Dear Friends in Christ:
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” –Matthew 5:9.
On World Communion Sunday, October 6, we will dedicate one of the four Presbyterian Church special offerings: The Peace and Global Witness Offering. This peacemaking offering is used to support efforts to bring peace and fight injustice around the world. For example, in Tuvalu, the offering works to address the effects of climate change for families on the South Pacific island of Tuvalu. In Madagascar, the peacemaking offering has been used to prevent human trafficking and to stop children from being exploited. Closer to home, in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, a portion of the Peacemaking offering provides free laundry services to those who cannot handle that relatively simple expenditure because of medical emergencies or acute poverty.
50 percent of the offering supports the work being done for peacemaking around the globe. 25% goes to mid-councils in the church to support local ministries such as the one in Waynesboro. And 25% will go to support peacemaking and reconciliation in the Lehigh Valley through mission partners chosen by our Compassion, Peace, and Justice team. To make your contribution, you can use the special envelopes you can find in the sanctuary and outside Fellowship Hall. Or you can make the gift through the FPCA website, or by check, marking “Peacemaking Offering on the memo line.
We hope you will prayerfully consider making an offering towards peace this year!
And even as we look forward to dedicating the Peace and Global Witness Offering on Oct. 6, we have reason to celebrate another generous outpouring of love by members of FPCA. This year’s Par for the Cause golf outing, which took place in August, raised $29,655! That money will go to support the local YMCA’s Warming Station winter shelter program for unhoused neighbors. Many thanks to the hard-working organizing team for the event – and to all who contributed to this latest effort to respond to Jesus’ call in Matthew 25 to help “the least of these.”
Grace and peace,
