Annual observance also invites Presbyterians to connect with ‘Prayer Partners’
by Emily Enders Odom | Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE — While tummies are still full from Thanksgiving and hearts have just begun to glow with the first candlelight of Advent, the secular calendar offers yet another important observance — #GivingTuesday.
Originally launched in 2012 as a philanthropic response to the consumer-driven holidays of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday has continued to grow not only in dollars raised, but also in participating organizations. Likewise, annual giving to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) — which joined the #GivingTuesday movement in 2014 — has grown with each ensuing year, both in terms of dollars raised and in number of donors.
To celebrate the day and to encourage greater giving tomorrow, Dec. 1, the PC(USA) will be hosting a 12-hour live-stream offering entertainment, information and — most importantly — prayer.
“In addition to receiving gifts, we will offer a gift to the Church as well, the gift of prayer,” said the Rev. Dr. Diane Moffett, president and executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency. “Given all the concerns being raised now, the gift of prayer is priceless. Giving Tuesday also comes just days after the beginning of Advent, the season when we celebrate the coming of the Christ Child, the greatest gift of all.”
Tuesday’s virtual event, titled “We are the Church, Together,” will offer the gifts of volunteer “Prayer Partners,” members of the national staff who will listen to the concerns of those who call in to the designated number, and offer a brief personal pastoral prayer.
The #GivingTuesday schedule will also include worship and reflection, prayer, mental health breaks, ministry area highlights and a game called “PresbySquares,” featuring current and former General Assembly co-moderators, moderators and a PC(USA) “celebrity” guest, Rev. Dr. Cláudio Carvalhaes.
“We are in a new age and the church of the 21st century requires innovative thinking and action,” said the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). “That innovation comes only through the gifts and contributions from across the denomination. What greater message can we send, than to meet and exceed our Giving Tuesday goals? That means a stronger commitment from our current donors and the involvement of new ones.”
In its campaign this year, the PC(USA) will be emphasizing support for Shared Mission, Special Offerings and Per Capita as the Church continues to embody Matthew 25.
“Giving Tuesday also gives us another opportunity to share with those who participate more about how we are living into our Matthew 25 call and being a church of action,” Moffett said.
More information — including how to reach the PC(USA)’s volunteer “Prayer Partners” — is available at giving-tuesday.pcusa.org.
“Prayer is a gift of the people of God for one another,” said the Rev. Rosemary C. Mitchell, senior director for the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Mission Engagement and Support. “When someone prays for me, I find it a moment that is humbling and powerful — a moment when I know that I no longer carry my burden alone. When words fail me, another’s words hold me up, giving me hope and reminding me that God is present.”
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Categories: Ministry Engagement & Support 2, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Tags: #givinigtuesday, matthew 25 invitation, ministry engagement and support 2, per capita, presbysquares, rev. dr. diane moffett, rev. dr. j. herbert nelson ii, rev. rosemary mitchell, shared mission, Special Offerings, we are the church together
Ministries: Mission Engagement and Support