Calling all pastors!
Only two months until Christmas! Maybe your church has too much going on to plan a huge, labor-intensive campaign for needy people this Christmas – but I’m pretty sure you would find this project doable and highly meaningful….
My friends at Trade as One have put together a simple plan:
You show a 2 minute video some time between now and the first week in December
You get a product that you can show on stage and explain its story
Everyone gets a mini-bar of fair trade chocolate to taste!
Everyone gets a postcard with a code unique to your church for use on the Trade as One website
During the following weeks, individuals purchase fair trade products through the Trade as One website
Trade as One donates 5% of all sales from your church back to your church
Here’s why I’m so excited by this program:
It is easy for a church to do (no space requirements, no need for volunteers, and it only takes four minutes to do in a service)
It provides your church with a very popular, practical action
It gives back to your church
It provides you with a teaching opportunity for people to consider how the Christmas message can be reflected in the gifts that we give
So – if you’re a pastor, why not make this decision, and if you’re a layperson – offer to launch this project for your church. Fair trade makes more sense than ever in a world of political dysfunction and system-fail. Whatever politicians do, we all still have some leverage in how we “vote” with our dollars.
You can find out more about the program by visiting http://tradeasone.com/justone.