A Message from the Mission & Service Fund

Can We Afford to Give More?
Can We Afford NOT To?

Facts:
Kofi Annan, UN General Secretary, says half of the world's people live on less than two dollars a day.

UNICEF statistics tell us that

• one billion people cannot read or write
• 3,000 children die every day from poverty
• half of the world's children live in poverty
• 1.3 billion people have no clean water
• two billion people have no electricity and three billion no sanitation

United Nations Development Agency tells us that annual world military spending equals about $780 billion while world spending on education is $6 billion.

(See more facts at www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp.)



So, Can We Afford to Give More?

A newspaper costs at least 75 ¢.

• If local church givers gave an extra 75¢ to their congregations and 75¢ to M&S each month. there would be an additional $2.8 million in local coffers and in M&S.

A cheap tin of tuna costs a dollar!

• If all M&S givers gave an additional dollar a month we would have an additional $1.8 million in M&S.

A cup of coffee costs a dollar.

• If local givers gave an extra dollar a month. local churches would have $3.8 million in additional funds.

A chocolate bar costs a dollar.

• If Sunday school children gave a dollar a month to M&S it would add up to $1.3 million.

A can of pop costs a dollar.

• If the children gave a dollar to local congregations they would have $1.3 million too.

A video costs five dollars.

• If local givers who don't also give to M&S gave five dollars a month to M&S we would have an additional $9.8 million for the work we do as The United Church of Canada in the world.

~ 2007 Minutes for Mission