The special Sundays in The United Methodist Church are intended to be illustrative of the nature and calling of the Church and are celebrated annually. The special Sundays are placed on the calendar to make clear the calling of the Church as the people of God, and to give persons the opportunity of contributing offerings to special programs.
Six special churchwide Sundays provide for churchwide offerings to do deeds expressive of our commitment: Human Relations Day, One Great Hour of Sharing, World Communion Sunday, United Methodist Student Day, Peace with Justice Sunday, and Native American Awareness Sunday. Two special Sundays are without offering: Heritage Sunday and Laity Sunday. Three churchwide Sundays, Christian Education, Golden Cross, and Rural Life Sundays, provide opportunities for annual conference offerings.
The special Sundays approved by General Conference shall be the only Sundays of churchwide emphasis. The program calendar of the denomination shall include only the special Sundays approved by General Conference, special Sundays approved by ecumenical agencies to which The United Methodist Church is officially related, and the days and seasons of the Christian year.
Because of the diversity of history and heritages experienced by the central conferences, they shall not be required to observe all of the special days listed below. The central conferences are authorized to observe other special days appropriate to their unique history and heritages.
Churchwide Special Sundays With Offerings
Six special churchwide Sundays with offerings shall be celebrated in each United Methodist Church.
Human Relations Day shall be observed with an offering, preferably on the Sunday before the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. This Sunday occurs during Epiphany, the season of manifesting God's light to the world. Human Relations Day calls the Church to recognize the right of all God's children in realizing their potential as human beings in relationship with each other. The purpose of the day is to further the development of better human relations. An offering shall be received for the support of the Community Developers Program, United Methodist Voluntary Services Program, and Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program.
One Great Hour of Sharing shall be observed with an offering, preferably on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Lent is the season of repentance, self-examination, and awareness of the hurts of the peoples of the world. One Great Hour of Sharing calls the Church to share the goodness of life with those who hurt. An offering shall be received for the work of the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
World Communion Sunday shall be observed with an offering, preferably on the first Sunday of October. World Communion Sunday calls the Church to be the catholic inclusive Church. An offering shall be received for Crusade Scholarships, for the Ethnic Minority Scholarship Program, and the Ethnic Minority In-Service Training Program.
United Methodist Student Day shall be observed with an offering, preferably on the last Sunday in November, or another Sunday appropriate to the local church. United Methodist Student Day calls the Church to support students as they prepare for life in uniting faith with knowledge. An offering shall be received for the support of the United Methodist Scholarships and the United Methodist Student Loan Fund.
Peace with Justice Sunday shall be observed with an offering, preferably on the Second Sunday of Pentecost. Pentecost celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit calling for God's shalom. Peace with Justice witnesses to God's demand for a faithful, just, disarmed, and secure world. An offering shall be received for Peace with Justice Ministries in the annual conference and the General Board of Church and Society.
Native American Awareness Sunday shall be observed with an offering, preferably on the third Sunday of Easter. This Sunday serves to remind the Church of the gifts and contributions made by Native Americans to our society. An offering shall be received to develop and strengthen Native American ministries within the annual conference, to provide scholarships for Native Americans to attend United Methodist Schools of Theology and to expand the number of target cities for the Native American Urban Initiative.
Churchwide Special Sundays Without Offerings
The program functions assigned to the general agencies are carried out by the respective agencies through normal programmatic channels. Special Sundays are not needed for these program functions to be implemented.
Two Special Sundays without offerings are:
Heritage Sunday shall be observed on April 23, the day in 1968 when The United Methodist Church was created by the union of The Evangelical United Brethren Church and The Methodist Church, or the Sunday following that date. It falls during Eastertide, the season in which we remember the Resurrection and triumph of our Lord. Heritage Sunday calls the Church to remember the past by committing itself to the continuing call of God. This Special Sunday is under the general supervision of the General Commission on Archives and History.
Laity Sunday shall be observed annually, preferably on the third Sunday in October. Laity Sunday calls the Church to celebrate the ministry of all lay Christians, as their lives are empowered for ministry by the Holy Spirit. This Special Sunday is under the general supervision of the General Board of Discipleship.
Annual Conference Special Sundays
Christian Education Sunday shall be observed on a date determined by the annual conference. It calls the Church as the people of God to be open to growth and learning as disciples of Jesus Christ. If the annual conference so directs, an offering may be received for the work of Christian education within the annual conference.
Golden Cross Sunday shall be observed annually on a date determined by the annual conference. If the annual conference so directs, an offering may be received for the work of health and welfare ministries in the annual conference.
Rural Life Sunday shall be observed on a date to be determined by the annual conference. Rural Life Sunday shall call the Church to celebrate the rural heritage of The United Methodist Church and to recognize the ongoing crisis occurring in rural areas of the nation and world today. If the annual conference so directs, an offering may be received for the work of ministries in town and rural areas within the conference, such as: rural chaplaincy, ministries with African-American farmers, development of cooperative parish ministries, and/or strengthening the nurture, outreach, and/or witness of congregations in town and rural areas.
Annual conferences may determine other special Sundays with or without offering. Special Sundays with offering shall be approved by the annual conference upon recommendation of the annual conference council on ministries in consultation with annual conference council on finance and administration. Special Sundays without offering shall be approved by the annual conference upon recommendation of the annual conference council on ministries.
Local church treasurers shall remit the receipts of all annual conference Special Sundays with offering to the annual conference treasurer, and receipts will be acknowledged in accordance with procedures of the annual conference. Local churches shall report the amount of the offering in the manner indicated in the Local Church Report to the annual conference.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21679-GJ-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference