Christmas Challenge
What is the Soapstone UMC Christmas Challenge?This is a challenge for our congregation to recognize how blessed we are to live here in the Raleigh area. It is a chance to donate in honor of someone instead of purchasing a gift. It is a way to ask others to donate on your behalf instead of receiving a gift. It is a way to think outside the gift wrapping of Christmas and to remember the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of our Savior who lived outside of the norm and focused on the needy. We have a chance to make a real difference through this offering.
The 2023 challenge considers other people and their needs during this time of Advent.
Our challenge is geared around:
• realizing how blessed we are
• looking outward towards the needs of others
• praying for others in need
For 2023 we intend to support two global organizations Soapstone supports, ZOE Empowers and Agua Viva Serves. We are also extending Christian hospitality to two local organizations our church supports, Family Promise and The Women’s Center of Wake County.
GLOBAL MISSIONS
ZOE Empowers – ZOE equips orphaned children and youth-led families with solutions to overcome extreme poverty and achieve self-sufficiency. We are currently in our 2nd year of a three year partnership with them. For more information click here.
Agua Viva Serves – Agua Viva Serves collaborates with communities in Northern Costa Rica to provide sustainable community water systems for families that do not have access to clean water. This is the organization that VBS raised money for last year and Greg Cain and Jon Tschanz visited Summer 2022. We have a summer trip planned for Soapstone to go Summer 2024. Read more about this organization by clicking here.
LOCAL HOSPITALITY
Family Promise – FP is moving families who are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness into sustainable, permanent housing in our community through a continuum of support services. We also partner with them for the Giving Tree and a week of meals for their residents during Christmas. To read more about Family Promise click here.
The Women’s Center – The Women’s Center serves marginalized single women experiencing homelessness, with histories of severe and persistent mental health, sexual assault, violence, and trauma. Through our clinical and holistic approach, we assist each woman in achieving her dream of transformation, and dignity. We have many people at Soapstone connected to the Women’s Center, including Franklin Manchester who is on the Board of Directors of the Women’s Center. Read more about the Women’s Center here.
How do I give to the Soapstone Christmas Challenge?
There are three EASY ways to do this:
• Drop by the Narthex during December and stop by the Christmas Challenge table. You can drop off your donation and earmark it for any of the ministries.
• Go online, (click here) select the Christmas Challenge, and note which ministry you want to support from the drop-down menu.
• Put your donation in the offering plate at the Christmas eve service and note what ministry you want to support.