Grace Baptist Church
One Great Hour of Sharing Offering
Jesus
took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the
bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish, until everyone had
plenty to eat. (John 6:11 CEV)
One
great hour of sharing.
North American
Christians have long sought to ease the plight of the poorest of the
poor. For more than fifty years One Great Hour of Sharing has made
development aid, disaster relief and refugee resettlement assistance
possible in more than 70 countries around the world.
One Great Hour of
Sharing works with local communities of faith, helping people to help
themselves. Partnerships of hope are crated in places overwhelmed by
poverty, hunger, disease, conflict, and natural disaster.
Through One Great Hour
of Sharing, both giver and receiver benefit. Empowered communities
develop viable solutions to our planet’s relentless problems and
share their struggles and triumphs with the wider world.
By this work, all are
enriched as God’s people strive to do justice, love kindness, and
walk humbly with their God.
History
of a compassionate offering.
More than fifty years ago, during
World War II and immediately following, Protestant churches made
appeals for relief and reconstruction. In 1946, Bishop Henry Knox
Sherrill, newly-elected Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, set
a goal of one million dollars per year for the Presiding Bishop's Fund
for World Relief. On nationwide radio, he challenged members to raise
"one million dollars in one hour." His impassioned challenge
worked. During the first three years, Episcopalians raised $3.8
million.
In 1949, church leaders
from several denominations formed an ad hoc committee to organize an
appeal aimed at supporting the separate campaigns of American
churches. A cast was recruited from among the foremost dramatic and
musical talent in the United States, including Gregory Peck and Ida
Lupino, and a script was written under the direction of playwright
Robert Sherwood. President Truman brought greetings. Major networks
and many independent stations carried the program on Saturday, March
26 at 10 p.m., eastern time. The broadcast, called "One Great
Hour," closed with a request that listeners attend their local
church the following morning and make a sacrificial contribution. No
exact measure of income was possible, but it was estimated that more
than 75,000 churches participated.
In 1950, the title
"One Great Hour of Sharing" was used for the first time and
has remained so ever since. American Baptist Churches USA joined the
effort in 1973.
Giving in the
New Century
By 1954, the announced
goal for giving to One Great Hour of Sharing reached eight million
dollars. Today, total interdenominational giving to One Great Hour of
Sharing exceeds $20 million a year.
Our generosity toward others in the
21st century will determine what kind of world we will
leave our children and generations to come. In 1949, the world’s
population was 2.5 billion; it now approaches 6 billion. The challenge
is great; the resolve must be greater.
The words of church leaders who
promoted One Great Hour of Sharing in 1949 instruct us still:
“This nationwide united effort by America's
Christians has an importance far beyond the practical goal of fund
raising. For this great joint program will not only strengthen the
vitally important relief and rehabilitation work of the churches
overseas, but will also prove to all the world how great is the power
generated when Christians unite in a common cause.”
When Jesus saw 5,000 hungry people, he said, “Give
them something to eat.” The bread and fish increased until everyone
was fed. Gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing follow the model of Jesus
when we give to the hungry and hurting people in the world from the
generous gifts that God has given us—and increase our gifts until
everyone is fed.
