A Moment for Mission
“If any of you are suffering, they should pray. If any of you are happy, they should sing.” —James 5:13, CEB
Next Sunday is World Communion Sunday and we will partner with other UMC congregations in a special offering to support young adults and make a global impact for Christ. Half of the offering benefits World Communion scholarships for graduate students from the U.S. and other countries. The remainder assists Ethnic Scholarships for U.S. and international undergraduate students in the U.S. and Ethnic In-Service Training. These funds are administered by the General Boards of Global Ministries and Higher Education and Ministry. Through our gifts and support, we are invited to partner with God to infuse Christ’s loving presence with our words and actions and through our support of young faithful leaders around the world.
By investing in the next generation, we can help build a brighter future for them, their communities and the world. When you give generously on World Communion Sunday, you partner with talented, qualified students from around the globe to transform the world as witnesses for Christ.
Children’s Message
Material: building blocks
Have you ever built something big and strong and beautiful with blocks? How does it feel? (Allow the children to respond.)
It brings God joy when we help build the church to be big, strong and beautiful. (add more blocks). The church is more than just this building that was carefully constructed. (Add more blocks.) Each one of us adds to the strength of the church. (Ask each child to add a block.)
We are connected with Christians from all over the world to make Go’’s church strong and beautiful everywhere. (Add more blocks.) When we come to the Communion table, we remember that as Christians, we are all building something strong and beautiful when we follow Jesus. For more than 2,000 years, Holy Communion has united Christians in the love that God through Jesus has for us. When we share Holy Communion, we become a part of something big and beautiful that spreads God’s love and joy to others.
Prayer
Wise, nurturing and welcoming God, thank you for inviting us into new understandings of your love and for lifting and holding us together in this holy space. We rejoice in the ways that your children are connected through your son, Jesus Christ. Prepare our hearts to give generously on World Communion Sunday. Bless our special offering so that the gifts we present will be multiplied and shared with faithful students around the world. Amen.
Newsletter Nugget
“If any of you are suffering, they should pray. If any of you are happy, they should sing.” —James 5:13, CEB
Next Sunday is World Communion Sunday and we will partner with other UMC congregations in a special offering to support young adults and make a global impact for Christ. For example, Jorge Saiete, who grew up on the United Methodist Cambine Mission Station in the southern part of Mozambique, is working to complete a master of public education degree with the help of a World Communion Scholarship from Global Ministries.
Saiete explains: “I was born in 1980 during the civil war that lasted 16 years. When I was two years old, my father was killed, and the fighting destroyed all my family belongings, including house, cattle and farming areas. My early years of life were very difficult. My mom, who had to take care of her seven children alone, faced many challenges to feed and provide shelter, clothes and school fees. The war subjected my family to extreme poverty.”
Instead of dwelling on his losses, he determined to study the causes and events of the civil war and work in his professional life to prevent such a destructive course of action from happening again.
Your gifts on World Communion Sunday equip gifted, qualified students from around the globe to become the world changers God created them to be.
While World Communion Sunday is celebrated on October 6, you can make your offering today. Write a check addressed to your local church and write “World Communion Sunday” in the memo line. To give online or set up monthly giving, go to UMC.org/SSGive.