From a friend, colleague, and mentor

I have known Jane Fisler=Hoffman from the very early days of my ministry. She is currently serving as the Interim Conference Minister in Southern California=Nevada and is my mentor in Conference Ministry.

She wrote a blog this week asking her churches to contribute to the One Great Hour of Sharing offering taken in most churches this Sunday. I could try and capture the same sentiments, but why try? She did it so well. Here are her thoughts:

Why Give to OGHS when just gave to disaster relief?
Posted on March 12, 2010 by janefislerhoffman
Dear SCNC Friends,
[PASTORS AND LAY LEADERS, PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR CONGREGATIONS ABOUT OGHS!]
This coming Sunday is the day designated for gathering the critically important annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering (though some may do so in later weeks as well and that’s fine…). I know that many of you have given generously to Haiti Relief through the UCC and/or Church World Service and GOD BLESS YOU for those gifts of love. They are making and will make life saving differences for the people of Haiti. But it is my fervent prayer that we will not let those gifts prevent us from generously, even more than ever, supporting One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) this year. Here are three reasons why that is so vital:
It was your giving to OGHS in the past that made it possible for the United Church of Christ to send immediate funds to our partners in Haiti and other disaster regions this past year. Some is always set aside for future unanticipated events like this.
OGHS is one source of our basic support for our own Wider Church Ministries and as the UCC for Church World Service. That basic support—unlike designated disaster funds—provides the absolutely essential ‘infrastructure’ of our excellent global organizations on the scene day in and day out to be sure that your ministry reaches those most in need. That basic support assures that your funds are well managed. That basic support gives you confidence asssure that our collective ministries are run in good faith, with best practices and in respectful partnerships. That basic support makes sure that we are in a position to help quickly and meaningfully when disasters strike, when wars or famine create displaced populations, and much more.
And your giving to One Great Hour of Sharing is doing even more than disaster response, every day, all around the world, on your behalf and in the name of our Christ. For instance: your giving builds schools and provides education to children from poor families in Laos. Your giving equips a network of community health educators in Chile and missionary doctors in India, East Timor and Haiti for ministries of healing. Your giving enables women in Egypt, Zimbabwe, Bosnia, and Ecuador to receive micro-credit loans, start small businesses and provide for their families. OGHS is so much more than disaster response!
Your generous responses to the Samoan tsunami, the Philippine floods and now the Haiti earthquake tell me that your generous spirits go deep and that you will not tire of doing good! But I hope this reminder will help you to know that giving to One Great Hour of Sharing makes possible a greater doing of ‘good’ than you might have imagined. So thank you in advance for helping us all grow our giving to One Great Hour of Sharing to do God’s work every day, all around the world.
Bless You, dear friends in Christ.
Jane