May 13, 2003

Oblation, Tangible Love, and World Hunger Ministries

Contributions Rise Again in 2002

With generous donations from members and friends, totaling nearly $1.5 million, Oblation and World Hunger Ministries have been able to extend a hand to even more people in need as giving to these funds continues its rising trend of the past few years. From 2001 to 2002, the World Hunger Fund experienced an increase of 18 percent in general contributions in addition to an $85,000 bequest and $50,000 donated in response to the Afghanistan challenge. Contributions to the Oblation Fund increased by 8 percent. (table)

Stewardship Ministries specialist and administrative support person for World Hunger Ministries and the Tangible Love Committee Ken Schnell said, “These ministries are about people at every point. One by one, contributions are made week by week by caring persons. There are others on committees, in congregations, and in the field who receive and distribute these funds that have been given. Finally, there are humble and grateful people in places throughout the world who are so appreciative that others have shared. We want to say thanks to each one.”

Meeting Needs of Afghanistan Refugees
Early in 2002, members and friends were challenged to especially consider the needs of refugees in Afghanistan who had been displaced by Taliban rule, the devastation of air strikes, and the impact of the Northern Alliance. The church pledged to contribute all donations above the average amount to the World Hunger Fund in February and March to this cause. The response equaled $50,000, in addition to a 2001 World Hunger Fund grant of $25,000.

Funds were distributed through Church World Service, whose work in Afghanistan focused on providing relief during this humanitarian and social crisis. Aid provided by Church World Service focused on meeting basic living needs as well as long-term rehabilitation projects. Schnell said, “There is no question that the generous financial support that was shared by so many met a wide variety of essential needs.”

Variety in World Hunger Ministries
Twenty-eight projects were funded by World Hunger grants, and disaster relief was provided in five countries, including Afghanistan. Grants are distributed directly and through Outreach International and World Accord, human development agencies affiliated with the church. Bread for the World, a nationwide Christian citizens’ movement that lobbies decision makers in the United States, is another primary funding partner of the World Hunger Fund that received a grant.

Direct grants from the World Hunger Fund supported projects such as a dental sealant program in Honduras and a community garden in Decatur, Alabama. A Stockton, Missouri, ministry provides Christmas baskets to needy families. Other Missouri programs-Least of These Ministries in Kansas City and Loaves and Fishes in Branson-provide meals to hungry local people. Also funded was the World Hunger project sponsored by the church’s East Tennessee Missionary Project in Chattanooga, which provides basic education and nourishment to disadvantaged people as they struggle to make life-changing decisions.

World Hunger grants through Outreach International (OI) supported projects in several countries. OI’s Africa Field program assists village residents in Kenya, Malawi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia to resolve hunger-related problems through increased food production, expanded use of working animals, and organizing cooperatives to store and market the more abundant crops. Long-term school nutrition programs are funded in São Paulo, Brazil; La Romana, Dominican Republic; several regions of Haiti; and Orissa, India.

Farming in Nepal

World Hunger grants through World Accord supported several ongoing programs, such as Women in Action, which works primarily with indigenous Mayan women to train them in better marketing techniques and use of micro credit, to effect better crop storage and utilization. Near La Buena Fe, Honduras, sustainable agriculture methods are introduced to people with small farms, which encourages increased capacity. The Strengthening Civil Society Organisation Program in Nepal has supported small-scale rural Nepalese farmers in a variety of capacity-building and agricultural projects such as vegetable cultivation, bee keeping, and goat raising.

In 2002, World Accord also supported several projects in Pakistan. In the village of Dalori Bala, clean drinking water has been provided through a pipeline to nearly 300 homes. In four villages of the Sindh District, poor farmers were trained to increase their technical knowledge. For farmers in six villages of the Punjab area, World Accord supported development of an irrigation and water management system. World Hunger grants through World Accord also supported relief to refugees and agricultural programs in the Philippines.

Generous Giving and Hands-on Involvement
“In addition to continued outstanding financial support to the World Hunger Fund, we are aware that more and more congregations are supporting food pantries, CROP Walk, Bread for the World’s Offering of Letters campaign, and other creative local ministries that address the issues of hunger by actively involving persons of all ages,” said Schnell.

The Alan Shawn Feinstein Foundation offers a challenge each year, encouraging individuals and congregations to creatively respond to the needs of the hungry in their local communities and earn part of a $1 million grant. In response to the 2002 challenge, 22 Community of Christ congregations partnered with their communities to raise $175,000 for local hunger programs. For 2003, more than 50 congregations have committed to the Feinstein Challenge.

Meeting the Needs of Social Ministries
Donations to the Oblation Fund support social ministries and are given as grants directly to individuals or families, to applicants to the Tangible Love program, or in cases requiring disaster relief. Because of continuing increased Oblation contributions from members and friends, aid to individuals and families in need of financial support was increased by 10 percent in 2002. These confidential grants, totaling nearly $800,000, helped people meet basic needs during emergency situations.

Tangible Love grants, funded by Oblation contributions, were given to 18 peace, justice, and compassionate ministries sponsored by Community of Christ congregations and jurisdictions. Tangible Love ministries are designed to recognize the worth of individuals, families, congregations, and communities, locally and internationally, and to facilitate reconciliation and healing of the spirit. Peace and Justice Ministries coordinator and co-chair of the Tangible Love Committee Andrew Bolton said, “Generous contributions to the Oblation Fund have made it possible to fund projects that are making a tangible difference in the lives of many people around the world.”

Tangible Love grants have funded projects ranging from advancing peace and understanding among diverse religious and cultural communities to after-school programs for neighborhood latchkey children, and from programs for adults with chronic mental illness to programs that help multicultural people integrate into American culture. The possibilities are endless as people are called to address unique needs in their own communities. To read more about programs that have been supported by Tangible Love grants-including Imani Mission Center in Columbia, Missouri; Interfaith Hospitality Network in Ocean Springs-Long Beach, Mississippi; and the Tovwirane Centre in Mzimba, Malawi-see the October 2002 Herald (pages 32-34).

Chair of the World Hunger Committee Wallace B. Smith said, “When we consider the gift of Jesus Christ as the perfect example of God’s sacrificial love for us, we begin to understand what a challenge it is to live up to the demands of the gospel. I am grateful that many Community of Christ members and friends have been inspired to respond sacrificially to this challenge in support of Oblation, Tangible Love, and World Hunger Ministries.”

How to Get Involved
The Mission Tithes offering envelopes include specific areas to designate portions of one’s offering for Oblation and World Hunger. The first Sunday each March and September are designated as times to offer focused ministry during the oblation thoughts about hunger-related issues-local and worldwide. On these particular Sundays, all undesignated offerings are allocated to the church’s World Hunger Fund. Offertories on the first Sunday of all other months are focused on Oblation, with all undesignated offerings going to that fund.

Anyone who has an idea for or is involved in a compassionate, peace and justice, or hunger-related project can apply for a grant that will help support it. Resources from the Oblation Fund are available to Community of Christ jurisdictions to encourage outreach ministries in partnerships throughout the world. The purpose of a Tangible Love project can be meeting basic human needs, environmental ministries, human rights advocacy, reconciliation and conflict resolution training or initiatives, or peace-and-justice-focused ministry with children, youth, and young adults.

Grants are available from the World Hunger Fund to Community of Christ jurisdictions that desire to meet hunger needs through specific social programs. In considering projects for funding, priority is given to proposals that

• support development of indigenous leadership capable of accessing and maximizing local resources in ways responsive to felt needs of hungry people;
• reaffirm support of self-help programs of comprehensive community development; and
• encourage maximum participation of indigenous people in the project itself.

Guidelines and applications for World Hunger and Tangible Love grants are available on the church Web site at www.CofChrist.org/hunger and www.CofChrist.org/tlove respectively. Also online is information about World Hunger and Tangible Love projects that are currently at work in communities around the world. For more information contact Ken Schnell at Community of Christ World Headquarters, ATTN: Stewardship Ministries, 1001 W. Walnut, Independence, MO 64050-3562 USA; e-mail: kschnell@CofChrist.org; phone: 1-800-825-2806, ext. 3073.

Soon to be added to the Web site will be grant-writing support for project directors and an area for World Hunger resources for congregations. At Mission 2003: Launch Out!--to be held June 9-13 at world headquarters in Independence, Missouri--a new resource on hunger ministry will be introduced.

-Kendra Friend reporting

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January 1, 2002-December 31, 2002 World Hunger ($626,900 Total Contributions)
($85,000 Bequests, $50,000 Afghanistan Challenge, $491,000 other)
	Distributed
9 Grants through Outreach International	$206,000
11 Grants through World Accord	143,100
1 Grant to Bread for the World	35,000
7 Grants received directly	43,650
Grants for Disaster Relief
Haiti Drought	15,000
Malawi Famine	14,000
Congo Famine	10,000
Afghanistan Refugees (through CWS)	50,000
Liberia Refugees	4,200
Oblation ($1,069,900 in Contributions)
	Distributed
18 Grants through Tangible Love	$166,400
Aid to Individuals
U.S. and Canada	$682,900
Other Nations	$80,000
Grants for Disaster Relief
Germany Flood	$10,000
Total	$939,300
Grand Total  $1,460,250