{"id":2116,"date":"2024-09-23T06:00:08","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T06:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.presbyterianmission.org\/weekly-offerings\/?p=2116"},"modified":"2024-08-15T13:17:00","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T13:17:00","slug":"pennsylvania-church-offers-community-a-fresh-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/weekly-offerings\/2024\/09\/23\/pennsylvania-church-offers-community-a-fresh-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania Church Offers Community a \u2018Fresh Start\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\"\"\n

The local laundromat was Linda\u2019s chapel. It was where she first shared a prayer concern that had been weighing heavily on her mind \u2014 and on her family\u2019s heart \u2014 to say nothing of their budget.<\/p>\n

At the time, Linda was dealing with stage 4 cancer.<\/p>\n

She confessed to the pastor and volunteers from the Presbyterian Church of Waynesboro<\/a>, Pennsylvania, who were gathered around Linda and her daughter, \u201cSince I got sick, my washer and dryer can\u2019t handle the volume of blankets and bedding.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cost of doing laundry was driving Linda\u2019s family and other families deeper into poverty. And so began the church\u2019s \u201cFresh Start: Loads of Love\u201d laundry outreach program, funded in part by a grant received from the Presbytery of Carlisle<\/a>\u2019s portion of the Peace & Global Witness Offering<\/a>. The presbytery grants empower congregations and individuals to become peacemakers in their communities and in the world.<\/p>\n

Traditionally received on World Communion Sunday, the\u00a0Peace & Global Witness Offering<\/a>\u00a0is unique in that half of it is directed to peacemaking and global witness efforts at the national church level to address critical justice issues around the world. Twenty-five percent is retained by our congregation for peace and reconciliation work, and 25% is kept by mid councils for similar ministries on the regional level. (TALK ABOUT HOW YOUR CONGREGATION HAS USED\/WILL USE YOUR OFFERING)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Waynesboro church\u2019s laundry outreach program exemplifies the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)\u2019s longstanding commitment to peacemaking,\u201d said the Rev. Wilson Kennedy, the PC(USA)\u2019s associate director for Special Offerings and Appeals. \u201cEven the simplest tasks, like washing clothes for those on the margins of our communities, helps sow seeds of peace like Jesus commands us.\u201d<\/p>\n

And following Jesus\u2019 commandments is integral to the mission of \u201cFresh Start.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Rev. Caroline Vickery says, \u201cWe know that Jesus makes it clear that how we treat the vulnerable is how we treat Jesus. Most of our members are college-educated, literate and middle-class. Our laundry outreach has put them in touch with a world whose hardships they\u2019re unaware of. It comes as a shock for people to realize how costly doing your laundry can be and to know that people can\u2019t use their SNAP benefits to buy detergent, cleaning supplies or personal hygiene items. Not being able to keep yourself clean robs people of their dignity. There\u2019s something restorative about knowing that people will be able to be their best selves. That\u2019s why we call it \u2018Fresh Start.\u2019 It\u2019s a chance to start over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many other small churches who want to improve the lives of people in their communities so that the love of God can be made visible through their ministries,\u201d Vickery said. \u201cBy giving to the Peace & Global Witness Offering, people can help other small churches make God\u2019s love real \u2014 in their town and around the world.<\/p>\n

And as we always say, when we all do a little \u2014 it adds up to a lot! Please give generously.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Let us pray~<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

God of Peace, even the simplest acts of love and care for another person are counted as peace to you. Thank you for showing us the way of peace in the person of Jesus, and walk with us as we work to sow seeds of peace in our world through our gifts. In Jesus\u2019 name, we pray.<\/em> Amen<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The local laundromat was Linda\u2019s chapel. It was where she first shared a prayer concern that had been weighing heavily on her mind \u2014 and on her family\u2019s heart \u2014 to say nothing of their budget. At the time, Linda was dealing with stage 4 cancer. She confessed to the pastor and volunteers from the… Read more »<\/a>","protected":false},"author":333,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[3749,3750,20,960,33,6,59],"class_list":["post-2116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-peace-and-global-witness-offering","tag-peace-global-witness","tag-peace-global-witness-offering","tag-peace-global","tag-peacemakers","tag-peacemaking","tag-special-offerings","tag-stewardship"],"yoast_head":"\nPennsylvania Church Offers Community a \u2018Fresh Start\u2019 - Where Your Heart Is...<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/weekly-offerings\/2024\/09\/23\/pennsylvania-church-offers-community-a-fresh-start\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pennsylvania Church Offers Community a \u2018Fresh Start\u2019\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The local laundromat was Linda\u2019s chapel. 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