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Kellie's Corner--March Epistle
One Great Hour of Sharing
More than 60 years ago, in response to the devastation of World War II, a Saturday evening nationwide broadcast asked Americans to give generously the next morning in their churches. A remarkable variety of national leaders and celebrities gave their efforts to the broadcast, and more than 75,000 churches responded. The Presbyterian Church was one such respondent. Today the nationwide offering is called One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS). Presbyterians work with other denominations to give some of the gifts for shared ministry through Church World Service (CWS) but our own denomination decides how our gifts will be used. The PC (U.S.A.) divides its gifts into roughly thirds: Self Development of People, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), The Presbyterian Hunger Program.
A more recent example of just what OGHS can do is Haiti. PDA has been supporting communities in the long struggle to rebuild from this disaster -- the worst earthquake to strike Haiti in 200 years. Funds are being used to help with basic humanitarian relief efforts of providing temporary shelter, food and health assistance. Funds are also being used to provide water, sanitation engineers and equipment to construct water purification systems. Resources for building latrines are also being provided, as the sanitation situation is critical. At the close of January, our OGHS Offering enabled Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to send Haiti $209,000. PDA has committed to providing at least $500,00 toward the response.
As God's people here at RGPC, we have been hard at work supporting not only relief efforts in Haiti but the general OGHS Offering. We know that Christ has called us to stand in the "GAP" -- to Give, to Act, and to Pray.
GIVE -- Individuals from our congregation, as well as groups within the church, have given donations especially for Haiti through PDA. Also, every year the RGPC family supports OGHS by distributing fish boxes to all of our children in the Sunday School Program. This will happen on March 7, 2010 and the children will have the month to collect their change for OGHS then bring their boxes back to church on March 28th for them to be dedicated during the 10:30 a.m. worship service.
ACT -- Club 56, our fifth and sixth grad students headed up the assembling of hygiene kits for Haitians. Their goal was to make 100 gifts and because of the support of everyone in our church family they more than tripled their goal making 330 kits! Also, since Hurricane Katrina hit four years ago we have been sending out an annual mission trip of adults to work with PDA wherever the need is the greatest.
PRAY -- We have also been diligent in our prayers for our brothers and sisters in Haiti and for all those providing aid in all forms during this critical time.
Please save your change this March to drop into a child's fish box and give generously to OGHS as we seek to follow Christ when he said, "Feed my sheep."
Your Partner in Ministry, Kellie |
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