Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other.
– John 13:34 (Common English Bible)
Grace to you and peace in the name of God, who is Love! For 115 years, the Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund has been a tangible expression of God’s love. One of the four Special Mission Offerings of the United Church of Christ, the Christmas Fund provides UCC congregations and members an opportunity to reach out in loving compassion, providing assistance to those who have so faithfully served our Church and who now find themselves facing unexpected financial needs. In 2015, UCC congregations and members generously contributed $1,528,481 to the Offering (St. John UCC contributed $95). This enabled the Pension
Boards’ Ministerial Assistance program to provide, on behalf of the whole Church, Pension Supplementation, Health Premium Supplementation, Emergency Grants, and
Christmas “Thank You” Gift Checks to individuals and families in need.
The theme of the 2016 Christmas Fund Offering is God’s Love Colors Everything, and our goal is to raise $1.7 million to help support these ministries of love and care. In the spirit of love, we invite and encourage you to prayerfully consider and support this year’s appeal. On behalf of the hundreds of clergy and lay employees and their families whose lives were touched by your support of last year’s Christmas Fund Offering, we offer our sincere thanks to you for your generosity and for the love that colors everything in God’s name!
–from The Pension Boards–United Church of Christ, Inc. and United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance
(We will be collecting the Christmas Fund Offering throughout the month of December. For your convenience a special giving envelope is included in this newsletter. Additional envelopes will be available in the Sunday bulletins and/or on the table in the church lobby.)
