“But since you excel in everything- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love  we have kindled in you- see that you also excel in the grace of giving.”  2 Corinthians 8:7

Participation in the special offerings enables our congregation to support many missions, helping to bring the hope and love of Christ to our community and world.

Cents-Ability Offering

Formerly Two-Cents-A-Meal, Cents-Ability began in the 1970s with one Presbyterian woman wanting to make a difference in world hunger. Members are encouraged to set aside two cents for every meal each day and bring their offerings to church on the fourth Sunday of each month. Seventy-five percent of this offering supports the Presbytery of West Virginia’s Hunger Program and twenty-five percent supports the Covenant House Food Pantry.

SouperBowl of Caring Offering

Each year on SuperBowl Sunday, the youth, soup kettles in hand, collect a special monetary and canned food offering to support the Hunger Relief Programs in our community. The monetary donations are given to Manna Meal and the food items received are given to the Covenant House Food Pantry.

One Great Hour of Sharing Offering

Since 1949, Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God’s love with people experiencing need. Our gifts, through this offering, support ministries of disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement and community development.

Pentecost Offering

The Pentecost offering provides a direct way to meet the needs of children at-risk, youth, and young adults. Congregations are encouraged to keep 40% of the offering to support ministries with at-risk children in their communities. The General Assembly’s portion provides leadership development opportunities for Presbyterian youth and young adults and supports at-risk children at the national level.

Urgent Needs Offering

Twice a year (Christmas Eve and in July) we receive your gifts for “Urgent Needs.” This offering funds the Emergency Assistance Program at Covenant House. Local men, women, and families who find themselves in a crisis situation can receive help for rent, utilities, transportation, food, medicine, or clothing due to the generosity of this offering
A small portion remains here at First Presby to provide assistance to our families experiencing these same difficulties.

Peacemaking Offering

The Presbyterian Peacemaking offering supports the efforts of the Presbyterians through their congregations, presbyteries, synods, and the General Assembly to work for peace by tearing down walls that divide. The day recommended for congregations to receive this offering is World Communion Sunday when Christians around the world celebrate our unity in Christ. As we receive bread and cup, we celebrate Christ, our peace, and are renewed to pass Christ’s peace to those around us and across the world. The Peacemaking Offering supports a variety of peacemaking efforts at all levels of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Twenty-five percent is retained by congregations, 25% is used by presbyteries, and 50% is allocated to the General Assembly ministries.

Thanksgiving Offering

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, our church has an opportunity to give to a special Thanksgiving Offering to benefit Davis-Stuart, Inc., which is a Presbyterian Therapeutic Residential Center for Adolescents based in Lewisburg, WV.  This special offering supports the Chaplaincy Program offered at Davis-Stuart. Many youth who reside at Davis-Stuart have never been involved in spiritual teachings.
The Chaplaincy Program seeks to promote an awareness of our heritage of the Christian faith and the necessary knowledge which makes Christian choices and decision possible.

Christmas Joy Offering

During Advent, we reflect upon God’s promise of salvation. Made to each of us, and kept with the birth of Jesus, this promise has changed countless lives. Though the Christmas Joy Offering, we make and keep two promises of our own: to church workers through assistance in their time of need and to racial ethnic education and leadership development. Each of these promises is kept, equally by the gift you give, to the Assistance Program of The Board of Pensions and Education and Development of Racial Ethnic Leaders.

Additional Giving Opportunities

Barefoot Sunday

For the past five years, First Presbyterian Church of Charleston has participated in a local and global outreach ministry entitled Barefoot Sunday.  During the worship service, congregation members bring an offering of a new pair of shoes to benefit a group of people that cannot afford new shoes. The congregation is given an opportunity to select from a bulletin board a “footprint” which includes information regarding the type of shoe a child or individual would like to have.  The members purchase a pair of shoes for that person and on Barefoot Sunday all of the shoes are brought forward as part of a special offering.  The shoes are then joyfully distributed to the pre-selected organization to give the shoes to the intended recipients.  First Presby alternates between local and global organizations to be the recipients of the shoes.  First Presby members are invited to attend the Barefoot Sunday worship service barefoot to more fully engage themselves in this offering.  This serves as a reminder that one and a half billion people around the world, 300 million of which are children, do not have shoes, which is a very real and life-threatening problem.  Locally, many children cannot afford new shoes and may suffer from shoes that do not fit properly or are broken down and uncomfortable.