Pentecost offering celebrates the 300th Anniversary.

Resource packets are now available for the "New Heart--New Spirit" Pentecost 300th Anniversary Offering. The offering is designed to be "a gift from all of us to the whole church for the new day!" said an announcement from the stewardship and funding offices of the Church of the Brethren General Board.

Suggested dates for the offering are the Sundays of May 11 or May 18. Resource packets, which include a worship resource guide and multiple insert-offering envelopes, will arrive in congregations' mailboxes around April 1. A letter explaining the process, as well as a posting of the worship resource guide are available at www.brethren.org/genbd/funding/opportun/Pentecost.htm.

"The way this special offering will work is quite different than other special offerings," explained the announcement. When the offering is received, each congregation is to keep one third for local ministries and within 30 days forward the rest to the General Board. The General Board will then gather together all the offerings that are sent by district churches and return one half of that total--the second third--to the district office for district ministries. The final third of the offerings will then, after expenses, be shared in various amounts with several denominational ministries. For more go to www.brethren.org/genbd/funding/opportun/Pentecost.htm.

Source: 3/20/2008 Newsline