{"id":1704,"date":"2021-03-09T14:41:46","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T14:41:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.presbyterianmission.org\/weekly-offerings\/?p=1704"},"modified":"2021-03-09T14:41:46","modified_gmt":"2021-03-09T14:41:46","slug":"these-little-piggies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/weekly-offerings\/2021\/03\/09\/these-little-piggies\/","title":{"rendered":"These little piggies…"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Emily Enders Odom<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In preparing for this year\u2019s wildly successful Piglet Challenge<\/a>, sponsored by the Presbyterian Giving Catalog<\/a> in celebration of National Pig Day, March 1, I really did my homework.<\/p>\n

\"\"While it\u2019s true that pigs get little to no respect in the Bible, they are my new heroes when it comes both to caring for Creation<\/a> and the PC(USA)\u2019s Matthew 25 invitation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yes, these oft-reviled animals \u2014 symbolizing the very depths of degradation in the parable of the prodigal or lost son \u2014 are good for the environment and beneficial for humankind.<\/p>\n

My friend and colleague Bryce Wiebe, director of\u00a0the Presbyterian Giving Catalog,\u00a0perhaps explained it best and most succinctly.<\/p>\n

\u201cPigs can help families throughout the world because they can consume food waste and tend to be durable in many climates and environments,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Piglet Challenge is a fun way to encourage the Church to support the\u00a0eradication of poverty<\/a>\u00a0[one of the three foci of Matthew 25] through development projects that make a real difference in people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ambitious goal of this year\u2019s Piglet Challenge \u2014 which was designed to call attention to the importance of\u00a0piglets<\/a>\u00a0toward creating a sustainable source of income for families in need all across the world \u2014 was, at first, 50 piglets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hit our goal of 50 midday on March 1 and announced via Facebook Live that we were increasing the goal to 75,\u201d Lauren Rogers, the Presbyterian Mission Agency\u2019s project manager for Digital Fundraising, told me. \u201cWhen the 24 hours of the challenge elapsed, we were at 107 piglets. The remaining piglets have come in the days since, bringing us to the rather remarkable number of 121 as of Monday, March 8.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"At $40 per piglet, that translates into an unprecedented total of $4,840 raised by faithful donors across the PC(USA).<\/p>\n

The Giving Catalog reminds us that a \u201cgift of one \u2014 or a few \u2014 piglets can serve as a valuable safety net \u2014 a source of income for a family in need. When sold at market, a pig can be the very thing that helps a family through times of struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n

And over 100 donors answered the call on March 1 to honor the world\u2019s families by honoring their own. Here\u2019s what some of them said:<\/p>\n

Presbyterian Women did it: they chose cute piglets!\u00a0Couldn’t pass them up.\u00a0Adding to last summer’s matching chickens, goats and shares of a well. Delighted to be able to contribute.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is in honor of my granddaughter, Odette, who loves piggies!<\/em><\/p>\n

Pigs are special to me.\u00a0Was raised on a farm showing pigs in 4-H.<\/em><\/p>\n

Gift made in honor of the Presbyterian Youth Group (PYG) of First Presbyterian Church, Stillwater Okla.<\/em><\/p>\n

Given by NBPC (New Braunfels Presbyterian Church) Presbyterian Women Spring 2021 Mission Project<\/em><\/p>\n

Oink Oink! Thanks for the opportunity to help a pig and a human.<\/em><\/p>\n

In his preface to Rebecca Barnes\u2019 excellent book \u201c50 Ways to Help Save the Earth\u201d (Westminster John Knox Press, 2009), Gradye Parsons, a former Stated Clerk of the PC(USA), wrote:<\/p>\n

On my grandmother\u2019s farm I learned the direct links between field and table. I saw from a front-row seat how much work it takes to make a living from farming. There is no real time off. There is the constant worry of wanting some things to grow and other things to wilt. Our cousins had larger farms and larger worries, with big investments in farm equipment. Even with these anxieties, the family understood that the prize was the proper long-term stewardship of the land.<\/em><\/p>\n

That and the oink, oink. I couldn\u2019t have said it better myself.<\/p>\n

Now is the time to unite with thousands of others using the Presbyterian Giving Catalog to support the ministries closest to their hearts: feeding the hungry, comforting the brokenhearted and sharing our faith with young and old. Give today by clicking\u00a0<\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Rev. Emily Enders Odom is the Presbyterian Mission Agency\u2019s mission interpretation strategist.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Emily Enders Odom In preparing for this year\u2019s wildly successful Piglet Challenge, sponsored by the Presbyterian Giving Catalog in celebration of National Pig Day, March 1, I really did my homework. While it\u2019s true that pigs get little to no respect in the Bible, they are my new heroes when it comes both to… Read more »<\/a>","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":1705,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[110,103,96,86,2,83],"tags":[2760,2762,2759,2763,2758,5,1769,1211,2761,1743,1120,2757,408,1119,1291,4,1711,49],"class_list":["post-1704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-children","category-creativity","category-food-and-hunger","category-giving","category-presbyterian-giving-catalog","category-youth","tag-bryce-wiebe","tag-donor","tag-emily-enders-odom","tag-farm","tag-food-waste","tag-giving-catalog","tag-giving-challenge","tag-hunger","tag-lauren-rogers","tag-matthew-25","tag-national-pig-day","tag-pig","tag-piglet","tag-piglet-challenge","tag-poverty","tag-presbyterian-giving-catalog","tag-presbyterian-women","tag-youth"],"yoast_head":"\nThese little piggies... - 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