History of the United Methodist Church-Wide Special
Sundays with Offerings
Human Relations Day
The 1972 General Conference established Human Relations Day to promote support for Community Developers, United Methodist Voluntary Services and Police-Community Relations programs. In 1989, the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program replaced the Police-Community Relations Program. More than 30 church-based Community Developers work in racial- and ethnic-minority communities in the United States and Puerto Rico (57 percent of the offering). A multiracial network of grassroots social-justice organizations related to United Methodist Voluntary Services provides vital outreach (33 percent). Christ-centered Youth Offender Rehabilitation projects give teenagers a chance to succeed (10 percent).
One Great Hour of Sharing
In 1946, One Great Hour of Sharing began as a special effort of the Episcopal Church. In 1949, the observance became ecumenical. Originally, congregations reserved one special worship hour during the year for people of faith to contribute over and above their regular offerings. Today different denominations celebrate One Great Hour of Sharing on various dates, but the cooperative spirit remains.
Native American Ministries Sunday
In a petition to the 1988 General Conference, the Native American International Caucus proposed and delegates approved Native American Awareness Sunday. The 2000 General Conference changed the name of the observance to Native American Ministries Sunday.
Peace with Justice Sunday
The 1980 General Conference created a church-wide Peace with Justice program assigned to the General Board of Church and Society. The 1984 General Conference voted to support the program with an annual Special Sunday offering on World Order Sunday, established more than half a century ago to build recognition and support for the work of the United Nations. While World Order Sunday was set traditionally in October, churches were encouraged to observe it any time during the season of Pentecost. The 1988 General Conference established Peace with Justice Sunday as the first Sunday after Pentecost to give churches a single, more convenient date for the offering and a name that clearly identifies the ministries it supports.
World Communion Sunday
In 1940, the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America established Worldwide Communion Sunday as a global, interdenominational event. Prompted by the impact of World War II, the Methodist Church received an offering on this Sunday for the Fellowship of Suffering and Service. In 1971, The United Methodist Church changed the name of the observance to World Communion Sunday and redistributed the offering to support the Crusade Scholarship Program (begun in 1944), the Ethnic Minority Scholarship Program and the Division of Chaplains and Related Ministries. In 1980, Chaplains and Related Ministries was moved to World Service funding, but the World Communion Sunday offering continued to assist ethnic minority persons pursuing various avenues of ministry. In 2008, “Crusade Scholars” became “World Communion Scholars.”
United Methodist Student Day
In 1866, a special fund was established for the advanced education of Sunday-school children and the educational preparation of persons for the ministry and missionary service. The 1940 General Conference established Methodist Student Day with a church-wide offering. The 1968 Uniting Conference continued this connectional student-aid program to be funded by the United Methodist.
Please note that at Jackson Chapel UMC we do not take special offerings for these specific Sundays. Instead we set aside part of our congregational offerings as a whole throughout the year.
The 1972 General Conference established Human Relations Day to promote support for Community Developers, United Methodist Voluntary Services and Police-Community Relations programs. In 1989, the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program replaced the Police-Community Relations Program. More than 30 church-based Community Developers work in racial- and ethnic-minority communities in the United States and Puerto Rico (57 percent of the offering). A multiracial network of grassroots social-justice organizations related to United Methodist Voluntary Services provides vital outreach (33 percent). Christ-centered Youth Offender Rehabilitation projects give teenagers a chance to succeed (10 percent).
One Great Hour of Sharing
In 1946, One Great Hour of Sharing began as a special effort of the Episcopal Church. In 1949, the observance became ecumenical. Originally, congregations reserved one special worship hour during the year for people of faith to contribute over and above their regular offerings. Today different denominations celebrate One Great Hour of Sharing on various dates, but the cooperative spirit remains.
Native American Ministries Sunday
In a petition to the 1988 General Conference, the Native American International Caucus proposed and delegates approved Native American Awareness Sunday. The 2000 General Conference changed the name of the observance to Native American Ministries Sunday.
Peace with Justice Sunday
The 1980 General Conference created a church-wide Peace with Justice program assigned to the General Board of Church and Society. The 1984 General Conference voted to support the program with an annual Special Sunday offering on World Order Sunday, established more than half a century ago to build recognition and support for the work of the United Nations. While World Order Sunday was set traditionally in October, churches were encouraged to observe it any time during the season of Pentecost. The 1988 General Conference established Peace with Justice Sunday as the first Sunday after Pentecost to give churches a single, more convenient date for the offering and a name that clearly identifies the ministries it supports.
World Communion Sunday
In 1940, the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America established Worldwide Communion Sunday as a global, interdenominational event. Prompted by the impact of World War II, the Methodist Church received an offering on this Sunday for the Fellowship of Suffering and Service. In 1971, The United Methodist Church changed the name of the observance to World Communion Sunday and redistributed the offering to support the Crusade Scholarship Program (begun in 1944), the Ethnic Minority Scholarship Program and the Division of Chaplains and Related Ministries. In 1980, Chaplains and Related Ministries was moved to World Service funding, but the World Communion Sunday offering continued to assist ethnic minority persons pursuing various avenues of ministry. In 2008, “Crusade Scholars” became “World Communion Scholars.”
United Methodist Student Day
In 1866, a special fund was established for the advanced education of Sunday-school children and the educational preparation of persons for the ministry and missionary service. The 1940 General Conference established Methodist Student Day with a church-wide offering. The 1968 Uniting Conference continued this connectional student-aid program to be funded by the United Methodist.
Please note that at Jackson Chapel UMC we do not take special offerings for these specific Sundays. Instead we set aside part of our congregational offerings as a whole throughout the year.
ASH WEDNESDAY
Just a few facts:
Ash Wednesday is a popular day among Christians worldwide. It is considered to be the first day of Lent, a religious observance where people fast for 40 days (excluding Sundays). The 40-day sign of penitence starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, which is a day before Easter Sunday.
Ash Wednesday is a day after Shrove Tuesday, popularly known as Fat Tuesday, which often features various carnival or Mardi Gras celebrations in many countries. One most notable celebration in the United States is the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations.
There are some variations in Ash Wednesday's celebration across cultures. Many people observe a fast throughout the lent season by avoiding meat, eggs, dairy products and animal or vegetable oils.
In places such as the Cayman Islands, French Guiana, and Jamaica, Ash Wednesday is a public holiday.
For many centuries, the 40-day period of abstinence has been considered as a time for self-introspection and observing humility prior to Easter.
Although Ash Wednesday and the lent season are relatively well-known celebrations across Christian sections, there are few unique facts about this season that many would possibly not know. Following are few of them:
1. Fasting not really required
Despite the tradition of fasting depicted in the Bible, and Jesus' referenced to it, the New Testament teaching does not require fasting and says that neither Jesus nor his disciples made fasting obligatory. However, during the lent season, many of the faithful Christians commit to fasting or in many instances, give up certain types of luxuries as a form of penitence.
2. Lent Actually Means 'Spring'
During the middle ages, when sermon began to be given in the vernacular instead of Latin, the English word lent was said to be adopted. The word initially meant only 'Spring', just like in the German language 'Lenz' and Dutch 'Lente'. It derives from the Germanic root for long, simply referring to the fact that the days are beginning to become longer in spring.
3. '40' has many symbolic representation
As the fasting period of 40 days is observed, the number tends to be a symbolic representation of many religious facts or Biblical references. It is traditionally described as fasting for 40 days is in commemoration of the forty days, which, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry where he is said to have endured temptation by the Devil.
Other biblical references where the number 40 is important are: the 40 days Moses spent on Mount Sinai with God, the 40 days and nights Elijah spent walking to Mount Horeb, the 40 days and nights God is said to have sent rain causing the great flood of Noah, the 40 years the Hebrew people wandered in the desert in their journey towards the 'Promised land' and the 40 days Jonah gave in his prophecy of judgment to the city of Ninevah.
4. Ash is the Reminder of Human Mortality
The ashes that are used by priests on the Ash Wednesday usually come from the remains of burned palms that were blessed on the previous year's Palm Sunday. The ash symbolizes death, mortality and sorrow for sin. The marking of ashes on the forehead in the form of a cross also represents that sins are forgiven through Jesus' death and resurrection.
5. "Ash Monday"
Not all traditions celebrate the concept of Ash Wednesday on a Wednesday. In countries such as Cyprus and Greece, the concept of the first day of Lent is observed on a Monday. Many eastern churches do not generally observe Ash Wednesday but they observe Ash Monday (often called 'Clean Monday' or Green
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