Each year, we challenge ourselves to give above and beyond our normal tithes and offerings to extend generosity to our neighbors. We invite you to pray about how you can contribute toward our goal of $60,000 for the 2019 Christmas Offering. Thank you for your generosity!
We live in a time where spirituality cannot be separated from generosity. The needs of our city and of the world are impossible to ignore. The teachings of Jesus implore us to give to those in need and to commit ourselves to an ethic of generosity.
The Scriptures say that God loves a cheerful giver, not because the church's needs are met, but because God's heart is made glad when we depend on him to provide for us.
We invite you to scroll down to explore the initiatives we are funding together through this offering as well as the impact of from last year’s giving to our city and the world.
—Proverbs 22:9
There are a few different aspects to our engagement in mercy and justice as a church. The first is supporting the work of our amazing partners.
Mother to Mother Brooklyn aims to empower women and their families from all different backgrounds and cultures through educational programs, practical skills, and safe spaces to build friendship and community.
Safe Families for Children creates extended family-like support for desperate families through a community of devoted volunteers motivated by compassion to keep children safe and families intact.
Trellis is a community development organization that helps neighborhoods address injustice together through cultural events, educational forums, and advocacy.
Another aspect of our Mercy and Justice ministry is being prepared to respond to urgent needs when they arise. Through your generosity, we have been able to respond quickly and generously over the years in the face of natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy here at home or Hurricane Harvey in Houston.
A few years ago we sent tens of thousands of dollars worth of food and medical supplies to refugees in Fallujah through our friends at Preemptive Love. A few weeks ago, we again had the opportunity to send life-saving resources for displaced families in Northern Syria.
While we are privileged to have played a role in these efforts over the last few years, we believe God is calling us to increase our engagement with our neighbors in the year ahead. It is a desire we heard expressed by our community in the Church Life Assessment we did earlier this year and as a leadership team we share that heart.
This fall, we have put together a working group to assess where we are and how we can keep growing to become a people who love mercy and seek justice. Our Christmas Offering will also resource new initiatives that emerge from that process.
One of the most practical ways we are able to be the church together is to bear one another’s burdens, stepping in to provide tangible help in times of need. This Fund exists to support members of our church family who are going through financial difficulty.
Whether money is tight for groceries or a MetroCard, if a medical emergency comes up, if it’s hard to make ends meet for rent, or anything in between… our deacons assess needs and steward these funds to provide support. We long to grow in generosity so that it may truly be said that there were no needy among them.
—John 13: 34–35
Here is a summary of the work your giving to last year’s Christmas Offering contributed to:
494 Christmas gifts provided for families with limited means
120 backpacks full of school supplies for disadvantaged families
Life saving food and medical care provided for 750 refugees in Northern Syria
55 hours of ESL classes including childcare for 24 immigrant mothers in Brooklyn
Relational support provided to help 32 vulnerable families stay together
$14,208 in support provided through the Deacons Fund
1,300 families served through Easter Egg Hunt and Halloween outreaches
—2 Corinthians 9:7
