Episcopal Church Foundation Vital Practices - Blogs - T.R.U.E. Stories (True Relief of Urgent Emergencies)

May 17, 2011

T.R.U.E. Stories (True Relief of Urgent Emergencies)

Have you ever found yourself urgently needing cash assistance? Did you turn to your Episcopal Church?

Last week, I found myself wondering about the major forms of outreach ministries taking place in Episcopal congregations. After reviewing the following report, I learned that the most prevalent form (89%) is cash assistance. Food pantries, soup kitchens, and home-bound services follow shortly after.

I must admit that I was surprised to learn that cash assistance is the most prevalent form. Although I’ve realized from time to time that the rector of my parish has provided monies to people in urgent need, as a lay person I’m largely shielded from the private conversations where people ask for financial help.

Since stumbling across this fact, I’ve done some basic online searches of what Episcopal congregations and dioceses are saying about this ministry.

Linking Discretionary Funds to T.R.U.E. Stories

From my cursory searches, perhaps the most important insight I gained comes from St. Nicholas Episcopal Church in Hamilton, GA. In a sermon delivered in September of last year, the Rev. Jeff Jackson describes the importance of deliberately linking discretionary funds and cash assistance to stories of people who urgently need help.

“Did you know that on the first Sunday of every month, the loose offering goes to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund? Not many people know that, and I’m supposed to remind the congregation about that from time to time...Usually, this fund goes to helping people who are crunched for cash, which many people are these days.”

Fr. Jeff then goes on to tell a T.R.U.E. story - that is, a story in which a congregation’s cash assistance program served as True Relief of an Urgent Emergency. (Note - Fr. Jeff was sure to maintain the anonymity of those involved in this story.)

What is the state of your discretionary fund? If you are confident that this fund is being used appropriately, how are congregational leaders communicating the vital role this plays in addressing immediate need? Is it mentioned in sermons, on your website or service bulletin? (Here's one example of a website that I came across which makes a compelling case for donating to the discretionary fund.)

The fact that so many of our Episcopal congregations offer some form of cash assistance strikes me as one of our Church’s “best kept secrets.” What’s more, at a time when our social safety net is being corroded, it is nice to discover that this centuries-old tradition continues to give quiet witness about the role of the Christian community in the face of urgent need.