God Uses ALL Gifts
Friday, February 20, A.D. 2004

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Week of Compassion. This Sunday more than two thousand Disciples congregations across the United States and Canada will begin receiving gifts from members and friends for the 2004 Week of Compassion Offering. You receive these updates because you have shown a special interest in the work and witness of WOC. I think this year's offering may be one of the most critical we have received in some time. The needs in the world are staggering, and the support of our church partners who respond on our behalf to those needs is crucial. Permit me please to use the means of this Update to encourage you to make a strong and generous gift to WOC this year and to ask you to speak a word of encouragement on WOC's behalf to members and friends in your congregation.

Our theme this year is "God Uses All Gifts for Big Purposes: It's Remarkable What Your Gift Will Do." And the biblical text is "There is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many?"

May I share one quick story of how fitting and true this is? Last week WOC received a proposal from Interchurch Medical Assistance (IMA) for a medical project in Nicaragua. Nicaragua is one of the two or three poorest countries in the western hemisphere. IMA has entered into a partnership with Provadenic (a Nicaraguan faith-based medical organization) and the Ministry of Health to de-worm all Nicaraguan children between 2 and 12 years of age over the next three years. IMA proposed that WOC cover all children between the ages of 6 and 12, more than one million kids altogether. The cost of the project is $37,500 or in more remarkable terms: less than 4 cents per child! Based upon their faith and hope in Disciples to give generously to this year's offering, the Week of Compassion Committee voted overwhelmingly last weekend to approve the proposal. 

I understand how the disciples felt as they looked upon that great crowd of hungry people. Looking at all the needs in the world, what can we do? What are the resources WOC has among so many hungry, hurting people in the world? Yet I continue to be amazed at the truly remarkable things that happen when our gifts are entrusted into the amazing grace of God.

Blessings,

Johnny Wray
Week of Compassion