The Peacemaking Offering was created in 1980 to support the
efforts of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to live out a deeper
commitment to peacemaking as part of our faithfulness to God.
It is one of four special offerings designated by the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.)’s General Assembly.
Most churches receive the Offering on World Communion Sunday,
the first Sunday in October, which this year is October 5. We
encourage churches to use whatever Sunday works best for them.
Each congregation is encouraged to retain 25 percent of the
Offering it receives to use for local ministries of peacemaking
within the church and its community. Twenty-five percent is
used by presbyteries and synods, and 50 percent is used by the
General Assembly ministries through the Presbyterian Peacemaking
Program.
In accordance with the action of the 217th General Assembly,
we encourage congregations to consider directing a portion or
all of their 25 percent of the Peacemaking Offering as a faithful
Christian response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
This Web site offers you materials to help you promote and
interpret the Peacemaking Offering in your congregation. Your
church will receive a packet of materials, most of which are
also posted here. Order or download what will be helpful to
you.
This Year’s Offering Theme and Art
The 2008 Peacemaking Offering theme, “Break the Bread
of New Creation,” is from the hymn “Christ Is Risen!
Shout Hosanna!” by Brian Wren.
The art is the painting Supper at Emmaus by He Qi. For more
information about He Qi and his art, see his Web
site.
Peacemaking Offering and the Church’s Hurricane Response
As congregations celebrate World Communion Sunday and receive the Peacemaking Offering, we are mindful of those in our communities who are in need of God’s healing and reconciling peace. Likewise, we are mindful of those we may never see, yet whose lives are shaped by decisions we make each day.
This year in particular we are aware of individuals and communities devastated by the recent hurricanes, flooding and storms. Through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is already at work in Texas, on the Gulf Coast and in Haiti and Cuba. The needs are great and the recovery will be enormous. Congregations are assembling clean-up buckets and hygiene kits and are organizing work teams. Churches can also choose to use a portion or all of the 25 percent of the Offering that is to be retained by the congregation and direct that as the church’s witness in response to the storms. Your congregation can contribute to the PDA general relief fund. You can send those gifts through your normal presbytery channels. For more information on how you and your congregation can make a difference, visit the PDA Web site.
Now Available
(August)
2008 Peacemaking Offering
PowerPoint and Resources CD
This downloadable resource contains two programs
promoting the 2008 Peacemaking Offering.
- One presentation is an automatic PowerPoint program that
runs approximately two minutes.
- The other program is a manual PowerPoint with a more detailed
script that can be read along with the images and music of
the presentation.
The resource also contains printable resources to help interpret
the Offering.
World Communion Sunday Bulletin Covers
$4/packs of 50
(8.5" x 11")
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(8.5" x 14")
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