DEACON'S CORNER FOR CONSCIENTIOUS GIVING

                                                                                     February 1, 2026

Please prayerfully consider how you can support this month's offering causes and consciously plan your donation

February 01: Edmonton Christian School – At ECS, everything we do begins with God's grace. Our hope is that students don't just gain a strong education, but that they are formed as disciples who know they have a role to play in God's story. We invite them to accept Christ's call to live for renewal and equip them to carry that into every part of their lives. We serve over 1,500 students across three schools, from kindergarten to Grade 12. Ongoing support is needed to keep education both Christ-centered and accessible as costs rise. We continue to provide help for families in financial hardship through our 'Fee Subsidy Program' so that no child is turned away due to finances. We are planning significant repairs and upgrades to our facilities. Gifts are folded into our general operating budget, so they support the areas of greatest need with accountability and care.

February 08: Denominational Ministry Shares -- This idea of a “crowd funding” is something that the Christian Reformed Church has known for a long time. Already in 1862, a need was recognized by congregations of the newly formed Christian Reformed Church in North America to share their resources to do more and greater ministry in whatever part of the world to which God called them. Over the years this program has had different names but is now known as “ministry shares” to better reflect the collaboration and impact that these shared dollars have in making joint ministry possible. Through Denominational ministry shares, we are able to collectively:*Train and credential pastors to be Ministers of the Word*Help all of us take part in God's mission--in our congregations, communities, and in countries faraway*Equip churches to be places that welcome and help people of all ages, abilities, and ethnic backgrounds to grow in faith and become leaders in their congregations and communities*Creatively use media to share the Gospel, disciple believers and strengthen the global church*Support chaplains as they minister to people in times of crisis*Assist congregations through programs for church revitalization, pastor renewal, ethnic leadership development, and so much more. It's an amazingly efficient system with low overhead costs that enables every CRC member to stretch their dollars further and participate in a variety of ministries more effectively and efficiently than any of us could do on our own.

February 15: Canadian Food Grains Bank (World Renew): As one of the founding members of Canadian Food Grains Bank, World Renew multiplies your impact through food security programs for families. Around the world, floods have washed away crops and droughts have left farmlands barren. But together we can end global hunger! With the Canadian Food Grains Bank, World Renews capacity to provide disaster response and food security programs on a global scale has grown over the years. Your gifts will be matched up to 4X!

February 22: Edmonton Food Bank -- The mission of the Edmonton Food Bank is rooted in a holistic approach that addresses both immediate needs and long-term well-being- “to be stewards in the collection of surplus and donated food for effective distribution, free of charge

to people in need in our community while seeking solutions to the causes of hunger.” The Food bank envisions a community where hunger does not exist, where all citizens have access to an adequate and nutritious supply of food. The food bank offers many programs such as the hamper program, food depots such as the one we run here at Inglewood, assistance with job finding and much more. They provide snacks for school children as well as providing food for agencies to cook meals for the less fortunate. The Food Bank is also a partner with us in supporting the neighbourhood table meals we host at our church twice a month. In 2025 the EFB distributed an average of 43,850 hampers per month. Edmonton's Food Bank does not receive funding from any level of government for programs or services. Our work is only possible through the generosity of donations.

“Second Bag” Collection is for the church ministries– We as a congregation have committed to a church budget.  The budget provides revenue used to pay for ministry staff, classical and denominational shares for the Christian Reformed denomination, Sunday School and Youth curriculum, janitorial services and supplies, and the maintenance of the building.  Operational expenses such as printing weekly bulletins, electricity, telephone and internet services and the coffee you enjoy on Sunday are all included.  Let’s work together to contribute to the financial well being of our church.