The Reconciliation Ministry Special Offering will be received in congregations this year on September 26th and October 3rd. Our theme is “Revealing God’s Justice: “The Time is Always Ripe to Do What is Right.” Now, in the wake of the death of George Floyd, violence against Asian and Pacific Islanders, and the deadly inequities of the Coronavirus Pandemic, is the time for our Church to strengthen its commitment to actively seek God’s justice. As followers of Christ, we believe every life is precious and valued in God’s beloved community.
Reconciliation Ministry is the church wide mission fund which supports programs and program partners that enable full human flourishing for everyone in every community. Your generosity has supported our ability to provide grant awards to Bethany College’s Equity Community Guide and Diversity Audit, the Region of Greater Kansas City’s Becoming Beloved Community Program, as well as, national and local racial and social justice educational events such as Facing Brokenness and the Scarritt Bennett Center’s White Co-Conspirators conference).
We believe that the Christian Church (Disciple of Christ) is uniquely equipped to impact racial equity and justice in the communities where we worship and serve because of our 25+ year commitment to racial justice and reconciliation. Your gifts to Reconciliation Ministry promote our mission of creating a just and loving society.
The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God’s salvation is for ALL of us. The scripture in Isaiah 56:1 reads, “This is what the LORD says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.”
We all have a role in revealing God’s justice. As the community of faith, the body of believers, and members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)It this is our call. Your gifts promote our ability to reveal God’s love and justice in such a time as this!
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Testimonies.
Media Files:
Revealing God’s Justice PowerPoint Slide
Revealing God’s Justice (JPG)
Reconciliation Special Offering Video
Moment for Mission
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About the Special Offering
The Reconciliation Ministry Special Offering is used to fund our Church’s mission imperative to become a pro-reconciling and anti-racist church. We accomplish this identity through experiential education, inclusive worship, and creating opportunities for intentional dialogue. Our efforts to promote healing, relationship, and restoration in the whole family of God are supported by funds from this Offering. Through it we are able to provide programs for leadership development, anti-oppression/anti-racism educational events, and opportunities for transformative dialogue within the Church and our communities.
Recent events have reignited the conversation about human brokenness embedded in our institutional structures and systems. We recognize that racism is more than personal prejudice. Your generous giving to Reconciliation Ministry is strengthening Christ’s witness in the world empowering Disciples in every community to disrupt forms of racial oppression revealed in through disparities in policies and practices that serve as barriers to full human flourishing.
Donations on behalf of emergency grants to support impacted communities and congregations toward healing of racial unrest can be directed to the Reconciliation Annual Fund/Racial Justice Response.
Why Have a Special Offering?
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has a history dating from the 1960s of sharing our resources to address the racism of our society and the racism within our own church. We have called this process the Reconciliation Ministry.
We receive this offering in the fall and use the funds throughout the year to give grants to the pro-reconciliation/anti-racism initiative to organize to dismantle systems and structures that perpetuate this sin of division within the Church.
The 2020 Vision adopted by our church in 1997 names this work as one of the four imperatives of our mission as a whole church. This voluntary annual offering is the primary source of funding for Reconciliation Ministry.
As the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) lives into its identity as a “movement for wholeness in a fragmented world” contributions to this offering facilitate leadership development opportunities at each expression of the Church, as well as programs for dialogue across difference that promote anti-oppression communities where Disciples worship and serve.