CHICAGO [MW Diocese Communications] — This December, the Diocese of the Midwest will be kicking off a Monthly Matching Gift Challenge to support Orthodox ministries in Midwest America. There is much good being done in the name of Jesus Christ by Orthodox Christians in our own “backyards.” In an effort to support this good work, the Mother Maria of Paris Charitable Ministry of the Diocese of the Midwest will be offering five matching gifts of $1,000 to five Orthodox ministries in the upcoming five months.
In each month of the Matching Gift Challenge, the Mother Maria of Paris Charitable Ministry will call on individuals from the diocese’s clergy and laity to give sacrificial offerings of $1,000 to match the ministry’s donation.
A generous gift of $10,000 by an anonymous donor in October has made the Monthly Matching Gift Challenge possible. The remaining $5,000 will be distributed to other Orthodox ministries or as seed money for larger fundraising projects.
Ideas for Sunday School Students
The Mother Maria of Paris Charitable Ministry especially wants to encourage our youth to learn stewardship in a hands-on way by fundraising within their parishes and communities. Some ideas that we’ve gathered for Sunday School students or youth groups are:
- Penny Challenge: Have the Sunday School kids compete against the adults in collecting the greatest number of coins. One coin jar can go on the candle desk and the kids can have the other jar. The group that collects the most coins wins!
- Quilt Square: Give the students squares of cotton fabric to draw an event from the life of the Church, such as Christ’s Nativity or Baptism, using permanent markers or fabric paint. They can have their own square or can partner up. Then an adult will sew them all together to make a quilt of the students’ creation, which can be raffled off.
- Mosaic Icon: Have the students cut out colored squares from magazines, and then arrange them as a group into a mosaic icon. This highly unique icon can also be raffled.
- We would LOVE to hear about your ideas for fundraising projects for Sunday School kids! Post your ideas on our Facebook account https://www.facebook.com/mothermariaministry/ and get the conversation started!
About the Mother Maria of Paris Charitable Ministry
The mission of the Mother Maria of Paris Charitable Ministry is to advance ministry work being done by Orthodox Christians within the boundaries of the Diocese of the Midwest – Orthodox Church in America. Through fund raising, gifts-in-kind, and volunteerism, we support organizations and ministries that provide for the basic needs of the poor, needy, and under-served primarily in Midwest America.
Ultimately, this ministry seeks to cultivate a greater sense of stewardship in the diocese by building relationships between parishes, nonprofits, and individuals.
Find us online at https://www.facebook.com/mothermariaministry/ or email us at mothermariaministry@domoca.org if you would like more information on the Monthly Matching Gift Challenge or how to get involved.
