Special Offerings of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

One Great Hour of Sharing

For more than fifty years, Presbyterians have joined with Christians throughout the nation in supporting One Great Hour of Sharing, responding to Christ's love for all people by joyfully sharing that love with people in need. The refugee and the stranger have found food and safe shelter; those stunned by the aftermath of disasters have found relief and help rebuilding; and communities seeking to take control of their future have found partners in development. Presbyterians' gifts support the work of The Presbyterian Committee for the Self-Development of People, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and the Presbyterian Hunger Program. The hundreds of millions of dollars Presbyterians have given over the last half century have enabled a powerful witness to the love of the One who came that all might have life more abundantly.

Pentecost Offering

The Pentecost Offering is traditionally received on the day of Pentecost. It provides a direct way to meet the needs of children at risk, youth, and young adults.  Congregations are encouraged to keep 40 percent of the Offering to support ministry with children at risk in their communities.

The General Assembly’s portion (60 percent) provides leadership development opportunities for Presbyterian youth and young adults and supports children-at-risk programs at the national level. Since 1998, Presbyterians of all ages have raised over $7 million for these ministries that benefit younger members of God’s family.

Peacemaking Offering
The Peacemaking Offering, received by most congregations on World Communion supports peacemaking initiatives and peace education throughout the church.  This offering was one response to recommendations made in the report “Peacemaking: The Believers’ Calling,” which was adopted by the General Assembly in 1980.  It is recommended that 25 percent of the offering received be retained by each congregation, 25 percent be used by synods and presbyteries, and 50 percent be used by the General Assembly ministries through the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.

Christmas Joy Offering

A Presbyterian tradition for almost seventy years, the Christmas Joy Offering provides congregations direct ways of supporting specific causes that help those in need. Fifty percent of the receipts to the Christmas Joy Offering are distributed to the Board of Pensions for assistance programs that provide support to retired and active church workers and their spouses and families. The other fifty percent supports Presbyterian-related racial ethnic education through the National Ministries Division of the General Assembly Council.  The Christmas Joy Offering is usually received the Sunday before Christmas.

Other Special Offerings and Mission Projects

In addition to four church-wide special offerings, we participate in Blanket Sunday, Plowsharing Crafts, Matthew 25 Hunger Fund, Two Cents a Meal, Souper Bowl Sunday and St. Nicholas Fund.

The Tools & Blankets Program is a special mission A Rainbow of Caring... opportunity that can involve all ages. Some 8,000 congregations and groups across the U.S. hold Tools & Blankets events, providing more than $3.7 million to help people in some 80 nations, including the U.S. The right tool at the right time can make a world of difference in the lives of children and families faced with an emergency or struggling to keep food on the table.  Blankets are used in times of disaster for warmth and for shelter. Build a Rainbow of Caring by providing:

• Warm blankets for five refugee children... $25
• Wheelbarrow, hoe, shovel, and rake for a rural family... $57
• Nets and other equipment for a village fishing cooperative... $100
• Family shelter kit: a family-sized tent, ground cloth, plastic sheeting, two poles, and four blankets... $172
• Partial secondary school tuition for an AIDS orphan or other vulnerable child... $300
• Well pump, piping, and hardware for a village water system... $1,000

Plowsharing Crafts

Usually on the first Sunday of December the Mission and Outreach Committee sponsors a sale of Plowsharing Crafts, which has provided meaningful income to skilled artisans around the world by marketing their products in the St. Louis area since 1985. It is a project/ministry of the St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship, one of two Mennonite churches located in the St. Louis area.
Plowsharing Crafts is in partnership with Ten Thousand Villages (TTV), the oldest and largest Fair Trade organization in North America. TTV works with over 60,000 artisans in 35 different countries and has a network of over 100 stores in the US. Each of their vendors is committed to Fair Trade and conforms to the principles as laid out on their website www.plowsharing.org.

Matthew 25 Hunger Fund
The Matthew 25 Hunger Fund provides direct aid to bring relief to families and individuals who are in desperate trouble. Often because of illness, death, loss of jobs, separation or divorce, families face losing utilities or shelter. A timely payment can bring relief and time to work out deeper problems. Funds are distributed to area agencies or by the presbytery through the ministry of Hunger Action Enabler, Karen Bradshaw-Miller. Requests also come from the United Way, utility companies, and churches. Each case is carefully evaluated and much effort is expended to find appropriate community resources to meet the specific need.
Some funds are also used for development assistance, lifestyle integrity, public policy advocacy, and education.

Two Cents a Meal
Two Cents a Meal is a program of the presbytery that provides funds for baby formula and food for our youngest and most vulnerable citizens. Contributions to centers for low income babies throughout the presbytery help mothers provide for their at-risk babies.

Souper Bowl Sunday

The Souper Bowl of Caring, www.souperbowl.org,  utilizes Super Bowl weekend to mobilize youth to fight hunger and poverty in their local communities to help hungry and hurting people around the world.  Twenty-two Columbia, SC churches participated in 1990 the first year, reporting their results so a total could be determined, and then sending all $5,700 they had raised to area non-profits.  Since then, ordinary young people have generated an extraordinary $50 million for soup kitchens, food banks and other charities in communities across the country. In addition, hundreds of thousands of youth have experienced for themselves the joy and satisfaction of giving and serving, inspiring people of all ages to follow their generous example.

St. Nicholas Fund

The St. Nicholas Fund is a New Horizons Christmas offering that is used in two ways: 1) to purchase fruit for baskets given to 15-20 members each year at Christmastime, and 2) to provide gifts to members and friends who have special needs.  An appointed team from the Mission and Outreach Committee recommends the uses of this fund each year.