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The Five Annual “Special Offerings” of the United Church of Christ
The United Church of Huntsville, along with some 950 other UCC churches nationally, is a “Five for Five” congregation, meaning we participate in five special offerings each year.
A single heading, Our Church’s Wider Mission or OCWM, serves as the umbrella for all five offerings.
OCWM BASIC SUPPORT:
OCWM Basic Support provides funding for the work of the UCC’s national ministries. Each congregation decides how much it will contribute. Congregations send OCWM gifts to their conferences; in our case, the Southeast Conference of the UCC. Each conference decides what percentage of those gifts it will keep and what percentage it will send to the national setting of the UCC. Some of the National Basic Support money is used for ministries to Conferences, local churches and members, as well as for ecumenical, social justice, and missionary ministries on behalf of the UCC.
OCWM SPECIAL SUPPORT:
There are four additional OCWM special offerings. They are:
One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS): Giving Help, Hope and Life,
OGHS supports partners in more than 70 countries with ministries that fund development projects, feed the victims of famine, provide services for displaced people, and respond to natural disasters. These ministries are the responsibility of Wider Church Ministries, Global Sharing of Resources. OGHS is received annually on the fourth Sunday in Lent.
Strengthen the Church: Faithfully Building the Body of Christ,
Strengthen the Church supports church growth and leadership development in the conferences and through the national offices of Local Church Ministries. The Strengthen the Church Offering is received each year.
Neighbors in Need (NIN): Justice and Compassion Like a Mighty Stream
NIN supports ministries of Justice and Compassion throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, including ministry carried out by the Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM) and by the national offices of Justice and Witness Ministries. NIN is received annually on World Communion Sunday, the first Sunday in October.
The Christmas Fund: Remembering Those Who Served the Church
The Christmas Fund provides financial aid to retired and active ministers, and their surviving spouses and children who face overwhelming financial demands. This ministry is carried out by the Pension Boards. It is received annually on the Sunday before Christmas.
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