Each year, right around Easter our church joins Presbyterians across the US in holding a special offering, called One Great Hour of Sharing. Congregations take this offering at the end of the Lenten season, and we will receive donations to this special offering starting today, Palm Sunday. We will end this year’s offering on April 22, the Friday after Easter.
One hundred percent of the One Great Hour of Sharing offering goes to our national church mission, divided almost equally into three categories. The first category is the Presbyterian Hunger Program. The second is Self-Development of People. The third is Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the focus of today’s message because disaster relief for Ukraine is in the news.
We’ve had a couple of Moments for Mission about donating to Ukraine directly, through a connection with neighboring Smith Memorial Presbyterian. At the national level, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is working with their trusted, established existing partners in the country. The church disaster assistance also is focused on in neighboring countries, and providing funding for them as they help refugees.
We’ve mentioned one those international partners, the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid, that is working with Pastor Daniel in Western Ukraine. Another major international partner is ACT Alliance, which also has groups on the ground in Ukraine. Their recent report to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance said all civil defense, civilian protection groups and law enforcement are currently engaged in active combat against the Russians. ACT Alliance the war has caused major impacts to basic needs like, water, electricity, heating, emergency health care, banking, and access to food in most of the country.
At this point, all male Ukrainians ages 16-80 are expected to stay and fight. Women and children make up the majority of those fleeing the country. Poland has taken in almost two million refugees. Another million are spread between other countries that border Ukraine: Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, even Belarus and Russia. During what may be the largest refugee crisis of the 21st century, ACT Alliance is planning for another four million in the coming days and weeks.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is sending funds to ACT Alliance, Hungarian Relief Aid and reformed churches in Eastern Europe who are partners with PC USA. They are all working to establish shelter, food, water, sanitation and other basic needs for the refugees.
If you are able to donate to One Great Hour of Sharing, we’ll those donations today, Palm Sunday, and next Sunday, Easter. One third of that national offering goes to Presbyterian Disaster Relief. And while not everyone can donate financially, everyone can give their prayers. Presbyterian partners in the Ukraine ask you to pray that through the response of the faith community, survivors and those offering assistance will be reminded of the hope that is found in Christ.
