"Do You Love Me? Feed My Sheep"

Dear Friends,

In His final moments with His disciples, Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?"  Then, "feed my sheep".  Three times, Jesus passionately repeats His instruction, pressing His followers:  If you love me, take care of the people I love.  Live your love for me by actively tending these for whom I have sacrificed everything. (John 21:15-19).

We're continuing to face tough economic times.  Parts of our economic system seem to be headed in a more positive direction yet much remains unclear.  Pensions are slow to make up for lost grounds, homeowners continue to fight foreclosures and unemployment rate hovers around 10%.  But in the midst of challenging times, it is important to acknowledge all that God has and continues to provide and how we use those resources.

So just how do we feed God's sheep in these challenging times?  This year, as you consider the opportunity to contribute through One Great Hour of Sharing offering, you will be feeding God's "sheep" in one of the following ways:

- Disaster victims will quickly receive shelter, food, water and medical supplies
- Local communities will develop secure sources of food and clean water
- Refugees will receive housing and long-term help to construct new lives..

In this challenging times, we often wonder how much we can afford to sacrifice to help feed Jesus' beloved sheep when our own needs remain pressing.  But remember the feeding of the 5,000 when Jesus asked the disciples to feed the crowd, the disciples despaired (Mark 6:34-44).  The five loaves and two fish seemed insignificant, compared to the massive need.  Yet, when each gave sacrificially from what they had, through God's blessings, their gifts turned into a miracle of compassion for all.

Heed Jesus' call to feed His sheep with a generous, even sacrificial gift to One Great Hour of Sharing.  Sharing your resources will change lives - including your own.

Sincerely,

Abraham Ndiwane
Chair, Mission Board