What does Mission and Service mean to LVUC?
A client receives medical treatment at Our Place, located in Victoria, BC, supported by the United Church of Canada Mission and Service Fund.
As part of our LVUC stewardship campaign starting on November 9, we are asking you to consider both your donations to LVUC and to the United Church of Canada Mission and Service Fund. As per the United Church of Canada website:
Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:7 & 8, NRSV)
The people of the United Church are committed to turning compassion into action.
Compassion lies at the heart of generosity.
From serving a hot meal at a local soup kitchen, to visiting a lonely neighbor, to financially supporting those in need in our local communities and around the world, the people of the United Church are committed to turning compassion into action. In the last year alone, those who attend and support The United Church of Canada gave over $24 million to people in need and projects that matter.
How did we raise over $24 million in a year?
It’s pretty basic. We share. United Church people across the country join together to share what we can. We give to people and places in need through a unified fund called Mission and Service. In 2023, total Mission and Service gifts—including congregational and emergency giving, will and life insurance gifts, special gifts, and support from the United Church Women—amounted to just over $24,000,000.
What does Mission and Service do?
We share our resources with three goals in mind:
- to transform and save lives
- to inspire meaning and purpose
- to build a better world
How do you transform and save lives through Mission and Service?
To put it simply, we help. Locally, we help people in need by supporting homeless shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, and refugee programs. We help young people on campuses and through camping outreach. We help people who are sick or at the end of life by supporting addiction, mental health, and counseling services, and hospice care. And much more… Globally, we help people access clean water, food, and medical care. We support skills training and economic development. We help with peace-making and sustainable agriculture efforts. We provide disaster relief and advocate for the rights of those who all too often don’t get a say, like children and migrant workers.
How does Mission and Service inspire people to live with meaning and purpose?
We support opportunities for people to grow spiritually in all kinds of ways. Locally, we support theological schools and education/retreat centres. We support events that promote spiritual development and personal reflection. We support new and innovative ministries, as well as communities of faith that are remote or in need. Globally, we support church organizations that work with theological schools, and we support places that offer practical training in agriculture and health. It’s a win-win. We trust that when people are in tune with their meaning and purpose, they will naturally want to save and change lives and make the world a better place for all.
Global Emergency Response
When emergencies strike, people need help right away. First with the basics―shelter, food, clothing―and then with rebuilding. United Church partners and ecumenical relationships in over 120 countries are on the ground and able to assess what’s needed. Partners respond to those in need, and the United Church can help support their efforts.
We at Lynn Valley United Church believe that as a church our purpose is to live out God’s mission in the world. In the United Church of Canada, the way we live this out is through our gifts for Mission & Service. When you make M&S giving a regular part of your life of faith, you are living out God’s mission. Lives are changed by M&S. People are helped at home and abroad when struggling to feed their families or provide them with clean water, the most vulnerable receive medical care and personal protective equipment, counselling is provided to those struggling with addiction or mental health issues, girls in Zambia are encouraged to stay in school and support is provided for economic development, peacemaking, disaster relief and so, so much more.
When you consider your annual donation to Lynn Valley United Church, we hope you will consider an additional offering to the work of the wider church through Mission and Service.
Thanks for your prayerful consideration,
Joe Catlin, Judith Clark, and Roger Eastwood, LVUC Giving Team