It Is Never Too Late to Be Thankful
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and if you are lucky enough to have spent it with family and friends, in a comfortable home and with abundant food, you are truly blessed. So many of us are fortunate to have all of these gifts in our lives.
But while we are being thankful for our blessings, please remember those who are not so fortunate. Those who are without a home, those who are hungry, those who are lonely.
This Thanksgiving we asked you to give a gift to help. We thank all those who have already done so. Your gifts will make a tremendous difference and allow Mission and Service to support those who need it.
If you have not had a chance to give a gift yet, we would ask you to prayerfully consider it now. Your gift this Thanksgiving will feed the hungry, provide shelter to those who need it, and bring hope to those without any. Please make that decision now.
[Image credit: Bridges to Hope]
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Your November Mission and Service Stories
NOVEMBER 3
Accompanying Young Adults Through Transformative Years
[Image credit: University of Guelph Ecumenical Campus Ministry]
“Thanks to support from United Church Mission and Service, the Ecumenical Campus Ministry at the University of Guelph has been able to support the UofG community and accompany young adults during some of the most transformative years of their lives.”
NOVEMBER 10
Overcoming Obstacles
[Image credit: Cathie Coward, The Hamilton Spectator]
As part of a broader effort in Hamilton to address homelessness and substance use, Mission and Service partner Wesley helps people who are struggling with multiple substance use to slowly reduce their drug use with the help of prescribed medications and staff support. NOVEMBER 17
Supporting Community Resilience in Zimbabwe  [Image credit: Zimbabwe Council of Churches] In partnership with Mission and Service and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches’ Scaling Up Resilience Project focuses on practical, long-term solutions to drought and food shortages. NOVEMBER 24
Gifts with Vision: A Gift to All  [Photo credit: The United Church of Canada] Instead of searching “gifts for someone who is hard to buy for,” why not give Gifts with Vision? |
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 | Dave and Glenn collaborated on the answer to this question!
Q: How can our community of faith promote Mission and Service and stewardship as part of the United Church’s Centennial celebrations?
A: What an excellent question and the answer will be in multiple parts
- First, pray. Pray for your Community of Faith to grow in the Spirit and in good works. Pray for members to increase their support, both for your own individual efforts and for the work of Mission and Service. Pray for a renewal of The United Church of Canada for the next 100 years, that we would continue to grow, be bold, be faithful and be true to our calling as followers of Christ.
- Second, make a commitment to enroll in and complete the courses in Called to be the Church, the Journey. You can find more information and register for all these courses at CHURCHx. And we have staff who will help you succeed in implementing what you learn.
Time and again churches have experienced renewed stewardship and giving as a result of these courses.
- Third, plan a specific Centennial Celebration for your congregation. It can be the same date as the National Celebration – June 8, 2025 – or it can be on a date that is significant for your Community of Faith.
Talk to your senior members and collect stories from the earlier times of your congregation. Share these stories in worship leading up to the event, showing how your Community of Faith has grown and lived their faith. Use these stories to include stewardship messages and share a significant Mission and Service invitation on the actual date. Feel free to ask for resources from the national church. You can reach out to ms@united-church.ca to see what is available.
- Fourth, take advantage of May being focused on PAR. Use that month to do a stewardship push around getting people on PAR and encouraging them to increase their PAR giving. Again, there will be material created for this, available to you through both the Mission and Service staff and the Stewardship team. If you are focusing on the national date, May would be a great lead-up to that.
- Finally, pray some more.
Do you have a question for Glenn and Dave? Just send it in on our handy form. You’ll get an answer by email or in the next issue of God’s Mission, Our Gifts, or both (your choice). And if your question stumps our all-star team of two, they may even collaborate!
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2025 Mission and Service goal-setting form is here! |
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Have you started planning for the Centennial year? We can help. The 2025 goal-setting form is new and improved – and ready to go whenever you are!
Questions? Email Mission and Service or call us at 1-800-465-3771. |
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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! |
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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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