2018 Area -wide offering of letters
FOR SUCH A TIME  AS THIS

The story of Esther in the Old Testament provides us with a challenging example of courageous advocacy for people under threat.  The King had ordered the killing of the Jewish people, and Queen Esther's relative Mordecai urged her to approach the king on behalf of her people, at great personal risk.  Mordecai reasoned that it was "for such a time as this" that God had intervened in history to allow Esther to rise to her privileged position.
​What about us?  We live in a democracy and have the right to communicate to our elected officials on behalf of our brothers and sisters, perhaps now more than ever. The administration and much of Congress are proposing deep cuts in domestic safety-net programs and poverty-focused development aid. These cuts would reverse years of progress in reducing hunger and poverty, both here in the US and around the world. Imagine the suffering, the social and economic instability, and the rush of desperate people seeking help from food pantries and the like. Keep in mind also the plight of people living in war-torn areas.
"For such a time as this," we have been blessed with a means to advocate on behalf of those who are vulnerable.
Our churches make great efforts to support local and international programs to alleviate suffering and provide opportunity. But this is not enough.  We must use our pens and our voices to remind our elected officials of the  federal government's essential role in providing just policies, strong safety nets, and poverty-focused development aid.
So, for 2018 we asked churches to organize an Offering of Letters and then pass the letters collected to the Holland Bread Team by May 31.  On June 5, we met with Rep. Huzienga's district manager in his Grandville office and personally delivered the stack of letters, along with a list of participating churches. The letters addressed to  Congressman Rep. Upton were mailed to his DC office. 
Several area churches have been conducting these Offerings for years and consider them to be an essential component of our mission to carry out God’s work in today’s world.  The Offering of Letters can be carried out with only modest effort, and we are available to help! (E-mail us at us@hollandbreadteam.org.) Though handwritten letters are most effective, we have found that providing a form letter for parishioners to sign is most practical when large numbers of people are solicited.
If your church did not meet our May 31 deadline, consider holding an Offering of Letters anyway.  The mailing address for the DC offices of our members of Congress are readily available on their websites.
Resources          may_2018_bread_for_the_world.pdf
         end-of-mass_appeal-1.docx         
  • Bulletin Insert:        ​               
            sfds_bulletin_insert_2018_in_english.docx
​         
Letter counts for 2018 Offering of Letters
First United Methodist (Holland)           58 Rep. Huizenga, 23 Rep. Upton
Hope Reformed Church                             45 Rep. Huizenga, 8 Rep. Upton
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic                 90 Rep. Huizenga
St. Francis Catholic                                  176 Rep. Huizenga, 30 Rep. Upton
Third Reformed                                          83 Rep. Huizenga, 19 Rep. Upton
CROP Walk                                                   42 Rep. Huizenga, 8 Rep. Upton
Total letter count: 582
Letter counts for 2017 Offering of Letters
Christ Memorial Church                           12
First United Methodist (Holland)           18
Hope Reformed Church                             67
​Hope United for Justice (Hope College) 51 Rep Huizenga (plus an unknown number to other reps)
New Community Fourth Reformed        40
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic                 70 Rep. Huizenga,   2 Rep. Upton
St. Francis Catholic                                  173 Rep. Huizenga, 25 Rep. Upton
St. Patrick Catholic (Grand Haven)        16 (many more sent separately, count unknown)
Third Reformed                                          70 Rep. Huizenga, 23 Rep. Upton
CROP Walk                                                   43 Rep. Huizenga
Total letter count: 610+
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