You Give Skills for Life: Kathleens’s Story Skills
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“I learned to pray, to reflect, and to experience God in nature.”
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Published On: December 17, 2021 April 24, 2022
Camp is more than a holiday. It gives young people skills that last a lifetime.
Kathleen is a special education teacher, a busy mom of three children under the age of five, and a youth and young adults coordinator at her church. She says her early summer church camp experience continues to impact her approach to each of these important roles.
“Camp taught me that children are precious and we’re there to help them and guide them. Vespers taught me to take a deep breath in times of stress. Chaplains showed me how to bring out the best in children and draw out their talents. All those things I learned from camp I now apply to my everyday world, including motherhood,” says Kathleen.
Kathleen grew up in very formal churches where she felt she had to be perfect all the time. Outdoors, in an informal setting, her faith blossomed.
“I never felt really connected to God before going to camp. It opened up my perspective of what church is. My relationship with God expanded. I learned to pray, to reflect, and to experience God in nature.”
Those early lessons continue to ground Kathleen in trying moments.
“Today, because I learned to connect with God in nature, I can take time to reflect and I can show God’s love. When I’m too stressed, I can take a quick look at a bird or tree and remember that God is with me when a student is expressing their frustration. Staying calm and showing God’s love is huge. It goes a long way. I remind my own children that God is with them, even in the hardest times too,” she says.
Before COVID, approximately 20,000 children attended a United Church camp every year. During the pandemic, many camps provided virtual support to young people during lockdown.
“I just want to say a huge thank you to Mission & Service donors for their support of camps,” says Kathleen. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for their support. Thank you.”
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Acts of Compassion Give Rise to Peace
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Jesus put compassion into action every day he lived.
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Published On: March 18, 2022 April 17, 2022
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There is one thing that will never fail us: compassion.
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Acts of compassion both big and small give rise to peace. We can’t wave a magic wand and bring about world peace, but with every act of compassion we harness the power of love, the same love Jesus lived and died for and that he promised would move mountains.
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Over two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began to sweep the globe, life has become harder for millions of families.
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148,000,000 more people are having trouble putting food on the table than in 2019.
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Last year more than 80,000,000 people around the world were forced to flee their homes because of rising violence and conflict; half of them were children.
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In the last two years, visits to Canadian food banks have climbed 20 percent, with the cost of food predicted to rise 5‒7 percent this year.
When people don’t have what they need to survive, conflict is inevitable.
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That’s why your generosity matters so much.
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The food security initiatives, refugee support work, educational programs, as well as emergency and advocacy efforts your gifts through Mission & Service support aren’t just about food, safety, education, and human rights. They are ultimately about peace. And in a world where division tears the fabric that binds us together, that’s everything.
Jesus put compassion into action every day he lived. He brought hope into every room he walked into. He was literally the calm in the storm. He stretched out his arms in the ultimate sacrifice of love, and the world was never the same. The Easter story is a testament to our ability to make a powerful, positive difference.
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Every act of compassion gives rise to peace. Thank you for your generosity through Mission & Service. Your gifts truly do help move mountains.
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Millions Face Food Shortages in Afghanistan
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Nearly 23 million Afghans―more than half the population―face potentially life-threatening food shortages.
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Life-saving food packages distributed in Afghanistan.
Credit: Asian Muslim Action Network
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Published On: March 18, 2022 April 10, 2022 Palm Sunday
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Afghanistan is on the verge of the worst crisis in its history. Even before the Taliban took control of the country last August, Afghans were already struggling with the effects of 40 years of conflict, the worst drought in 27 years, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, with restrictions on international funding put in place to prevent money from falling into the hands of the Taliban, humanitarian assistance was impeded.
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The consequences have been devastating. The United Nations estimates that nearly 23 million Afghans―more than half the population―face potentially life-threatening food shortages, with nearly 9 million on the brink of famine. People also lack proper healthcare and are facing unemployment and housing shortages.
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Our Mission & Service partner the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN) has been working hard to provide food packages to internally displaced families in Afghanistan during this emergency.
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The life-saving packages contain staples like rice, sugar, oil, salt, beans, potatoes, and onions to feed a family for up to two months. So far, 133 families have received the packages, including widows and orphans.
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“The most challenging issue was and is the fund transfer to Afghanistan because the banking system of the country is still almost completely frozen,” reports Zineb Naini, AMAN’s international program coordinator. “Nevertheless, we were able to reach these families and, in the future, we hope to reach many more. Recently we obtained a grant that will allow us to distribute food packages to about 400 families.”
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Please make a gift through Mission and Service today. In the most difficult circumstances, your generosity helps sustain families and provide much needed hope.
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Note: Out of concern for the safety of our partners, we are not able to share all the work the church is doing in Afghanistan.
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Acting Together for Ukraine
Your support is helping to provide shelter, clean water, food, and medical attention.
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ACT Alliance member Hungarian Interchurch Aid is working at the Hungary/Ukraine border to provide relief to Ukrainian refugees.
Credit: Hungarian Interchurch Aid/ACT Alliance
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Published On: March 18, 2022 April 3, 2022
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We are stronger together, and what affects one of us affects all of us. These two truths have become even more apparent as the invasion of Ukraine continues to cost precious lives and rapidly create a humanitarian crisis. The United Nations reports that millions of people living in the Ukraine, displaced from their homes, are seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Many have lost friends, loved ones, and property; struggle to meet their basic needs; and face an uncertain future.
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In the face of this growing crisis, communities of faith around the world are taking action to offer support.
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Spanning 127 countries, the Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance is the world’s largest network of Protestant and Orthodox churches and agencies, including the United Church. Your generosity through Mission & Service has long supported ACT’s humanitarian relief and advocacy efforts.
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Right now, your ongoing support through Mission & Service as well as special emergency gifts are helping to provide shelter, clean water, food, and medical attention. What’s more, the impacts of war in Ukraine are affecting food security for regions that depend on its agricultural production, including in some areas where global partners are responding.
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The New Humanitarian news site reports that Yemen imports half of its wheat from Ukraine and Russia, 22 percent of corn imported to Spain comes from Ukraine, and Lebanon relies on Ukraine for up to 60 percent of its wheat and has only about a month’s worth of reserves.
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“Conflict is one of the main reasons that hunger is rising in the world, and Ukraine represents a stark example of how that happens,” states Musu Taylor-Lewis, Canadian Foodgrains Bank director of resources and public engagement, in an interview.
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United Church Moderator Richard Bott condemned the invasion in a statement released in early March stating that the act of aggression contravenes the Charter of the United Nations (UN) and represents a serious violation of international law. “We call on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and to undertake action to restore peace,” he writes, urging the church to hold the people of Ukraine in prayer and “explore whether there is a Ukrainian Catholic church, Ukrainian Orthodox church, or Ukrainian community centre close to you to whom you might write a letter of concern and solidarity or extend solidarity to people of Ukrainian descent in your community.”
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Thank you for all the ways you express compassion and care and for faithfully supporting Mission & Service. By acting together, we can be there as a worldwide church community when and where it matters most.
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