Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday
February 4, 2010
Episcopalians everywhere are invited to observe Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday during the upcoming Lenten season.
At the 2009 General Convention, Lent was officially designated as a time to encourage dioceses, congregations and individuals to remember and support Episcopal Relief & Development’s life-saving work. “Throughout this period of reflection and examination, we ask the Church to pray for those affected by disaster and poverty in Haiti and around the world,” said Brian Sellers-Petersen, Director of Church Engagement. “The Lenten season provides an opportunity to consider how we might follow Christ more closely in caring for people who are suffering.”
Episcopal Relief & Development Sunday may be held on the first Sunday in Lent, February 21, or on any convenient date during the season. Churches that wish to include special elements in their services on this day can find resources, including a bulletin insert, sermon notes and prayers, at https://www.episcopalrelief.org/Lent. Additional information on planning an event is available at https://www.episcopalrelief.org/Sunday.
With the theme “Healing ourselves and a hurting world,” Episcopal Relief & Development’s 2010 Lenten Meditations booklet is another resource to help readers reflect on their lives and engage with a world in need. The devotional and other Lenten materials should be ordered by Monday, February 8, to ensure delivery in time for Ash Wednesday, February 17. Orders placed after this date will incur additional shipping costs. Call Episcopal Books and Resources (EBaR) at 1.800.903.5544 or visit https://www.episcopalrelief.org/Lent.
Downloadable Spanish and English versions of the devotional are available as well. Readers can also sign up to receive the daily meditations by email.
To support Episcopal Relief & Development’s work, please visit www.episcopalrelief.org or call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to Episcopal Relief & Development, PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.
Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church of the United States and an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The agency takes its mandate from Jesus’ words found in Matthew 25. Its programs work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Together with the worldwide Church and ecumenical partners, Episcopal Relief & Development strengthens communities today to meet tomorrow’s challenges. We rebuild after disasters and empower people by offering lasting solutions that fight poverty, hunger and disease, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.
