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Lenten Offering
Financial Update May 10: “those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25 Thus far (through May 10) we have received $38,457 in Lenten offering donations. Our goal is to raise $32,000 so we can generously support those outreach agencies in desperate need of increased funding due to the increase in people needing services. VHUMC has a wonderful history of generous giving through the Lenten offering. 100% of your gifts will support agencies and efforts such as the following. (These are examples – actual dollar amounts and agencies are decided by the Funds for Christ team once the full Lenten offering is collected.) - Pathways offers women and children new beginnings in a variety of ways; food clothing, laundry, showers, case management support, transitional housing, employment readiness for adult women, “Learning to be a Kid” for children of homeless women, financial planning assistance to prepare the women as they move from homelessness to self-sufficiency, etc. - Birmingham Hospitality Network functions because of people like you being willing to invest their time and talents in the lives of those in need. In January 2010 alone, 3 families moved in to their own homes! This success is a tribute to the hands and hearts of host congregations and their members (VHUMC is a host congregation). If you want to help families in need through BHN any time between March 28 and April 4, please contact Sarah Coe (824-0191 or sarahjcoe@msn.com) or Nancy Dunavant (979-8494 or njdun@bellsouth.net) - Stay tuned for more examples each week as we journey toward the cross. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 12 Our Lenten Journey Continues ---- Admission and Action Each year during Lent, we are reminded of our sins, our shortcomings, our biases, and other less-than-saintly behaviors. We are challenged to identify these human failings and to recommit ourselves to working to be more Christ-like in our attitudes and actions. This is not an easy task. But we are called to it just the same. The song we have been singing in worship services clearly causes us to recognize our shortcomings. “We have failed to love our neighbors, their offences to forgive, have not listened to their troubles, nor have cared just how they live, we are jealous, proud, impatient, loving over much our things; may the yielding of our failings be our Lenten offerings. We are hasty to judge others, blind to proof of human need; and our lack of understanding demonstrates our inner greed; we have wasted earth’s resources; want and suffering we’ve ignored; come and cleanse us, then restore us; make new hearts within us Lord!” I am convicted by the failings described in the song. I am also encouraged and energized by the last line --- the invitation for Jesus to cleanse and restore us, to create in us a clean heart. It is never too late to reach out to those in need. I invite you this Lent to take the first step (or the next step) on your journey of reaching out to those in need. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus says, “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want.” Jesus was rebuking those who criticized the woman who demonstrated radical generosity by pouring expensive perfume on Jesus’ head. Let us show this kind of radical generosity to those in need in our community – and let’s make “any time you want” now. One hundred percent of funds received through the Lenten offering go to support Outreach Ministry --- to agencies who daily reach out to those in need. Once the Lenten Offering has been fully received, the Funds for Christ team will make decisions on how to allocate the money. “those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25. Grace and peace, Patti Eggers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 21 The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is the not-for-profit global humanitarian aid organization of the United Methodist Church. UMCOR is working in more than 80 countries worldwide, including the United States. Our mission, grounded in the teachings of Jesus, is to alleviate human suffering—whether caused by war, conflict or natural disaster, with open hearts and minds to all people. The immediate goal of UMCOR's international and domestic emergency response programs is to provide relief and rehabilitation for people in distress situations. In other words, UMCOR is the human manifestation of peace – peace of mind, peace of body, peace of spirit. Internationally, UMCOR continues to be at work following the devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. Emergency response kits, many collected and assembled by members of our church district, were delivered by UMCOR to those in desperate need of basic supplies. UMCOR also provides shelter, food, and supplies to thousands of the 11 million refugees around the world, continuing a refugee ministry that began in 1940. In many cases, we are miles away from UMCOR’s work, but we pray that our dedicated Lenten offering to will serve as a joyful sign of our faith that people devastated by natural and military disaster will be restored to wholeness in body and spirit through Christ’s work. For ore information on UMCOR, visit http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 14 Birmingham Hospitality Network is one of only two agencies in town that serve homeless families and work to keep those vital bonds unbroken in the face of great stress. What a joy it is to be able to share our church home with those that do not have a place to call home. Families served by BHN show great faithfulness as they travel from church to church each week – confident that through God’s grace and their diligence, they will return to more permanent housing. God responds by using the faithful Christian community in 14 area churches to meet those needs. VHUMC will be hosting God’s people during the weeks of March 28th, July 18th and November 7th. There are many ways that you can participate in this response to homelessness—your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service and your witness. Experience the joy of hospitality. “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 7 A mother of twin daughters who spent lots of time in the hospital undergoing cancer treatments said, “When you’re completely exhausted, you have no hope.” Hope Lodge is a ministry that provides temporary free housing for out-of-town cancer patients and their caregivers. Volunteers can pour out Christ’s abundant hope to these families in a variety of ways: serve meals twice a month, provide cleaning and paper products, drive the shuttle that transports patients and caregivers to their treatments and many other ways. If you feel God’s call to pour out His abundant hope on such as these, contact Mary Ann and Jerry Harris at 969-3592 or shadycoveharris@bellsouth.net “Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ February 21 PATHWAYS epitomizes the outpouring of abundant love and kindness as it continues to grow its services for homeless women and children. What began as two different homeless shelters in the mid-1980’s, has merged and grown into a program that offers a full range of services whose goal is ending homelessness. In addition to meeting the basic needs of housing, food and clothing, innovative programs such as Employment Readiness and Fiscally Fit teach women how to interview, obtain and keep a job and then how to remain self-sufficient after leaving Pathways. Learning to Be A Kid teaches children how to manage emotions, make decisions and build character. PATHWAYS has the only SAFE HAVEN program in Alabama which provides permanent supportive housing for up to 10 chronically mentally ill women. It is the heart of the Gospel that takes place in 3 locations around Birmingham each day-- God’s love and kindness poured out like living water on those most in need. Please give generously to the Lenten offering so VHUMC can support the good work of agencies such as Pathways. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction Our Lenten Journey ---- The Joy in Giving How many times have you gotten something you really wanted and it left you empty? Many times getting what we want doesn’t give us the lasting joy we expect. And sometimes getting all we want can make us down right miserable. We are all thirsty. Everyone is thirsty! We try to quench our thirst with everything but The Living Water. As believers in Christ we know The Living Water. We know its joyous abundance and refreshment to our very souls. But many have never tasted The Living Water. Their misery continues as they search for relief but only find they thirst more and more. Even believers get distracted by the world’s desires and in effect create a dam that prevents God’s abundance from flowing. Proverbs 11:25 reminds us, “The generous will prosper, those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” This Lenten season our focus will be on the joy of giving God’s abundance to others. We are in a difficult economic time in our nation and the needs are very great. Rather than cutting back, our outreach ministry needs to grow to meet those needs. VHUMC has a strong outreach program, and we now have an opportunity to be ready to do more as God calls us. During Lent, we will highlight just a few of VHUMC’s outreach ministry teams. Did you know that we have 32 active outreach teams? These VHUMC leaders and members are refreshing others on a regular basis. Stay tuned during Lent – be open to receiving a refreshing new idea or a refreshing new call – our team leaders are ready to welcome you. As we take this journey together, consider giving more of your “time, talents, gifts, service and witness” in a time when God’s Living Water must flow abundantly. And in return receive the deep abiding joy that lasts and refreshes our souls. To learn more about any of VHUMC’s outreach teams, please contact Patti Rice Eggers at 979-9901 x 343 or peggers@vhumc.org |
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