When we wake up each morning, we hear the latest news about the vast numbers of people who have died after contracting the COVID-19 virus. These are more than statistics, each one is a person who has a family that is mourning them, and/or is battling the impact of the disease themselves. And that fact alone connects each statistic to you and me, and suddenly we are challenged to do more than shake our heads as we read the sad headlines.
When crisis strikes, it’s a time for us as a church to step up and help others. At the time this article was written, more than 7 million people worldwide had contracted the COVID-19 virus, and more than 406,000 had died1. In the Southern Asia-Pacific division alone there have been 299,802 cases and 10,095 deaths as of June 11, 2020.
Adventist churches around the world are being asked to collect a special COVID-19 offering July 11 to support communities devastated by the pandemic. Funds raised by local churches will be used to help respond within their region of the world.
This means that all COVID-19 Response offerings given by church members will go to their local division and local fields to fund initiatives to help those suffering from this pandemic. Masks. Essential supplies. Food assistance. . . Whatever it takes.
Church members who are interested in helping to promote this special offering can share this over social media. On, or before, July 11 church members can mark their tithe envelopes “COVID-19 Response.” If their local church is still unable to meet physically, they can still contribute by sending an offering to their local church marker CoVid or give digitally through AdventistMission.org/COVID to make a freewill donation. Contributions will be given to each division for distribution according to need. Please note, contributions to this appeal are above and beyond members’ regular return of tithe and “Promise” (systematic) offerings through their local church One Offering Plan. We wish to ensure funds for our urgent local church needs and for our tithes are not diminished by this request at this critical time.
Thank you for supporting, as you are able, those struggling with the results of the Covid pandemic.
Sylva Keshishian
Office of Adventist Mission
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
1 https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?utm_campaign=homeAdUOA?Si%23countries, accessed. June 7, 2020.