CHRISTMAS EVE
Our aim this year is to raise $355,000 via the Christmas Eve Offering.
Rather than investing this money in our General Budget, this money will go to ministries, initiatives, missionaries, leaders, and organizations who are spreading the Gospel, feeding the hungry, connecting with the prisoner, equipping leaders, and so, so much more.
Rather than investing this money in our General Budget, this money will go to ministries, initiatives, missionaries, leaders, and organizations who are spreading the Gospel, feeding the hungry, connecting with the prisoner, equipping leaders, and so, so much more.
LOCAL RECIPIENTS
Shining the light of jesus locally: $196,000
Self Sufficiency: $70,000
Living Word Mission Partners work hard to help vulnerable people retain and/or regain self-sufficiency. They work against isolationism and seek to avoid quick fixes that do not address root causes. Together, these partners have helped literally thousands of York County families over the years in their varied struggles with meeting their own basic needs.
Servants: $20,000
Serving Christ Through Serving Others: Servants helps families and homeowners retain self-sufficiency by providing critical home repair and maintenance services for low-income families, older adults, single parents, veterans, and disabled homeowners.
LifePath Christian Ministries: $20,000
Depending on Christ, LifePath is at the forefront of engaging with the homeless, significantly equipping and helping people find their way to long term stability and self-sufficiency. LifePath proactively collaborates with like-minded partners in providing pathways designed to help their clients gain the skills, connections, and healing they need to move forward in life.
Miss Bobbi’s Place: $10,000
Zac King and his family put their skills and talents to work to bring a new way forward for select families struggling to make ends meet. They have completely gutted and designed a row of now beautiful town homes. Through professional case management in collaboration with both CPC and LifePath, Miss Bobbi’s Place pioneered a better approach to helping families become self-sufficient over the long term.
Self-Sufficiency Programs @ Community Progress Council (CPC): $10,000
CPC provides professional case management and organizational support for coaching and empowering vulnerable people to find their way forward to greater stability over the long term. The work of their staff is crucial and vital for the most vulnerable of York County.
Friends & Neighbors of PA, Inc.: $10,000
This organization reaches the homeless who do not find shelter with a regular program (e.g. LifePath, Bell, etc.). Trained staff connect relationally and do their best to help those currently without shelter to connect with needed providers and resources. Additionally, staff members are sometimes able to supply materials to help provide greater safety as they live in their car or in whatever setting they choose to stay.
Servants: $20,000
Serving Christ Through Serving Others: Servants helps families and homeowners retain self-sufficiency by providing critical home repair and maintenance services for low-income families, older adults, single parents, veterans, and disabled homeowners.
LifePath Christian Ministries: $20,000
Depending on Christ, LifePath is at the forefront of engaging with the homeless, significantly equipping and helping people find their way to long term stability and self-sufficiency. LifePath proactively collaborates with like-minded partners in providing pathways designed to help their clients gain the skills, connections, and healing they need to move forward in life.
Miss Bobbi’s Place: $10,000
Zac King and his family put their skills and talents to work to bring a new way forward for select families struggling to make ends meet. They have completely gutted and designed a row of now beautiful town homes. Through professional case management in collaboration with both CPC and LifePath, Miss Bobbi’s Place pioneered a better approach to helping families become self-sufficient over the long term.
Self-Sufficiency Programs @ Community Progress Council (CPC): $10,000
CPC provides professional case management and organizational support for coaching and empowering vulnerable people to find their way forward to greater stability over the long term. The work of their staff is crucial and vital for the most vulnerable of York County.
Friends & Neighbors of PA, Inc.: $10,000
This organization reaches the homeless who do not find shelter with a regular program (e.g. LifePath, Bell, etc.). Trained staff connect relationally and do their best to help those currently without shelter to connect with needed providers and resources. Additionally, staff members are sometimes able to supply materials to help provide greater safety as they live in their car or in whatever setting they choose to stay.
At-Risk Youth: $63,000
Living Word Mission Partners reach out with hope, Good News, love, and life-giving opportunities for the next generation. Students find places where they can be seen, named, known, and loved.
18 South: $20,000
Reaching dozens of students daily, this ministry encourages, feeds, and gives opportunities for learning and growth. Through this ministry, young people have found hope, life-giving connections and resources, and some have crossed the line of faith and been baptized.
Young Life York: $20,000
Young Life pours the love of Jesus and the Gospel into the Next Generation in a variety of ways. Their regular groups and ministries reach many students that would never walk into a church. They also have particular groups that focus on teens facing particular challenges: Young Lives is a group that ministers to Teen Moms, and Young Life Capernaum reaches students who happen to be facing special needs.
Logos Academy: $20,000
This vibrant learning community teaches students to show respect, take responsibility, and bring healing to broken places in culture and in the world, all grounded in the love of Jesus. Students come from an array of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and households, and at Logos, they find a community filled with care and faith.
Children’s Aid Society: $3,000
This organization is all about empowering children and their families to build stronger, healthier lives. They seek to give kids a safe space where they can grow and flourish. They provide a range of resources for kids and their parents, including a crisis nursery, family advocacy, creative art therapy, and more.
18 South: $20,000
Reaching dozens of students daily, this ministry encourages, feeds, and gives opportunities for learning and growth. Through this ministry, young people have found hope, life-giving connections and resources, and some have crossed the line of faith and been baptized.
Young Life York: $20,000
Young Life pours the love of Jesus and the Gospel into the Next Generation in a variety of ways. Their regular groups and ministries reach many students that would never walk into a church. They also have particular groups that focus on teens facing particular challenges: Young Lives is a group that ministers to Teen Moms, and Young Life Capernaum reaches students who happen to be facing special needs.
Logos Academy: $20,000
This vibrant learning community teaches students to show respect, take responsibility, and bring healing to broken places in culture and in the world, all grounded in the love of Jesus. Students come from an array of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and households, and at Logos, they find a community filled with care and faith.
Children’s Aid Society: $3,000
This organization is all about empowering children and their families to build stronger, healthier lives. They seek to give kids a safe space where they can grow and flourish. They provide a range of resources for kids and their parents, including a crisis nursery, family advocacy, creative art therapy, and more.
Healthcare: $33,000
Living Word Mission Partners focus on providing families godly care and support as they seek further options, information, diagnosis, or treatment.
Katallasso Family Health Center: $20,000
Katallasso provides professional medical healthcare to families who are under-insured or altogether uninsured. Medical doctors and other healthcare professionals volunteer their time and expertise, to connect, care, and love people in the name of Jesus.
Human Life Services: $8,000
Human Life Services compassionately resources parents – both mothers and fathers – facing unexpected pregnancy. Clients range in age typically from teenagers all the way to those in their forties. Clients and their immediate family are given care and support both during and following the pregnancy. This ministry was “birthed” by Living Word many years ago and has saved many, many lives right here in York.
Women’s Care Center: $5,000
Women’s Care Center also lovingly reaches out to and resources parents facing unexpected pregnancy. Their desire is to seek to save lives and provide care, resources, support, counseling, and more to young families and prospective parents, both during and after pregnancy.
Katallasso Family Health Center: $20,000
Katallasso provides professional medical healthcare to families who are under-insured or altogether uninsured. Medical doctors and other healthcare professionals volunteer their time and expertise, to connect, care, and love people in the name of Jesus.
Human Life Services: $8,000
Human Life Services compassionately resources parents – both mothers and fathers – facing unexpected pregnancy. Clients range in age typically from teenagers all the way to those in their forties. Clients and their immediate family are given care and support both during and following the pregnancy. This ministry was “birthed” by Living Word many years ago and has saved many, many lives right here in York.
Women’s Care Center: $5,000
Women’s Care Center also lovingly reaches out to and resources parents facing unexpected pregnancy. Their desire is to seek to save lives and provide care, resources, support, counseling, and more to young families and prospective parents, both during and after pregnancy.
Hunger: $14,000
Food insecurity is the reality for more than 35,000 people who call York County their home. Fixed incomes, rising costs, and more contribute to this reality. One of the ways we love like Jesus is when we choose to help feed those who are hungry, especially our neighbors who are going through tough times.
York County Food Bank: $6,000
Living Word partners closely with the York Food Bank, hosting their bi-monthly drive-thru food distribution that reaches on average more than 700 families. Resourcing the York Food Bank is one of the best ways to help families facing food insecurity.
York Fresh Food Farms: $5,000
This young organization raises fresh food at two different sites in the city limits. They provide this fresh food in a very affordable and accessible manner for seniors and the under-resourced.
Our Daily Bread: $3,000
Living Word has partnered with this ministry for decades. Feeding the hungry 2-3 meals on most weekdays, this ministry helps the homeless, the under-employed, and those on fixed incomes facing rising expenses. Living Word continues to provide volunteers and food donations regularly, and this monetary donation will help cover some other basic costs and needs of the ministry.
York County Food Bank: $6,000
Living Word partners closely with the York Food Bank, hosting their bi-monthly drive-thru food distribution that reaches on average more than 700 families. Resourcing the York Food Bank is one of the best ways to help families facing food insecurity.
York Fresh Food Farms: $5,000
This young organization raises fresh food at two different sites in the city limits. They provide this fresh food in a very affordable and accessible manner for seniors and the under-resourced.
Our Daily Bread: $3,000
Living Word has partnered with this ministry for decades. Feeding the hungry 2-3 meals on most weekdays, this ministry helps the homeless, the under-employed, and those on fixed incomes facing rising expenses. Living Word continues to provide volunteers and food donations regularly, and this monetary donation will help cover some other basic costs and needs of the ministry.
Recovery: $6,000
This Living Word Mission Partner is one of a number of local initiatives and organizations helping those who need structured support to leave destructive patterns, habits, or situations behind and to find new life as they are equipped with more healthy ways of thinking, being, and doing.
New Life for Girls $6,000
New Life for Girls is all about faith working itself out in love. The focus is providing women who are addicted, abused, or coming out of incarceration the chance to turn their lives around and become whole, thriving, productive members of society. Giving to this ministry helps vulnerable, marginalized women encounter the love and grace of Jesus.
New Life for Girls $6,000
New Life for Girls is all about faith working itself out in love. The focus is providing women who are addicted, abused, or coming out of incarceration the chance to turn their lives around and become whole, thriving, productive members of society. Giving to this ministry helps vulnerable, marginalized women encounter the love and grace of Jesus.
Intellectual Disabilities: $5,000
This Living Word Mission Partner provides compassionate, constructive, loving care and development for those who happen to have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Jessica & Friends Community: $5,000
Jessica and Friends provides families of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities the following: Residential Services, Person-Centered Programs, Home & Community Programs, Parent & Caregiver Support, Supported Employment, and more.
Jessica & Friends Community: $5,000
Jessica and Friends provides families of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities the following: Residential Services, Person-Centered Programs, Home & Community Programs, Parent & Caregiver Support, Supported Employment, and more.
Prisoners: $5,000
This Living Word Mission Partner knows that Jesus cares for those who have been cast out and cast aside by society. Just like Jesus, their mission is to run to those on the edges, those in the shadows (in this case, prisoners) and to shine the light of Jesus into their lives.
Good News Global @ York County Prison: $5,000
Living Word partners with the local chaplains who are constantly bringing the Gospel and the grace of God to prisoners behind the bars, helping them find real hope. These chaplains resource and oversee multiple volunteer teams from multiple churches who also seek to reach out to prisoners with the love of Christ. The Gospel is God’s saving power, and this Gospel brings freedom, even behind the bars.
Good News Global @ York County Prison: $5,000
Living Word partners with the local chaplains who are constantly bringing the Gospel and the grace of God to prisoners behind the bars, helping them find real hope. These chaplains resource and oversee multiple volunteer teams from multiple churches who also seek to reach out to prisoners with the love of Christ. The Gospel is God’s saving power, and this Gospel brings freedom, even behind the bars.
GLOBAL RECIPIENTS
Shining the Light of Jesus Globally: $159,000
Africa: $36,500
Agape for All Nations Ministries: $2,500
This ministry equips the women of Mzuzu City, Malawi (6th poorest country in the world) and surrounding rural villages with sound, biblical teaching materials on mothering and becoming a woman of God. With these funds, 200 additional study guides will be printed and 192 Bibles will be purchased in the Chichewa language.
Friends of PAAV: $9,000
The mission is to raise funds and global partners to support the ongoing ministry of Project Adopt A Village (PAAV). This money will be used to purchase blood pressure cuffs, otoscope/ophthalmoscopes, and thermometers; the Ethiopian physicians typically have little equipment to diagnose and treat patients. Additionally, purchasing dental equipment (dental unit and hand instruments) is needed to avoid having the US team bring in this equipment every year because the customs process for allowing medical/dental equipment to enter the country has become overwhelmingly difficult.
Holy Goats: $5,000
The mission of Holy Goats is to help lift bush churches/pastors/communities out of poverty through viable, self-sustaining businesses that will help spread the gospel deeper into the unreached bush of Kenya. This money will provide 150 goats to a cluster of bush pastors in a new Kenyan Bush county.
PAAV: $15,000
The mission of PAAV is to spread the Gospel and empower the people in the Sendafa/Beke community to lead a productive and healthy life. The money received will be used as follows: provide income generating loans to those living in poverty and to HIV patients; bring female commercial sex workers out of prostitution and help them lead productive lives; provide care and support to HIV patients; provide educational and nutritional support to children; provide medical care to the sick.
Youth in Transformation: $5,000
YIT's vision is to create a world where every young person regardless of race, gender or socio-economic position has access to fair, equitable and quality education that transforms their lives and enables them to live a life of purposeful work, joy, compassion, generosity and justice in their families and communities. Young people in South Africa have many physical needs, the most notable is help in their education. These funds will help to cover required school costs for some students to continue their education, a tutoring program working with grades 7 to 12 for kids in extremely deprived areas, and to help younger girls with tutoring and scholarships to cover their school fees.
This ministry equips the women of Mzuzu City, Malawi (6th poorest country in the world) and surrounding rural villages with sound, biblical teaching materials on mothering and becoming a woman of God. With these funds, 200 additional study guides will be printed and 192 Bibles will be purchased in the Chichewa language.
Friends of PAAV: $9,000
The mission is to raise funds and global partners to support the ongoing ministry of Project Adopt A Village (PAAV). This money will be used to purchase blood pressure cuffs, otoscope/ophthalmoscopes, and thermometers; the Ethiopian physicians typically have little equipment to diagnose and treat patients. Additionally, purchasing dental equipment (dental unit and hand instruments) is needed to avoid having the US team bring in this equipment every year because the customs process for allowing medical/dental equipment to enter the country has become overwhelmingly difficult.
Holy Goats: $5,000
The mission of Holy Goats is to help lift bush churches/pastors/communities out of poverty through viable, self-sustaining businesses that will help spread the gospel deeper into the unreached bush of Kenya. This money will provide 150 goats to a cluster of bush pastors in a new Kenyan Bush county.
PAAV: $15,000
The mission of PAAV is to spread the Gospel and empower the people in the Sendafa/Beke community to lead a productive and healthy life. The money received will be used as follows: provide income generating loans to those living in poverty and to HIV patients; bring female commercial sex workers out of prostitution and help them lead productive lives; provide care and support to HIV patients; provide educational and nutritional support to children; provide medical care to the sick.
Youth in Transformation: $5,000
YIT's vision is to create a world where every young person regardless of race, gender or socio-economic position has access to fair, equitable and quality education that transforms their lives and enables them to live a life of purposeful work, joy, compassion, generosity and justice in their families and communities. Young people in South Africa have many physical needs, the most notable is help in their education. These funds will help to cover required school costs for some students to continue their education, a tutoring program working with grades 7 to 12 for kids in extremely deprived areas, and to help younger girls with tutoring and scholarships to cover their school fees.
Europe: $15,000
Ukraine Dnipro Churches: $15,000
LWCC has partnered with 2 national denominational leaders in Dnipro, Ukraine, since the early days of the war in Ukraine, supporting war-weary pastors and their congregations. These funds will help with evacuations and car repairs; outreach support for older citizens, veterans, children; food and medicine for refugees; hospital outreach as hundreds of soldiers arrive at the hospital with no clothing or hygiene items; start up of new Bible groups and refugee fellowships.
LWCC has partnered with 2 national denominational leaders in Dnipro, Ukraine, since the early days of the war in Ukraine, supporting war-weary pastors and their congregations. These funds will help with evacuations and car repairs; outreach support for older citizens, veterans, children; food and medicine for refugees; hospital outreach as hundreds of soldiers arrive at the hospital with no clothing or hygiene items; start up of new Bible groups and refugee fellowships.
Latin America: $40,000
ASELSI: $10,000
ASELSI provides interdenominational Bible education and ministry leadership training tailored to the unique needs of indigenous, rural pastors. The funds will be used to print 1,000 copies of the 20 courses at the High School Level of Bible training, to be used at Spanish speaking Bible training extensions.
Mountain Springs Camp: $10,000
A facility for the spiritual, educational, and charitable needs of the Ixil people of Nebaj, Quiche, Guatemala. These funds will be used toward completion of a new facility called the “Springs House” which will continue to provide space for discipleship and spiritual growth for indigenous church leaders and short term teams.
ReadySetGo (RSG): $5,000
RSG is a movement dedicated to “making disciples in all nations for Christ in the world of sport and play (includes games, play and fitness). These funds will be used for a Reintegration Initiative – with the intended beneficiaries young men incarcerated for their violent crimes and gang participation in Guatemala. The goal is to train teens wanting to change their lives with marketable job skills to give them hope and a means of self-support once they have served their time.
Third Baptist of Santiago de Cuba: $15,000
Mission is to be transformed into the image of Christ in order to give hope to those who have none. Food, water, electricity, fuel are scarce to periodically non-existent. People not eating for 2-3 days. No cooking fuel and often no water in the pipes. The church is seeking to stand in the gap, primarily with food – preparing lunches, meals for retirees, breakfasts for children.
ASELSI provides interdenominational Bible education and ministry leadership training tailored to the unique needs of indigenous, rural pastors. The funds will be used to print 1,000 copies of the 20 courses at the High School Level of Bible training, to be used at Spanish speaking Bible training extensions.
Mountain Springs Camp: $10,000
A facility for the spiritual, educational, and charitable needs of the Ixil people of Nebaj, Quiche, Guatemala. These funds will be used toward completion of a new facility called the “Springs House” which will continue to provide space for discipleship and spiritual growth for indigenous church leaders and short term teams.
ReadySetGo (RSG): $5,000
RSG is a movement dedicated to “making disciples in all nations for Christ in the world of sport and play (includes games, play and fitness). These funds will be used for a Reintegration Initiative – with the intended beneficiaries young men incarcerated for their violent crimes and gang participation in Guatemala. The goal is to train teens wanting to change their lives with marketable job skills to give them hope and a means of self-support once they have served their time.
Third Baptist of Santiago de Cuba: $15,000
Mission is to be transformed into the image of Christ in order to give hope to those who have none. Food, water, electricity, fuel are scarce to periodically non-existent. People not eating for 2-3 days. No cooking fuel and often no water in the pipes. The church is seeking to stand in the gap, primarily with food – preparing lunches, meals for retirees, breakfasts for children.
Middle East: $45,000
3DP4ME: $15,000
3DP4ME empowers their patients to walk, move, and hear with 3D-printed prostheses and hearing aids. As we are serving more kids, these funds will provide ongoing maintenance for hearing aids and for speech therapy, more prostheses for new patients, and to hire a local team member dedicated to Holistic Care visits.
Accord: $15,000
Accord (The Isaac Ishmael Initiative) exists to promote shalom in and through Jesus Christ to Muslim and Jewish communities. Through this offering, we will support Kurdish and Arab young adults who have served as translators for our medical teams in one of these areas: training for humanitarian or medical professions; new vocation empowerment (gaining certification in specific area); serving in ministry (for those who are Christians).
Young Life (Leaders): $15,000
3DP4ME empowers their patients to walk, move, and hear with 3D-printed prostheses and hearing aids. As we are serving more kids, these funds will provide ongoing maintenance for hearing aids and for speech therapy, more prostheses for new patients, and to hire a local team member dedicated to Holistic Care visits.
Accord: $15,000
Accord (The Isaac Ishmael Initiative) exists to promote shalom in and through Jesus Christ to Muslim and Jewish communities. Through this offering, we will support Kurdish and Arab young adults who have served as translators for our medical teams in one of these areas: training for humanitarian or medical professions; new vocation empowerment (gaining certification in specific area); serving in ministry (for those who are Christians).
Young Life (Leaders): $15,000
Multiple Global Regions: $22,500
MESA Global: $12,000
Other (Emergency Fund): $10,500
Other (Emergency Fund): $10,500
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John, son of Zebedee, 1st Century A.D.
This Christmas, join us in letting the light of Jesus shine. We let Jesus’ light shine as we celebrate and worship together. We let the light of Jesus fill us as we spend time in private devotion and prayer. And we let Jesus’ light shine by helping vulnerable people see, hear, and feel the Gospel. Join us in making a substantial investment and impact in the lives of people both locally and globally, through our volunteering and our giving.