May 3, 2022
As a child I sang of God holding “the whole world in his hands.” At the time, the image I had in my head was one of a smooth, maybe even bouncy ball. Something pleasant—maybe even fun—to hold. As I have gotten older, I have come to think of that world as being a bit heavier and much more prickly. Not something one would enjoy holding, especially for a long time.
If one were to look at the conflicts in the world , where the pandemic is still a force to be reconned with, where hunger is a deadly problem, one can begin to understand the thorny issues facing our world today. Of course, this only indirectly addresses the environmental crisis we are facing.
The challenges all seem so big, and we seem so small. What can we do to possibly have an impact? Actually, as a church we can make a significant contribution, especially if we contribute our resources to already existing ministries. At last week’s Conference Ministerium’s Annual Meeting, I learned that a portion of the monies donated through Covenant World Relief to Ukrainian refugees are magnified as some of the donations go to efforts on the ground by World Relief International. The other portion of our donations have their impact multiplied by going directly to churches in and around Ukraine through the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches which are providing humanitarian aid and offering asylum for those fleeing the war in Ukraine. Because the Covenant Church is a part of the IFFEC and World Relief, our contributions are going directly to the need, with very little taken for overhead. I was heartened to hear this report and am glad to share it with you.
This certainly does not solve the problem, but it does have an impact on those women, men, and children affected by war. A church our size must be strategic about what issues we believe are both important to us as a church, as well as determining the amount of resources (human, financial, etc.) we have available to give. Another example of contributing our resources to a larger effort is the opportunity we have to help communities that are challenged to get clean water. World Vision has provided us an opportunity to raising money to provide accessible, clean water to communities that have none now by participating in a 6 kilometer (or just over a 3 ½ mile) walk. You can get information about this walk below. Our small contribution can make a large impact.
You also may have heard me say in this past week’s worship service, that the adult daughter of Pastor James Tang, a pastor in the Covenant Church in South Sudan and Ethiopia whom we support, has gone missing. It is uncertain if she is traveling internationally, and they have lost contact with her, or if something more serious has occurred. As Rev. Mathew Jock Moses, President
of the ECCSSE wrote in a letter I posted in April 20th’s FYI, “South Sudan is still bleeding, and we need your prayers.” Ministry in that region is challenging, as is travel to that region. Traveling there seems an unlikely response to their invitation to attend their 25th anniversary celebration. However, raising funds to help them provide resources for their church as it faces the challenges ahead seems most prudent at this time. Some members of our church are already committed to making a contribution, and we invite anyone one else who feels led to do the same by going to the Breeze Portal on our website and donating to "ECC Southern Sudan and Ethiopia." This will be open until May 27.
I have found our church to be an extremely generous one. I thank you for your generosity in giving of yourself and your resources to the ministries of our church, serving the world in Christ’s name and for Christ’s sake, near and far. I also pray that we might carefully discern how much we are capable of doing and doing well, and what areas we invest ourselves in that we are both passionate about and gifted for. All this is a part of our being called to steward the resources God has entrusted into our care.
Might we remain wise, faithful, and passionate stewards as we become extensions of God’s hands holding our beautiful but pained world.
With audacious hope,
Pastor Todd