened because of the actions of people against
people. Think of the chaos in Ukraine. The terror of ISIS on the people of Iraq and Syria. The
suffering of millions of Syrians who have been displaced now for up to 4 years due to the continued
fighting within their country. The people of Gaza who endured another 51-day war with Israel. Boko
Haram’s murder and pillaging of thousands in Nigeria. The list, unfortunately, is much longer than
this. I don’t have to comment on nor even consider the politics behind any of these situations, for
that would be a distraction. All I can see in each of these situations is the suffering of millions of
men, women and children—all victims of violence, and all having to find a way to carry on with life
in the midst of grief, uncertainty, and continued fear.
Your gifts to the OGHS offering are with people in each of these areas—
``One brave Baptist pastor in the Ukraine who risked his own life daily to bring aid to those in
his war-torn town;
``One brave pastor of the Baptist Church in Baghdad, Iraq, who provided refuge to many fleeing ISIS;
``Our partner in Lebanon who continues to ministers to Syrian refugees who cannot go home;
``Christian Mission to Gaza who delivered food and medicine to 700 families trapped within the
war zone in Gaza; and
``Our ecumenical partner, the Church of the Brethren, who is providing aid and shelter to
thousands of Christians who have fled their homes after being attacked by Boko Haram.
Know that you are there. And through your gifts to this year’s annual offering, you will be there
again. Honestly, all of the above situations will require more of our support. And we’ll provide it—
both to the conflicts that exist today and those that develop tomorrow.
In addition to receiving the annual offering, I encourage your congregation to continue giving to
special disaster situations through OGHS by taking a special offering for that specific relief work.
Thank you for your continued support of the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. Sharing
resources really does change lives!
Joyfully serving with you,
Lisa Rothenberger-Winter
World Relief Officer
www.abc-oghs.org |
One Great Hour of Sharing 2015
1
A Message About This Year’s Theme:
“Give and Change the World.”
“For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—
not according to what one does not have. I do not mean that there should be relief
for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your
present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need,
in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written, ‘The one who had much
did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.’”
A
2 CORINTHIANS 8:12-15
s we look around, it is easy to see a complicated, conflict-ridden, unbalanced world
with needs almost too great to measure. And yet, by the grace of God, we have
been given resources to share, and the gifts we give make the world more the way
God intended it to be—a place where everyone has what they need. Together, even in the
midst of what can seem like staggering need, we can work to achieve a fair balance on this
planet we all share, giving right back to God what God has so richly bestowed upon us.
The One Great Hour of Sharing offering is this opportunity to share our abundance
with others in need.
When the Apostle Paul visited the early churches in Macedonia, they became incredibly
excited about the ministry opportunities he laid before them. Namely, to be a part of an
offering that would be received for the poor and the suffering in Jerusalem. These early
followers of Jesus couldn’t help but get caught up in Paul’s contagious zeal for the ways
God was working in their midst. So much so, in fact, that they actually pleaded to be
a part of the “service to the saints” Paul spoke of while visiting their community—even
though they were themselves living in poverty. This “ministry to the saints,” referred to in
his Second Letter to the Corinthians, is another name for the offering Paul and the early
churches were organizing for those in distant Jerusalem. Never once is the term “offering”
used anywhere in the text, yet it is referred to as a “ministry,” or a “service.” The offering
was considered a ministry; in other words, a spiritual calling, a living out of one’s faith, an
expression of religious conviction.
So why, exactly, was Paul facilitating this offering? For those who were hungry, povertystricken, and in crisis. The needs among the people in Jerusalem, due to a devastating
famine, were immense. Thus, Paul’s church-wide offering was not only practical in
leveraging funds so they could make the most impact, together, but it was also one of the
first visible expressions of the early Church’s unity in Christ.
As people whose lives are intimately connected, we are granted the opportunity to give
back to God by giving to others. The Message translates it this way, “Nothing left over to
the one with the most; nothing lacking to the one with the least.”
This is still our ministry today. The One Great Hour of Sharing offering reaches those
near and far, sometimes changing the life of someone in distress in your own congregation
or community, and at other times impacting the lives of those we may never meet but who
are in desperate need of our compassion and generosity. For almost seven decades we
have been making a difference, together—and glorifying God—through this offering which
funds relief, development, and refugee ministry all over the world and in the U.S.
Together, we will achieve a fair balance, bringing about a world the way God intended
it to be.
Give and change the world.
2
One Great Hour of Sharing 2015 |
www.abc-oghs.org
Guide to Your Promotional Materials
Your box of resources includes the following
items. If you need additional quantities,
call Judson Press at 1-800-458-3766.
2015 Planning and Resource Guide
Inside you will find great content to help you promote
the offering. Each page is perforated to be removed and
distributed to those who can help build enthusiasm for
the offering—the pastor, worship team, teachers, etc.
NEW! Four Short OGHS Videos
A DVD containing all 4 videos is included in your box
of materials. Each of these videos is just 1 minute in
length—making them perfect to show during a worship
service or as a conversation starter in Sunday school
classes. The videos focus on 4 different ministries made
possible by OGHS—providing water, disaster relief,
empowerment, and food security. Enjoy the animation
in each one—the children (of all ages) in your
congregation will probably enjoy it too!
These videos are also available for download at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da4iZYgn1lA – disaster relief
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSOKcNYlUzs - water
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9leTdf7C_yM – food security
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M-YR1uv0os – empowerment
One Great Hour of Sharing Poster
(available in English and Spanish)
Create a prominent display featuring the poster. Play
up the “hour” theme in the new logo. Do you see the
stylized image of the clock with one hour highlighted?
The one hour is our
One Great Hour of
Sharing! Call attention
to the poster each week
through announcements
in worship and Sunday
school hours and in
newsletters.
Printed Bulletin Insert
Use this fold-over bulletin insert as an educational
resource in worship, in your newsletter, and at meals and
meetings.
Offering Envelopes (available in English and Spanish)
Distribute envelopes generously. Include them in a letter
from your pastor to all members and friends, in pews and
Sunday bulletins. Put envelopes in several places to make
it easy for people to give when it is most convenient.
Coin Boxes
Children and adults can use them, especially in
combination with the Sharing Calendar in this guide.
More than simply coin boxes, use the boxes to collect
folded paper money and even checks! Announce the date
when offering boxes should be returned and dedicate the
monies received during Sunday school or worship.
AVAILABLE ONLINE
(Not Included in Your Box of Materials)
“One Great Hour to Share” Sheet Music
American Baptists Leslie Lee and Steve Gretz co-wrote
this song for One Great Hour of Sharing. Try out this new
song with your whole congregation, or ask a soloist to
perform it during worship. You will be inspired as the
song reminds us that this is our One Great Hour to Share.
Download from www.abc-oghs.org.
Making Poverty History
Skits, simulations and worship resources around the
issues of poverty and hunger. Useful for CROP Hunger
Walk teams, youth groups, women’s groups, etc. Visit
http://churchworldservice.org/hungerbooklet/ to download
or call Church World Service at 1-800-297-1516 to order.
w i l l yo u g
ive t
one great Hour?o
Photo by Craig Thompson
2 Corinthian
s
8:13-15
onegrea thourof
sharing.org
OGHS15-1
OG 1509
www.abc-oghs.org |
One Great Hour of Sharing 2015
3
Promotion Checklist
w i l l yo u g
ive t
Thanks for saying “Yes!” to coordinating the One Great Hour of Sharing offering
for your congregation. Here are some tips that we hope are helpful to you.
Photo by Craig Thompson
PREPARE! (During April)
…… Involve others! Share the individual resources found in
the 2015 Planning and Resource Guide with the pastor,
the worship team, teachers, etc. as appropriate.
…… Choose a leadership team if you need one.
…… With your leadership team, set a realistic, but challenging,
offering goal. Challenge your congregation to reflect on 2
Corinthians 8:12-15.
…… Set a date(s) when you will receive the offering. Put this
date on your church calendar.
…… Plan promotional activities to involve people of all ages.
Ask teachers to use the materials in the weeks leading
up to the offering.
…… Familiarize yourself with each of the promotional pieces:
• 2015 Planning and Resource Guide
• New Videos—4 separate ones, each 1 minute in
length
• Poster
• Printed bulletin inserts
• Offering coin boxes
• Offering envelopes
• ONLINE ONLY: Sheet Music for “One Great Hour to
Share”
EDUCATE AND PROCLAIM! (During May)
…… Know what the offering is and what it provides. Yes,
OGHS is a tangible way American Baptists provide for the
human needs of our world. The offering provides:
• Emergency relief available 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week for urgent or acute needs brought about by
disasters of natural or human origin;
• Development projects focused on meeting chronic
human need by enabling individuals or groups to
establish or maintain a more adequate quality of life;
and
• Refugee ministries focused on holistic ministry
to immigrants, refugees, and migrants in detention
facilities and refugee camps in the United States and
in local communities.
…… Mail a letter from the pastor to all members and friends,
with an offering envelope. A sample Congregational
Letter/Announcement is provided in this guide. Will you
use your newsletter? A separate mailing? An e-mail?
…… Include announcements and mission stories in your
newsletter.
…… Make sure offering envelopes are in the pew racks each
week.
One Great Hour of Sharing 2015 |
2 Corinthian
s
8:13-15
onegreat hourofsh
aring.org
OGHS15-1
Review all promotion resources; order additional quantities
if needed by calling Judson Press at 1-800-458-3766.
4
one great Hour?o
www.abc-oghs.org
OG 1509
…… Display the offering poster in a prominent place. Set up
a visual display to track the offering. How many creative
ways can you think of to emphasize the clock theme
found in the new logo? Update your display each week.
…… Enclose bulletin inserts in weekly bulletins. Create
additional bulletin inserts by photocopying the mission
stories found in this guide.
…… Distribute coin boxes and Sharing Calendars to children or
the entire congregation.
WORSHIP! (During June)
…… Personalize the offering with a testimony from a church
member or guest about why giving to this offering
is important to them. Many people have personal
testimonies to share about when they have experienced
the joy of giving to others—invite them to share.
…… Read mission stories during worship services as “Mission
Moments.”
…… Have a One Great Hour of Sharing sermon and children’s
chat prior to the week you receive the offering.
…… Use the worship resources during worship services and
in small groups.
CELEBRATE! (During June)
…… Announce to the congregation the final result of their
gifts and celebrate their generosity. Offer thanks and
announce the gift total in your newsletter and worship
bulletin. (If you did not meet your goal, celebrate what
you have received and announce that you have set aside
one or two more Sundays for people to give.)
FOLLOW-UP
…… Keep a record of promotional activities and what worked
well for your church. Archive resources for future years.
…… Forward offering receipts to either your region or the
ABC Mission Center, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA
19482.
…… Complete and return the evaluation form enclosed
with your resources. Your feedback and suggestions
are important to the development of future
materials—especially the Planning and Resource
Guide.
Alternative schedule
Does your worship attendance drop in June? Does your
Sunday school “shut down”? Consider receiving the One
Great Hour of Sharing offering in May—before people get
into summer mode. Receiving the offering on a Sunday with
potentially maximum attendance can make a big difference.
Meet Your World Relief Committee
H
ave you ever wondered how the gifts that you give to the One Great Hour
of Sharing offering get to the places where they are put to work? This is the
responsibility of the World Relief Committee (WRC or “Committee”). The
Committee’s purpose is to support, enable and encourage emergency relief, refugee
work, disaster rehabilitation, and development assistance. The source of funds for
this work is the gifts you give to the One Great Hour of Sharing offering.
The WRC is made up of people from different parts of our American Baptist life:
ƒƒ 7 voting members elected as follows:
• 2 from the Board of Directors of the American Baptist Foreign Mission
Society;
• 2 from the Board of Directors of the American Baptist Home Mission
Societies;
• 2 from the Board of General Ministries; and
• 1 from the Executive Committee of the American Baptist Women’s Ministries.
ƒƒ 3 staff members: a representative each from the American Baptist Foreign
Mission Society, the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, and the
American Baptist Churches USA.
ƒƒ The World Relief Officer serves as staff to the committee.
Although only the voting members vote on final decisions, all members have the
opportunity to give input on each of the project requests prior to the decision being
made.
The World Relief Committee meets face-to-face two days a year to consider
development project proposals. Each individual project proposal is submitted via a
completed application which is presented by the appropriate staff representative and
then considered by the committee. A formal vote is taken on each project, and the
approval process is followed by a time of prayer for the partners who will receive
the funding and for the people whose lives will be made better in some way by the
project.
The committee also receives and reviews the annual financial report of the
income and use of all One Great Hour of Sharing monies.
Continued on next page
“It’s not a coincidence in the
Scriptures, poverty is mentioned
more than 2,100 times. It’s not an
accident. That’s a lot of airtime,
2,100 mentions.”
—BONO
www.abc-oghs.org |
One Great Hour of Sharing 2015
11
Continued from previous page
Your committee members are as follows:
Mrs. Shirley Fair (Alden, KS) has
served as Chair to the World Relief
Committee since 2010. She is an
active member and moderator of
the First Baptist Church in Alden,
KS and spent most of her working
life at a bank and later in economic
development. She has been very
active in leadership of the American
Baptist Churches, currently serving
on the ABC of the Central Region
Board of Directors, Mission and
Stewardship Vision Team, the
American Baptist Foundation Board,
and as treasurer of the American
Baptist Historical Society. She
enjoys her four grandchildren and
their activities and making quilts and
sewing.
Mr. Manuel “Manny” Hernandez
(Portage, IN) is a retired machinist
with the Inland Steel Co. Hernandez
is the past vice-president of the
Board of International Ministries
and has also served on two Biennial
Planning Committees (Richmond
and Denver) as well as serving as
president of the Indiana/Kentucky
Region. Originally from Puerto
Rico, Hernandez is a licensed lay
minister at Iglesia Bautista de Lake
Station in Lake Station, IN. He and
his wife, Gloria, have 3 children,
5 grandchildren, and 3 great
grandchildren!
Rev. Danny Jack (Fresno, CA)
has worked in a variety of American
Baptist Ministries. He has served
as a home missionary for the
Neighborhood Action Program
at Bethel Neighborhood Center,
Kansas City, KS, and was executive
director of the Asian Friendship
Center in Fresno, CA where he
worked jointly with NAP, New
Church Development and Asian
Ministries in order to help with the
12
One Great Hour of Sharing 2015 |
many Hmong, Lao and Cambodian
refugees immigrating to the United
States. In conjunction with that
work, he started the first Hmong
American Baptist Church in the
country. He has served as a pastoral
counselor, marriage family therapist,
hospital chaplain and is now the
senior pastor of First Chinese
Baptist Church in Fresno where
he has been for the last 19 years.
Danny continues to be excited by
the local and global outreach of
our American Baptist family!
Rev. Kevin “Scotty” Robertson
(La Porte, IN) is married to Jami,
Dad to five-year-old twin boys, Jake
and Chase, and he and Jami are
expecting a baby girl in April 2015.
Currently serving as the pastor of
Mill Creek Baptist Church in La
Porte, IN, he’s also an MDiv student
at Northern Seminary and serves on
the American Baptist Home Mission
Societies Board of Directors. Scotty
very much enjoys working with the
World Relief Committee because he
gets to be a steward over, and see
at work, the OGHS dollars that are
so faithfully given for disaster and
relief projects all around the world.
Mrs. Bonnie Sestito (Arlington,
MA) is a member of the First Baptist
Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
She enjoys ministries of mentoring,
listening, and compassion, which is
expressed through her involvement
in a host of mission and ministry
endeavors. She serves as national
AB Women’s Ministries Coordinator
of Mission with Women and
Girls. She is also a leader in her
association and region, and serves
on the visionary team for “All Hands
In,” a ministry of awareness and
education of human trafficking and
support for victims of exploitation.
www.abc-oghs.org
Mrs. Nancy Shaver (Wyckoff, NJ)
is a life-long American Baptist and
has served in many capacities
in her churches. Currently she
is chairperson of the Board of
Missions, vice-moderator, and
Love Gift chairperson for the
Women. She also serves on the
Board of Directors for International
Ministries and the council of
ABC of New Jersey. Nancy has a
Masters’ degree in Education and
spent 20 years working as a social
worker with the mentally ill. She
currently works as a substitute
teacher. Serving on the World Relief
Committee has been especially
rewarding due to the special people
on the Committee and the important
work that is done.
Rev. Dr. Laura Sinclair (North
Babylon, NY) is a graduate
of Hartford Seminary, Union
Theological Seminary and Adelphi
University, where she received
her Doctor of Ministry, Master
of Divinity and Bachelor of Arts
degrees respectively. Dr. Sinclair
also earned a certificate in Pastoral
Counseling from the Blanton Peel
School of Religion and Health. Licensed in June 1977 and ordained
in May 1981, she was later certified
as a Prepare/Enrich Seminar Director
in 2006. She has earned 1 CPE unit
and is working on her 2nd unit. She
was the assistant pastor of Antioch
Baptist Church of Corona for 20+
years and was elected pastor of the
Parkchester Baptist Church in the
Bronx on January 9, 2005. She is an
Affiliate Professor at New Brunswick
Theological Seminary.
Where Your Gifts Made a Difference in 2014
AROUND THE WORLD
W
hen you take a global view
of our world, natural disasters
occur every week. If you include
disasters of human origin—especially in
the past year—the opportunity to respond
to people in need is even more frequent.
The larger disasters are captured by our
news media, and word of these tragedies
is brought into our homes. It is difficult to
imagine the suffering of those whose lives
are forever changed. But many needs of
our world—whether in a neighboring state
or half the world away—remain uncovered
by our news media. However, with our
extensive network of international and
domestic partners, American Baptists are
able to make a difference wherever and
whenever disaster strikes.
2014 was a year punctuated by many
man-made disasters—think Syria, Iraq,
Gaza, Ukraine, Nigeria and South Sudan.
These situations have uprooted millions
of people. In fact, according to the United
Nations High Commission on Refugees
(UNHCR), at the end of 2013 there were
over 51 million people who were refugees,
displaced in their own country or seeking
asylum. That’s the highest number since
the end of World War II! Yes, your gifts to
One Great Hour of Sharing brought relief
in many of these situations. Here is where
your gifts made a difference in 2014.
Country
Situation Calling for a Response
Argentina......... Flood Relief
Bosnia.............. Flood Relief
China................ Yunnan Earthquake Relief
Croatia............. Flood Relief
Gaza................. Conflict Relief
Haiti.................. Fire Damage to Convention Office
Liberia.............. Ebola Relief and Prevention
Mexico............. Hurricane Odile Relief
Nicaragua........ Refugee Relief
Ukraine............ Conflict Relief
HERE AT HOME
State
Situation Calling for a Response
California......... Crosswalk Community Church,
Napa—Earthquake Relief
First Baptist Church, Vallejo—
Earthquake Relief
Redwood Glen Camp, Drought Relief
Colorado.......... ABC of the Rocky Mountains, Flood
Relief
New York.......... Penn Yan, Food Relief
Ohio.................. First Baptist Church, Tipp—Food Relief
Washington..... First Baptist Church, Darrington—
Mudslide Relief
Various............. Spring Storm Relief—through Church
World Service
“The supposition that
there will always be poor is
an excuse for inaction.”
—GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ
www.abc-oghs.org |
One Great Hour of Sharing 2015
13
In addition to emergency relief, One Great Hour of Sharing also provided
funds for development projects—projects which address chronic needs—
in the following countries and states highlighted below.
AROUND THE WORLD
Argentina
Cambodia
China
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Kenya
Laos
Lebanon
Liberia
HERE AT HOME
Illinois
Indiana
Massachusetts
Nebraska
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
West Virginia
Wisconsin
14
One Great Hour of Sharing 2015 |
www.abc-oghs.org
Mexico
Thailand
nated
19%
1%
From the Offering Plate to the Needs of the World
2014 One Great Hour of Sharing Financial Report
How you changed the world in 2014.
Designated
Gifts 19%
International
Development 24%
Domestic
Development 13%
Refugee
Assistance 9%
Offering 81%
OGHS giving from churches and individuals
Offering
Designated Gifts
$1,175,937
$ 277,476
Total
$1,453,413
International
Development 24%
Administration and
Promotion 12%
DID YOU KNOW?
This offering began sixty-six years ago in
response to the devastation of World War
II. In March 1949, a national broadcast on
a Saturday evening asked Americans to
Administration
and morning in their
give generously
the next
Promotion 12%
churches. A remarkable assembly of national
leaders and celebrities gave their efforts
to the broadcast, and more than 75,000
churches responded the next day.
Today, One Great Hour of Sharing serves
people in over 80 countries around the
world. Sponsored by nine Christian U.S.
denominations and Church World Service,
Emergency
42%
One Great
HourRelief
of Sharing
makes sure
that we can respond to needs as soon as
they happen and that tens of thousands of
people receive support for ongoing relief,
rehabilitation, and development.
The World Relief Committee of the American
Baptist Board of General Ministries reviews
each development request for funding from
the One Great Hour of Sharing offering
received from American Baptists. Gifts reach
the ministries and people in need through
a network of regional and international
partnerships with the following:
American Baptist Foreign Mission Society
American Baptist Home Mission Societies
Baptist World Aid—the compassionate arm
of the Baptist World Alliance, supporting
three areas of ministry: relief, development,
and support of national partners.
Domestic
Development 13%
Refugee
Assistance 9%
Emergency Relief 42%
Changing lives through the offering
Emergency Relief
Refugee Assistance
Domestic Development
International Development
Administration and Promotion
$
$
$
$
$
620,929
130,150
187,000
355,030
180,242
Total
$1,473,351
Church World Service—Founded in
1946, Church World Service is a relief,
development, and refugee assistance
ministry supported by 36 Protestant,
Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the
United States. Working in partnership with
indigenous organizations in more than 80
countries, CWS works to eradicate hunger
and poverty and to promote peace and justice
around the world.
For a complete listing of how gifts were disbursed in 2014, call
or e-mail Lisa Rothenberger-Winter, World Relief Officer. 1-800
ABC-3USA x2156; [email protected].
Figures are unaudited.
www.abc-oghs.org |
One Great Hour of Sharing 2015
15
Sample Congregational Letter
Dear Friends,
It’s that time of year again when we are given the marvelous opportunity to share in the
abundance of needs of our sisters and brothers by contributing to One Great Hour of
Sharing. By the grace of God, all of us have the power to give, and the gifts we give make
the world more the way God intended it to be—a place where everyone has what they
need. Together, we can achieve a fair balance on this planet we all share, giving right back
to God what God has so richly bestowed upon us.
The Apostle Paul modeled this ecumenical offering in his Second Letter to the Corinthians,
making an appeal to the early Christian communities to respond to those in Jerusalem who
had just experienced a devastating famine. Thus, Paul’s ecumenical, church-wide offering
was not only practical in leveraging funds so they could make the most impact, together,
but it was also one of the first visible expressions of the early Church’s unity in Christ. This
offering, or ministry, was a way for Paul to model the unity of all believers and to provide
a pragmatic mechanism for demonstrating their care and concern for one another—even if
they did not know each other personally. Just as we do through One Great Hour of Sharing.
The One Great Hour of Sharing offering reaches those near and far, sometimes changing
the life of someone in distress in your own congregation or community, and at other times
impacting the lives of those we may never meet but who are in desperate need of our
compassion and generosity. God provides the gifts and resources so that we can give back.
It’s not the size of the gift that matters; it’s that we give of what we have. We’re simply giving
back to God what is already God’s—and everyone has a gift to bring!
“For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according
to what one does not have. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure
on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their
need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair
balance” (2 Corinthians 8:12-15). The Message translates it this way, “Nothing left over to the
one with the most; nothing lacking to the one with the least.”
As the Church in the world, through One Great Hour of Sharing, we have the opportunity
to act in one accord as the body of Christ, to ensure that all of God’s children have what
they need. This is the offering that Paul was promoting, and this is still our ministry, all these
centuries later. Together, we will achieve a fair balance, bringing about a world the way God
intended it to be.
Sincerely,
Pastor/Offering Coordinator
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One Great Hour of Sharing 2015 |
www.abc-oghs.org