The Christmas Fund

A pastor who, in recent weeks, received a grant from the Christmas Fund, wrote:
Words cannot express how much this means to us. The financial help is so crucial to our being able to meet our obligations and we are grateful for it!

We are also so grateful for and touched by the UCC congregations and individuals who have provided this funding in recognition and appreciation of the faithful ministry of so many ministerial families like us.

We thank you for your wonderful compassionate work. 

And from one who received a gift last Christmas:

To all the generous individuals and churches that contributed to the Annual Christmas Fund Offering:

The 107-year old “Tradition” of sending a monetary gift to those who have served the Lord and His church, has brought fantastic response…I pray for all that have received from this Fund, at this blessed Christmas time of our Christian year.

Indeed, this comes to our home as a means of making the time of Christmas so much more joyful. It is with your kindness that we can now celebrate and share the warmth of Christmas in our home as well as with our family!! I thank you for making this all possible…and thinking of us who have served the Lord and His church these many years.

Like the Magi of old, we can honor the Christ Child by bringing gifts that will be used to support and honor those who have served and are serving this beloved church, which truly represents the incarnational spirit of the church at its best.

Gifts to the Christmas Fund will help Veterans of the Cross who have given their lives to the service of the church in days gone by.  Gifts to the Christmas Fund provide resources for the Emergency Fund, which provides assistance to those who are serving the church today.

Gifts to the Christmas Fund help provide Pension and Health Premium Supplementation to low-income retirees, Emergency Grants to the families of clergy and lay employees and Christmas “Thank You” Gift Checks to hundreds of annuitants.

The United Church Board for Ministerial Assistance and the staff of the Pension Boards are confident that, with your continuing faithfulness, we will be able to provide the same level of care and compassion that has become our tradition.

INCREASING THE OFFERING

The mission of the Christmas Fund is to provide assistance dollars in situations of critical need, while preserving the dignity of those who receive the aid.

Our goal is to raise $1,650,000 for the vital ministries of Pension Supplementation, Health Premium Supplementation, Emergency Grants, and Christmas “Thank You” Gift Checks to low-income retirees in 2011. In 2009, you provided gifts totaling $1,504,420. Most of these gifts were provided during December 2008, which was at one of the deepest points of the recession.  Thank you for your support.

It is possible to increase the size of the Offering in your congregation!

First, someone must emerge as leader for the effort. Then, that leader will:
1. SET A GOAL with the congregation.
2. SHARE information about the ministry the 
    Offering supports.
3. ASK the congregation to be generous.
4. LEAD with his/her personal contribution.
5. CELEBRATE the results with the congregation.

You Can Help

We welcome your personal gifts.

We welcome your willingness to tell the story, share the good news, and ask your friends, colleagues, acquaintances and congregants to join you in providing support for both the annual Christmas Fund appeal and with legacy gifts.

Setting goals, telling personal stories, asking for personal annual gifts and thanking donors are all proven methods for raising awareness of, and support for, the Christmas Fund for the Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund.