Unified Fund Rather Than Designated Giving

People have a need to hear about a real problem and something tangible they can do. Our Western thinking tells us that if we know the problem we can fix it or make it easier. We are used to quick diagnoses and quick fixes. We see television and print ads for a myriad of "causes" that suggest that responding is easy—“Just send $10 a month, and you can even preauthorize so you never have to think about it again!" The young to middle-aged adult is often busy, with little free time, and a very practical "roll-up-the-sleeves and get it done" approach. Quick diagnoses and quick fixes make us feel good. That is not the primary reason for our giving.

Many congregations have success with hands-on outreach work and special campaigns. The difficult task is to encourage these generous folks to include in their thinking the kind of work we support through M&S. The hurts and injustices of the world cannot always be diagnosed or remedied easily or quickly. There are attitudes and centuries-old practices to be considered. There are social injustices created and perpetuated by those with power. This is the long-term work that we as United Church must address, often with our global partners, our ecumenical partners, and our partners here in Canada.

Sometimes we can be in the forefront; most times we will be part of a collective voice. Sometimes we must journey with others to understand how we can be the best partners and be faithful to our understanding of God. Someone wrote, "Justice is the form in which and through which love performs its work. This may require walking in others' shoes in order to experience the injustice which they suffer." An example is our relations with First Nations. They don't always want us to look for a quick fix to the problems created by residential schools. They also need us to be with them in their pain; to share our own pain and regret with them; to provide opportunities through our funding for these mutual meetings to occur; and to give them and us the time needed for healing.

M&S is not only about dollars for bread or medicine. M&S does respond to immediate requirements for food, shelter, education, and healthcare. M&S has provision for emergency relief work when there is a war or hurricane. M&S is mostly about long-term development and commitment for partner support for whatever is needed to sustain development and prevent recurring problems. This kind of work cannot always be measured in terms of concrete items or discrete events. At this point in time and because of our present M&S mandate, it is difficult, and I think unwise, to tie gifts to individual pieces of work. By doing that, we are in danger of elevating some work as worth funding and other work as not interesting or "feel-good" enough to fund.
Some will want to choose a hands-on, concrete cause to support. Hopefully we can show them that it is not a question of either/or for this work and M&S. The bottom line is that there is much work to be done. M&S is the way we work as the church of which we are members or adherents. It is all the work of the church, and it is much more than global or outreach or advocacy or....

Hopefully M&S will be one of the things members will want to support—hopefully the first on their list, since it represents their faith-gift.

It is great to hear directly from our overseas personnel. Wendy Evans stopped at Church House on leave from her work in Nicaragua. This is from a talk she gave and might shed a little light on giving:
What I witnessed within the school's mandate in Nicaragua - both meeting the day-to-day basic needs of students while actively protesting injustices at the national level - and when I look to Jesus' s own ministry, there is no distinction between the personal service or interaction and the larger call for structural change. The two go hand in hand and need to reinforce and balance each other to create a resilient world. There are times when we are called to fill the immediate need, but the essential key is to do so within the long-term vision in a way that is empowering and to recognize we must keep the pressure on policy makers to still provide the permanent answer.

This does not mean that there is no space for immediate answers at all. We do send funds toward daily food, but it is based on a request of need or value made by the school. I helped hand out the food to all 800 kids as they filed through each day. For many it was their only meal. It was truly a sacred time of giving thanks. We also ensure that we are dedicating resources to raising awareness and pushing for change in international policies so that the students one day, along with their family, friends, and fellow citizens, can meet their own basic needs.

Through M&S we don't stop at addressing immediate concerns as expressed by others. Through M&S we do the difficult and patient work of focusing on a long-term vision. Through M&S we stand with others day after