Develop a Discipleship System
Offertory Prayers and Invitation to the Offering
By Ken Sloane
Each month’s Offertory Prayers includes an “Invitation to the Offering” along with a digital image for those who might want to use it. We hope you will find this a helpful way to remind the people in your pews that their offering travels to many places to make a powerful difference in the lives of people they may never meet.
May 2023
Your offering last week empowered ministry within our congregation and responded to the needs of our community. A portion of your generosity also supported ministries across our worldwide United Methodist Church, through General Funds like the Ministerial Education Fund.
The Ministerial Education Fund (MEF) is the basic financial source for preparing and educating clergy leadership for The United Methodist Church. In 1968, General Conference established the fund because, without a strong denominational family of theological schools, there is no way to educate and develop deacons, elders, and local pastors in the Wesleyan tradition who can preach, teach, and model the gospel amid the complexities of life.
The funds received by the 13 United Methodist schools of theology relate more directly to how many students in Master of Divinity programs are registered candidates for ordained ministry, and how many graduates have been ordained in The United Methodist Church. Forty percent of the fund reserved for theological schools is divided, based on the number of United Methodist students enrolled in candidacy for ordination and the number of graduates ordained after completing seminary. Twenty-five percent is distributed among the seminaries for basic support. Twenty five percent of the receipts remain in our annual conferences to assist candidates for ministry, continuing education for pastors, clergy recruitment, and to provide financial aid for students.
This important work happens, thanks to the way the people of The United Methodist Church live and give connectionally. I invite you to give generously, as we worship God through sharing our gifts, tithes, and offerings.
Click here to learn more about the Ministerial Education Fund.
Offertory Prayers:
June 2023
Your offering last week empowered ministry within our congregation and responded to the needs of our community. A portion of your generosity also supported ministries across our worldwide United Methodist Church, through your church’s faithful support of the World Service Fund.
Thanks to your generosity, a team from Discipleship Ministries traveled in April 2023 to multiple sites in the North Katanga Annual Conference in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They worked with church and conference leaders there to build relationships, teach, and support United Methodist sisters and brothers in areas such as disciple-making, worship, and measuring and evaluating their work. Their travel in the conference was provided by “Wings of the Morning” -- an aviation ministry supported by United Methodists through The Advance for Christ, a ministry of our Global Ministries general agency.
This important work like this happens, thanks to the way the people of The United Methodist Church live and give connectionally. I invite you to give generously, as we worship God through sharing our gifts, tithes, and offerings.