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

Scroll down for congregational stewardship news! 2026 Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat   The Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat will once again offer space for rest and renewal in 2026. In mid-May, The United Church of Canada Foundation will invite your community to take part in supporting this gathering by mail, email, and social media. A donation link is already available for those who wish to make an early gift or include it in communications. We invite you to keep an eye on your mailboxes (physical and digital!) and share these resources when they are available. Your May Mission and Service Stories May 3 Healthy Food, Healthy Relationships [Image credit: Carlington Community Connection]   At Carlington Community Connection in Ottawa, a simple act of welcome – coffee, conversation, and a listening ear – is helping to ease isolation and restore dignity in everyday life. Through shared meals and practical food support, relationships and wellbeing are strengthened one visit at a time. May 10 Held in Hope [Image credit: ACT Alliance and Hungarian Interchurch Aid]   In Ukraine’s Eastern Carpathian Mountains, mothers and children displaced by war found a moment of rest and renewal through a retreat of care. In the midst of grief and exhaustion, they were given space to breathe, reconnect, and begin to regain strength for the journey ahead. May 17 The Work of Water [Image credit: Cordillera People’s Alliance] In the Philippines, Indigenous farming communities are facing growing water challenges as climate change and environmental change affect daily life and food production. A community-led solar water project is helping restore reliable access to water and strengthen livelihoods for families. May 24 The Work of Compassion [Image credit: Indigenous Ministries and Justice, The United Church of Canada] Across Northern Canada, Indigenous ministers carry the weight of grief and loss while serving communities in moments of deep need. The Northern Indigenous Ministers Retreat supported through Mission and Service offers rare space for rest, connection, and shared healing among those who support others. May 31 Belonging without Barriers    [Image credit: Pearce Williams Summer Camp & Retreat Facility] At Pearce Williams Summer Camp in Ontario, inclusion is ensuring that children of all abilities can fully experience the joy of camp life. With trained staff and adaptive supports, every child is welcomed not just to attend, but to truly belong. Let’s Get Ready! Congregational Stewardship and Generosity   Discipleship. What does it mean to you? Maybe you conjure visions of indoctrination rooms where people are taught the “right” answers to specific questions? I am reminded of the catechism books from many many years ago. Maybe you envision people out on the streets sharing food and clothing? Maybe for you it’s about changing unjust systems? Maybe it’s what happens on Sunday mornings during worship or in small groups exploring their faith? I was reminded last week, that even though we all react differently to this word and have different ideas around it; we tend to recognise discipleship when we see it and we do believe it is important to the life of every congregation. I would argue, it is at the heart of every congregation. Helping people to live the way of Jesus is what we are about. And of course, one of the key practices of discipleship is generosity; aka Stewardship. So, my question for you this month is “How does your Community of Faith teach and nurture people to be generous?” Is it during the sermon time? Is it linked to the offering during worship? Is it at Board or Council meetings? How does your Community of Faith disciple people to be generous? (Here’s a hint: It should be all of the above and more!) You want more generous people in your congregation. We want more generous people in your congregation. People actually want to be more generous. So let’s get together and see what happens. Take care. And remember, God loves you!   May is PAR Month How will you Inspire, Invite and Thank people who are not giving consistently to try it? By using PAR (Pre-Authorised Remittance) to give monthly, of course. And consider how will you Inspire, Invite and Thank people already using PAR to increase their monthly giving.   All the resources you need for PAR month are now available in one easy file under Downloads at the bottom of the United Church PAR webpage. Sample letters. Social media. Sermon. Planning template. And watch for the new PAR Video (hopefully before May!). Resources You Need! NEW Free Capital Campaign Resource kit In secular fundraising they say that if done well, capital campaigns can raise 10 times the annual amount given for operating. Think of the church or ministry you love. What would it mean to raise 10 times your annual donation amount? Improved facilities? New programs?  There is a lot of untapped potential generosity if your Community of Faith hasn’t engaged in a capital campaign in a while. Get the free Capital Campaign Resource kit. Ideas, plans, samples. And don’t forget the Stewardship Starter Kit, Digging Deeper Kit, Stewardship Program Kit, Planned Legacy Giving Kit.  All available on this web-page: Free Stewardship Resource kits   Stewardship Seconds (NEW Update for January-June 2026!)   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 & Dedication Prayers (NEW Update for January-June 2026!)   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. 2026 Lectionary Worship Starters UPDATED   Sermon ideas, theme hymns, RCL based. Five-week worship series on giving and generosity. Available now on the Stewardship in Worship webpage. New Stewardship BLOG The Rev. Brenna Baker explores the question “What should I leave to my Community of Faith?” It might not be what you think! Getting Started in Stewardship This is where it all begins. Communities of Faith completing this course have better outcomes. After this FREE 90-minute online course you will better understand: Stewardship is not fundraising. Stewardship is discipleship. Why people give? What can you do next? Find out more and sign up on CHURCHx. Get the Stewardship Support You Need   The people and resources to help you succeed are here.   Team Changes. Welcome to the Rev. Sarah Giles!! Sarah will be covering for Vicki Nelson while she is on medical leave. Those of you in the Prairie to Pine, Living Skies, Northern Spirit, Chinook Winds, and Pacific Mountain regions can reach Sarah at sgiles@united-church.ca Big News for Eastern Canada!! Coming soon! New staff will be hired (hopefully this month) If you are in those regions, you are still welcome to reach out using stewardship@united-church.ca. We hope to have a staffing update for you, soon.

Gifts with Vision News Our small but mighty Gifts with Vision catalogue has been updated – featuring brand new gifts, as well as your existing favourites. Take a look now! Questions? Email Gifts with Vision. You can also call us at 1-844-715-7969. Why be a Mission and Service Volunteer? What do you feel called to do? There's a place for you! You’d like to do more for Mission and Service but you’re not sure how to get started: your congregation hasn’t really done anything about Mission and Service for a few years now, and you’re pretty sure it’s not just about the two-sided envelopes anymore. We want to give you the support and resources you need to get started again.  As a volunteer, you get a weekly email with information you can use, plus resources to help you spread the word about Mission and Service in your community and online. You can also virtually meet other Mission and Service volunteers and learn what works for them!    Contact us today to learn more!      Mission and Service Volunteer Program    The United Church of Canada Foundation  ms@united-church.ca    1-800-465-3771  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 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.

Copyright © 2026 The United Church of Canada, All rights reserved.

Minute for Mission: Earth Day Sunday

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“The Canopy of Creation” (provided)

The Presbyterian Hunger Program invites you to download this new resource developed by our partners at Creation Justice Ministries, “The Canopy of Creation: Trees, Faith, and the Work of Justice.” This guide helps congregations explore the connection between faith, environmental care and justice while offering practical ways to take action in their communities.

Trees appear throughout Scripture as symbols of life, healing and God’s care, from the Garden of Eden to the tree of life. These stories remind us that the health of the earth and the well-being of people are closely connected. Caring for trees and green spaces is one way communities of faith can respond to the call to care for Creation and for our neighbors.

This resource also highlights how access to trees and green spaces is not equal. In many cities across the United States, neighborhoods that were historically redlined often have far fewer trees than wealthier communities. This lack of tree cover can lead to hotter temperatures, poorer air quality, and greater risks from flooding and extreme heat. These patterns show how environmental challenges are closely tied to racial and economic injustice.

“The Canopy of Creation” offers tools to help congregations learn about these issues and take meaningful steps in response. The guide includes worship ideas, discussion questions and suggestions for community action. It can be used for Earth Day Sunday or as a resource for learning and action throughout the year. It encourages congregations to listen to their neighbors, partner with local groups, and support efforts such as tree planting, protecting urban forests and advocating for healthier communities.

Download your copy here:  creationjustice.org/canopyofcreation. 

Jennifer R. Evans, Associate for PHP Communications and National Partnerships, Presbyterian Hunger Program

Let us join in prayer for:

Louis DiBiase, AVP, Trust Officer, Trust Services, The Presbyterian Foundation
Dawn Diggs, Manager, Compliance, Operations, The Presbyterian Foundation     

Let us pray:

Creator God, help us care for the earth and for one another. Guide us to protect the trees, the land and the communities most affected by environmental harm. May our actions bring healing, justice and hope to all that you have created. Amen.

New! PC(USA) World Communion Offering

World Communion Offering This fall, per the 226th General Assembly (2024), the Church will receive its first World Communion Offering on Oct. 4, World Communion Sunday. Listed below is important information you need about this new Offering. A Season of Preparation — Sept. 6–Oct. 4 This Season of Preparation is the time leading up to the World Communion Offering that helps us prepare for World Communion Sunday in a practical and spiritual way. We have resources available to you like the Leader’s Guide, ready-made social media images, bulletin inserts and minute for mission scripts to help with interpretation. All of the resources you need will be free to download on the website. Be on the lookout for new resources for the sacrament of communion. World Communion Offering Supported Causes This new Offering will be used to further God’s mission and ministry in the world by supporting ministries doing the work of racial justice, gender justice, peacemaking, global witness, and ecumenical and interfaith relations. World Communion Offering Grants Your congregation or mid council can apply for a grant, even if you don’t participate in the Offering. As the information is made available to us, we will share a timeline of the application process, a link to the application and any other helpful tidbits you need to know if you want to apply. Make sure you have updated your preferences to hear all of the latest grant news. Update Your Preferences Thank you for your support of the Special Offerings. We are the Church, Together. Thank you for generously supporting the Churchwide Special Offerings.  If you have any questions, reply to this email or call us at (800) 728-7228, Ext. 5047.

If this email was forwarded to you, sign up for our list.  Copyright © 2026 Special Offerings, All rights reserved.

WCC NEWS: Global communicators reconnect with solidarity and hope

As ecumenical communicators from across the world reconnected online on 21 April to talk about what’s on their hearts and minds, they came away with heightened solidarity and a sense of hope, even amid serious global challenges.  Photo: Grégoire de Fombelle/WCC 22 April 2026 More than 50 communicators—all of whom worked with the World Council of Churches (WCC) during the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany in 2022—shared from their contexts an overview of 2025. It was a year of commemorations, conflicts, and collaboration.  From the Middle East region, Jack Nassar observed that it’s hard to believe four years have passed since the WCC 11th Assembly. “I’m happy to be with you all again,” he said. “A lot has changed in our world and our churches since then.” Nassar spoke of living amid severe conflict and suffering. “But at the same time there’s still a strong and steady hope for peace, but a peace based on justice, dignity and equality, not peace forced by power and war,” he said.  Speaking from the Asia region, Philip Nyam expressed gratitude to WCC communications. “As you are aware, India is a vast country in geographical size and population,” he said. “With this in mind, I would like to share some experiences and observations of what I have seen following from the ecumenical year 2025 in India.” Nyam expressed concern that nationalism in India has caused Christians, who are in the religious minority, to feel forgotten by political power.  “What is reported in the news does not always reflect the realities on the ground,” he said. Stephen Padre, who spoke from his home in Washington, DC, noted how the voices of churches in the United States have become important in addressing violations of human rights.  “Within the United States there was a lot of action to deport immigrants, as the administration believes a lot of people do not belong here,” he said. “Churches have become a major force and a major voice in world affairs and religious affairs.” Gladwell Rurinja brought reflections from Africa, specifically from Kenya. “Last year we came together and decided, why don’t we go to all these churches during the Week of Christian Unity and let people know what this is all about,” she said. “That was  very successful.” Since then, people in Kenya have received even more training about ecumenism. “It has been very exciting having that local person, that normal person on the ground understanding ecumenism,” said Rurinja. Rev. Margarithe Veen, from the Netherlands, said she valued hearing from communicators across the world. “It’s so important to feel this international sisterhood or brotherhood of ecumenical spirit,” she said. “We belong to each other as children of God, as children of Christ.” Map of the location of the people joining the online gathering. Communicators also discussed how they can get involved in WCC messaging by participating in the Thursdays in Black campaign for a world free from rape and violence, and by contributing to the WCC blog. They also received an update on WCC publications, artificial intelligence, and the WCC Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity.  WCC director of Communication Marianne Ejdersten expressed appreciation for the communicators who shared opinions, wisdom, and resources with one another. “We all carry different things in our hearts from 2025,” she said. “As we move through 2026 and into 2027, we stay present for each other and for the ecumenical movement.” Annual Review 2025 Photo gallery of the Ecumenical Year 2025 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

Mission Yearbook: Youth workers are inspired at gathering by the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow

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The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow (Photo by Shawn Kang)

More than 50 youth ministry leaders from across the country recently gathered for the first in-person National Gathering of the Presbyterian Youth Workers’ Association (PYWA) in nearly a decade. PYWA is part of the Christian Formation Collective with the Office of Christian Formation.

The event featured two keynote addresses by author, activist and the Moderator of the 218th General Assembly (2008) the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, who invited attendees into a deeply personal and prophetic exploration of what it means to be called by God in different seasons of life.

The PYWA gathering was co-sponsored by the Office of Presbyterian Youth and Triennium; the Presbytery of San Diego; and Christ Presbyterian Church in Carlsbad, California, which hosted the event. Each attendee received a copy of Reyes-Chow’s latest book, “Everything Good about God Is True: Choosing Faith,” thanks to the sponsorship of the Presbyterian Foundation.

Reyes-Chow shared stories that traced the evolution of his understanding of vocation — from youthful ambition to mature discernment and from personal disappointment to global solidarity.

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Participants were given a copy of Reyes-Chow latest book as gift from the Presbyterian Foundation. (Contributed photo)

In his keynotes, Reyes-Chow reflected on a pivotal moment from his youth: preparing to leave home for college at the University of California, Irvine. “I was excited for college and ready to begin the next stage of life,” recalled Reyes-Chow, reflecting on the significance for a teenager raised by a single mother. But just weeks before the move, his father called to say he could no longer pay for college. “I was devastated, and I could not see beyond my own anger and disappointment.”

That disruption, however, became a turning point. “Fast forward 35 years, and here I am … doing just fine, professionally, emotionally and personally,” he said as he expressed empathy for how hard it must have been for his father to break his promise to pay for college. “With all my heart, mind and soul, I believe that God’s Spirit has been present around, throughout and in it all.”

Rather than viewing God’s call as a rigid plan, Reyes-Chow encouraged youth workers to embrace a more dynamic theology. “I do not believe that there is one singular path for any of us,” he said. “But I do believe that God moves with us no matter where we go.”

In another speech, Reyes-Chow also shared a more recent and sobering story from his February 2024 trip to Palestine with Friends of Sabeel North America and Sabeel, a Palestinian Christian liberation theology organization. He described a harrowing visit to a government-sponsored event in Israel where he and fellow delegates were subjected to propaganda while listening to a grieving father speak about his missing son.

“I had zero compassion for this father,” Reyes-Chow admitted. “And not only no compassion, but I had no empathy. That was not me.”

The experience forced him to confront the emotional toll of occupation and the spiritual cost of dehumanization. “Evil won that room that day,” he said. “And we simply can’t let that happen.”

He emphasized that prophetic calling often involves risk — whether it’s joining a protest, speaking truth from the pulpit or simply choosing empathy in the face of division. “If there isn’t an element of risk involved, then there’s not a prophetic nature of following Jesus into something that God intends for you.”

Throughout the gathering, attendees were invited to reflect on their own callings through worship, liturgy and communal prayer.

In closing, Reyes-Chow reminded participants that being prophetic doesn’t always mean marching in the streets.

“It’s being prophetic in how we actually see another person and have empathy for them … seeing them and their humanity in a different way,” he said.

The event was a powerful reminder that youth workers are not only spiritual guides for young people but also co-collaborators in God’s unfolding hopes for the world.

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Life & Witness (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Mark DeSantis, Vice President, IT Infrastructure & Security, Information Technology, Board of Pensions
Ann DeVilbiss,  Production Associate, Publishing & Editorial, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation 

Let us pray:

God of all seasons of life, thank you for the blessing of our church. Guide us and give us wisdom and willingness to let you lead us. Amen.