May Gift Day 2021

Each May and October at JCC we take a gift, and on the 23rd of this month we will be holding our latest Gift Day.

Here are two great reasons we have gift days at Jubilee.

  1. As we give sacrificially we strike a blow against the God of mammon. We declare as a people that our trust and provision comes from God almighty, and the way to declare this best is to give sacrificially.
  2. The second reason is that we have a vision, and to take hold of this we need resources. So whether we give to a church plant, a Jubilee initiative, our own Samaritan support fund or to the advance of the gospel – we give as a result of what God has called us to.

So, on the 23rd May, we will give as a church, to strike a blow to the hold money has in our world, and to resource the vision God has given.

Here are the 3 areas we are giving towards:

  1. Our Samaritan Fund: This is the name for a pot of money that we distribute when there is a need amongst us or our community. Just this term this money has been used in the following ways:
        • Clearing the debt of a family unable to work
        • Providing basic home furniture/appliances for those without
        • Paying for food and travel for a family with a child in Great Ormond Street
        • Covid related needs
        • Covering a nights emergency accommodation over the winter for the homeless
        • Contributing to a funeral where other options were not available
        • Standing in the gap when benefits change

    This Fund hasn’t previously been a physical fund, but has been budgeted for until now. With the increase in need I would like to put aside 10K this term which we will look to steward over this year when situations arise.
    While we haven’t seen the 1000’s of job losses that churches up north have experienced, we have seen the complexity of situations rise and the accumulation of costs related to these grow in a big way.

  2. Church Online: is close to being a permanent fixture which runs smoothly. As you may remember we raised £5000 at the previous gift day in October to buy a camera and equipment – we were borrowing the equipment until that point – thanks again team! Well this time it’s a lens we need as well as some other gear. Someone recently asked how I felt about spending money on tech gear instead of charities or people. My reply was something like the following. If someone had told me that Church in person would stop for over a year, and that to enable meetings, connection and community to continue, I would need to spend 5-10K, I would have agreed immediately. Just as we May Gift Day 2021 dig deep to afford a facility which enables the body of Christ to meet and connect, I see our online investment through the same lens – in short, this is about people!
  3. Fegans: Fegans is a charity that has worked with young people, providing counselling, support and family advice for over 150 years. We have the opportunity to release a family worker in East Grinstead for 9K this year. Having prayed for the need and pain our young people are battling in January, we feel this money will be well spent as we keep seeking God for how we can help. We will enable a Christian family worker to be on the ground at this crucial time. www.fegans.org.uk

 

So this May, lets pray and consider how we can join together as we give to our Samaritan support fund, online church and as we support young people through the charity Fegans.

Blessings
Dan Baptist