Johnny Wray

Every time I visit a disaster site, a refugee camp, or a development project and see first hand the ministries of help and hope Week of Compassion is able to offer in the midst of human need and suffering, I remember that none of Week of Compassion's work and witness in the world would happen without the gifts and contributions from Disciples members and congregations from across the whole church. Week of Compassion is not something "Indianapolis" does, it is not a service "headquarters" provides. Week of Compassion begins in the congregations. As congregations wrestle with Christ's call to go into all the world, to offer the cup of cold water, to share hospitality with the neighbor and the stranger, Week of Compassion is one way, not the only way, but one way, one excellent way, for our congregations to live out that call in the world in which we live.

But if Week of Compassion begins in the congregation, it does not begin simply with the monetary gifts members make to the Week of Compassion offering. It begins in the sanctuary, at the table, in the fellowship meal we Disciples participate in Sunday after Sunday. The church's work in service and mission finds its grounding in the church's worship in praise and prayer. Christ's call to compassion begins with Christ's call to communion.

The resources in this seventh volume of the Church Finance Council's popular series, The Gifts We Bring, have been prepared for those times when our congregations celebrate their participation in Week of Compassion.

While I am grateful to the several pastors and lay persons who have provided worship pieces, I am especially thankful and beholden to Jim Crouch. Jim has served not only as editor, but also as the major contributor. Jim is a remarkable wordsmith, a prophetic preacher, a caring pastor and a strong advocate for Week of Compassion. As a gift to the whole church he wrote the very well received Week of Compassion devotionals in 1997 and 1998. When the congregation he served, First Christian Church, Wilmington, DE, decided to close last year, the congregation not only gave some of its assets to Week of Compassion, it also "gave" Jim back to the larger church and continued to pay his salary so that he might serve as a pastor/developer of a new congregational start and offer his writing skills to Week of Compassion. So while First Christian Church is no longer listed in the Disciples Yearbook, its ministry is alive and well through the Week of Compassion Endowment Fund and through the pages of this book. To that congregation and to Jim Crouch this seventh issue of The Gifts We Bring is dedicated.

Johnny Wray

Week of Compassion

Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)