I’ve been mulling this idea over for a while now, and went so far as to contact the local ONE campaign coordinator last year to find out more about it, but 2007 was such a busy year of “firsts” for the combined St Nicholas / former Holy Innocents communities that it got pushed off to the side of the lumber room that is my mind.
But with the impending visit of the Presiding Bishop, whose passion for the MDGs is well known, reminded me that I needed to unearth this information and start talking about it to people at St Nicholas.
Become a ONE Episcopal Congregation
ONE Episcopalian seeks to build on the enormous energy for the MDGs already generated among Episcopalians. It will help build on many of the parish-to-parish and diocesan partnerships with churches and diocese in other countries.
The ONE Episcopalian Campaign challenges every congregation to become a ONE Congregation. This involves pledging to organize a “ONE Sunday” and achieve three of the following five goals:
1. Feature the MDGs in a sermon or rector’s forum
2. Organize an “Offering of Letters” and ask participants to sign the ONE Declaration
3. Use ONE resources in Christian-education classes for youth and adults
4. Meet with Members of Congress to advocate for the MDGs
5. Collect an offering once a year for the MDG programs of Episcopal Relief and Development
All ONE Congregations will receive an introductory kit from The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations containing the materials needed to achieve these steps.
The congregational commitment form is here, and the pledge form is here. And I may need to be committed for taking this on, probably just to have materials available for MDG Sunday, which is Feb. 10, the first Sunday in Lent, and the week after Bishop Katharine’s visit.
