Amazing Grace: New Name of the UMCH Work Day Offering

Bob Bruder-Mattson
President and CEO
The United Methodist Children’s Home

God’s amazing grace weaves through all our shared experiences here at the United Methodist Children’s Home.
 
We saw it a few weeks ago when a three-year-old child arrived to us at 1 a.m. to be placed into one of our foster homes. He wore clothes that were way too big and shoes that were way too small. We didn’t have anything in storage that fit him, and because of the late hour, no stores were open. When we shared our urgent need for youth clothing to help all the children who arrive here in need, bags stuffed full of shirts, pants, dresses and other items immediately began to appear in our lobby – God’s amazing grace at work.

We also saw His grace at work on the proud faces of our young adult residents starting college or trade school in August. These are youth in Georgia’s foster care system who live with us, and while here we provide education, work and life-skills training to help prepare them for life on their own. These young adults are actively working to improve their lives, and we are so proud of them!
 
And finally, we see God’s amazing grace in the hopefulness expressed by the new families living in our housing units, who can feel secure while they work to better their lives. One new resident told us it was the first time she had slept soundly in 16 years.
 
The Children’s Home has worked to help children and families in need for 143 years, and for many of those, our fall offering has been called the Work Day Offering. While we have renamed it to be the Amazing Grace Offering, it is still the same collection that you know and love, the same one that directly supports our mission to heal children, unite families and change lives.
 
I urge you to please consider contributing to the Amazing Grace Offering on Sunday, Sept. 21, or whenever your church has decided to collect it. If your church isn’t offering Amazing Grace, please encourage them to do so.
 
Whether you give on Sept. 21 or any day, know that your gift will bring hope to the more than 1,000 children and families we serve every year. Thank you!