World Communion Sunday

October 7, 2007 is the designated date for the observance of World Communion Sunday. If this date conflicts with something already on your churchs' calendar, then please pick an alternate day for your observacne.

"World Communion Sunday calls the Church to be the catholic inclusive church." (par. 264.3, The Book of Discipline 2004)

In 1940 the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America established World-wide Commnion Sunday - originally a Presbyterian observance - as a global, interdenominational event. Prompted by the impact of World War II, the Methodist church received an offering on this Sunday for the Fellowship of Suffering andService. It aided the work of the Methodist Committee on Overseas Relief (now the United Methodist Committee on Relief), the Commission on Chaplains and the Commission on Camp Activities.

In 1971 the United Methodist Church changed the name of the observance to World Communion Sunday and redistributed the offering to support the Crusade Scholarship Program (begun in 1944), the Ethnic Minority Scholarship Program and the Division of Chaplains and Related Ministries. In 1980, Chaplains and Related Ministries was moved to World Service funding, but theWorld Communion Sunday offering continued to assist racial - and ethnic-minority persons pursuing various avenues of ministry.

* Half of the offering provides Crusade Scholarships for international and U.S. (racial- and ethnic-minority) graduate students.
* Thirty-five percent of the receipts supports Ethnic Scholarships for undergraduate students.
* Fifteen percent funds Ethnic In-Serivce
Training Program Scholarships for racialand ethnic-minority persons seeking second careers in church-related vocations.

In 2005, the World Communion Sunday offering totaled $937,004, an average of only 11 cents per U.S. member. Remember: $1 per member per Special Sunday offering makes a big difference! Please give generously.