2021 Loaves & Fishes Offering: The Virtuous Church
She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:20 ESV
Fall is a time of celebration, thanksgiving, and giving. One of the ways we as a church express gratitude for God’s many blessings. is through our annual Loaves & Fishes Offering for those in need. This year the offering will go to feed children in Cumberland Presbyterian churches in Haiti. One hundred percent of the funds donated to the Loaves & Fishes Offering will be used to fund a children’s lunch program for the next two years.
The World Bank ranks Haiti 170th out of 189 countries with respect to development. The poverty rate is nearly 60% of the population. The World Bank reports 44% of all Haitians live in rural areas and two thirds of the poor live in rural Haiti. Did you know all six Cumberland Presbyterian churches in Haiti are in rural areas?
Because our churches are in rural areas and seek to meet both the spiritual and practical needs of those in the countryside, all our churches have schools located on the church’s property. As a result, the churches, through their schools, have access to hundreds of children. The Haiti Council of Cumberland Presbyterian Churches, which consists of all six Cumberland Presbyterian pastors and selected lay leaders, will use the Loaves & Fishes Offering to help fund feeding programs in our Haitian churches. The churches will select the children who will receive meals which will be prepared at the church/school and the children will be fed on-site.
Proverbs 31 speaks of the virtuous woman. We often think of this chapter in reference to mothers and wives. But we can also look to these verses to help us understand the work of the Church. The Church is the bride of Christ, the hands and feet of Christ in our world. We are asking Cumberland Presbyterian churches around the world to open their hands to the poor and reach out to those in need. The virtuous church is faithful to Christ, imitating Christ by sacrificial love for others. By giving to the Loaves & Fishes Offering, you can open your hand to children in Haiti.
- Order Form [PDF] [Word]
- Thanksgiving Litany [PDF] [Word]
- Children’s Message [PDF] [Word]
- Report Form – used to mail in your offering – [PDF] [Word]
This yearly observance takes place during the month of November, and the annual offering is typically received on the Sunday prior Thanksgiving (or some other date appropriate for your congregation). It is generally viewed as a thank offering. The observance is based upon Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus feeding the multitude.