300th Anniversary update: Pentecost offering will support churches, districts, denomination.

A special Pentecost offering scheduled for the Sundays of May 11 or 18 on the theme, "New Heart...New Spirit" (Ezekiel 36:26) is being planned as a 300th Anniversary offering for the Church of the Brethren. The special Pentecost offering will support congregations, districts, and the denomination, and is sponsored by the Church of the Brethren General Board.

"Just as the wind and fire of Pentecost drew together and strengthened Jesus’ followers, through God’s spirit we can speak and work as one voice," said an invitation from Ken Neher, director of donor development, and Carol Bowman, coordinator of stewardship education. "We hope and pray that this will be about new life and one spirit-filled voice within the Church of the Brethren."

The Pentecost offering will differ from previous offering emphases in the way it will be allocated to support ministry at all levels of the church. "When the offering is received, your congregation will keep one third for local ministries and within two weeks forward the rest to the General Board," the invitation said. "The General Board will then gather together all the offerings that are sent by your district churches and return one half of that total to the district office for district ministries. The final third of the offerings will then, after expenses, be shared in various amounts with several other denominational ministries."

Congregations across the country are being encouraged to participate, and to consider multiples of three or 300 to "symbolize the three life-changing centuries of continuing the work of Jesus together."

Worship resources, offering envelopes, and additional materials will be available. Contact Neher at 509-665-0441 or kneher_gb@brethren.org; or Bowman at 509-663-2833 or cbowman_gb@brethren.org.

Source: 1/16/2008 Newsline Extra