I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant..." (Genesis 17:7)
How do we keep the covenant with our ancestors and with one another in the United Church of Christ? Here is a Bible Study by Anthony Robinson about keeping the covenant.
Our Church's Wider Mission — the economic lifeblood of our church — is a fundamental covenant in the United Church of Christ.
Churches today face serious financial challenges. Still, 223 United Church of Christ congregations give 10% or more of their current operating expenses to Our Church’s Wider Mission Basic Support. Still more are working hard to move their giving toward the 10% level—by increasing 1% per year. Covenant Keepers are called Red, Silver or Gold based on percentages of the local budget (current expenses) given to OCWM Basic Support: Red Covenant Keepers are those giving 1% to 9.9% who have increased thier support by at least 1% in 2006; Silver Covenant Keepers give between 10 and 14.9%; "Gold" Covenant Keepers give 15% and up.
All of these churches are COVENANT KEEPER churches.
According to the book of Acts (2:44; 4:32) the early church shared all things in common—both the costs and the joys of discipleship.
So it is today as we must share increasing costs of being the church together.
There will always be multiple demands on our financial resources. But when we know the joy, we accept the cost. "...for the joy set before him he endured the cross." (Hebrews 12:2).
These are times of great opportunity and hope for the United Church of Christ. They are also challenging times. I hope you will accept this invitation to work toward increasing your congregation's giving to Our Church's Wider Mission. Here is what you can do:
- Pray about your response to this challenge
- Work to increase your congregation's Basic Support of Our Church's Wider Mission giving
Thank you! It is a privilege to be in covenant with you and with Christ who is the head of the church. "What a covenant, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms."
Bill Green
Executive for Faith and Giving
Local Church Ministries
Who Are the "Covenant Keepers"?
"Covenant Keepers" are UCC churches that support Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) Basic Support with "leadership generosity." They step out and take the lead in annual giving to the financial lifeblood of the United Church of Christ.
There are only 223 Covenant Keeper churches (out of a total 5,518 UCC congregations). Each one of them gives more than 10% of their operating budget to OCWM Basic Support .
Some "Covenant Keeper" churches have big congregations and big budgets... and some are small churches with modest budgets. They have this in common: they put a priority on sharing from what they have with the wider church.
Are you proud that your church is a United Church of Christ congregation? Increasing numbers of UCC members and churches are emphasizing their identity as "United Church of Christ" with help from "God is still speaking." Is your church one of them? Do you want to be "a Stillspeaking church"? Click here to find out how.
If you are proud to be UCC and believe that our church has an important voice and role to play in the world right now, the next step is to encourage your congregation to be a leader in generosity and become a Covenant Keeper church.
Wherever your church is right now in giving to Our Church's Wider Mission, you can be a Covenant Keeper congregation by increasing your OCWM Basic Support giving by at least 1% annually - until you reach the 10% level. And most important: wherever your church is right now in giving to Our Church's Wider Mission...
Thank You!
