WEEKLY OUTREACH UPDATE
At Sunday's parish meeting, we talked about how your generosity throughout this crazy year has enabled us to give to many outreach partners. One of those is the Matthew 25 Initiative, which supports practitioners and ministries serving "the vulnerable, the marginalized, and under-resourced communities" through grants and an annual gathering. Liz has been on the steering team for Matthew 25 Gathering, and many in our church have participated or spoken at past gatherings.
This year has been difficult for everyone, but it has impacted the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the under-resourced most severely: People in high-exposure, low-wage jobs. People who lost their jobs. People who lack access to adequate health care, food, or child care. People in unstable living situations. These are the people who are directly served through the many ministries of the Matthew 25 Initiative, and we are proud to support them.
So proud, in fact, that we have given them three gifts this year! In January, we gave our 2019 Christmas Eve offering to the Matthew 25 Gathering, an annual event designed to support and refresh practitioners of justice and mercy. In May, we gave one of our weekly gifts to the Matthew 25 COVID Fund, which was doubled through a generous match and went directly to organizations providing frontline assistance. And we wrapped up our fiscal year with an end-of-year gift to the Matthew 25 Initiative in August.
This year's Matthew 25 Gathering is fast approaching -- and it's virtual! There is an event for practitioners only from Oct 27-29, designed to deeply refresh for the challenges of ministry. And there's a broader event from Nov 13-14 for all who care about issues of justice and mercy, or are curious to learn more. Learn more and register here.
Join us in prayer and thanksgiving for the very good work of Matthew 25 in this very challenging year!