“All who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves.” (I Cor. 11:29)
The first Sunday in October is designated as World Communion Sunday, which celebrates our oneness in Christ with all our brothers and sisters around the world. Paul tells us that we are to “discern the body” when we partake of Holy Communion, mindful that we note our relationship to all our brothers and sisters in Christ in the celebration. One is not to go hungry while another is drunk! (I Cor. 11:21). This is scandalous behavior opposed to the Way of Christ. Thus it is appropriate that World Communion Sunday is also a time when we receive the annual Peace and Global Witness Offering as a way of continuing the ancient Christian practice of sharing what we have with brothers and sisters in need.
A gift to the Peace & Global Witness Offering enables the church to promote the Peace of Christ by addressing systems of conflict and injustice across the world. Individual congregations are encouraged to utilize up to 25% of this Offering to connect with the global witness of Christ’s peace. Mid councils retain an additional 25% for ministries of peace and reconciliation. The remaining 50% is used by the Presbyterian Mission Agency to advocate for peace and justice in cultures of violence, including our own, through collaborative projects of education and Christian witness.
This year the offering will run from Sunday, September 19 through Sunday, October 17.
Our 25% portion will go to a scholarship ministry at the Antioch Baptist Church in Bedford Hills, a church many of you may be familiar with through our yearly participation in the Martin Luther King Community Worship Service in January:
Scholarship Ministry – The Scholarship Ministry encourages the youth of Antioch to continue their education upon graduation from high school, disseminates grant and educational funding information, and highlights internship and employment opportunities. The Scholarship ministry evaluates scholarship applications and recommends awards from the Annie Y. Fisher College Scholarship Fund. This ministry provides ongoing mentoring to college students throughout their rigorous educational pursuits.
Please consider contributing to this offering, either online, using your designated envelope, or by by check, marking it for “Peace and Global Witness.”