SEASON OF LENT & THE PRACTICE OF ALMS-GIVING

The season of Lent, which began this year on Ash Wednesday (February 14) and will extend up until Easter, concluding on Holy Saturday (March 30) is this season in the life of the Christian Church that invites us into postures of repentence, reflect, self-denial, confession, and also healing.

It's in this season that we acknowledge what is not right with ourselves and also what is not right with our world (i.e. hunger, housing insecurity, war, racism, greed, isolation, and more).

And, as means of acknowledging our brokeness, we often take up the following three practices that are unique to this season:

Confession (confessing our sins)
Fasting (giving up that which distracts us and keeps us from serving God fully)
Alms-giving (making a special offering toward the wholeness and healing of others, something that helps right the wrongs of this world)

And these practices have a way of overlapping and flowing into each other. Perhaps the very thing you are fasting from, creates the room in your life to give to toward the wholeness of another.

LENT 40-DAY CHALLENGE

Which is why, this Lent, as you consider taking up the practice of alms-giving (or if Lent isn't your thing, just the posture of giving and doing the most good you can), we ask that you would consider this challenge.

Join the Kingstowne Communion in helping us address housing insecurity, raise the living wage for a crucial community connector in our area, and invest in a person (not just a cause) for the wider community good, by sponsoring the increase in hours and salary of a Provision Church staff member experiencing housing insecurity from $600/mon to $1000/mon, beginning in March 2024.

Provision Church, one of our community partners that serves and resources persons living in poverty with warm and nutritious meals and beloved community at one of multiple community corner cafes across our area, currently has two people on staff who are experiencing housing insecurity themselves (one sleeping in county hypothermia shelters and the other in the process of exiting homelessness), all while serving as community connection advisors and making it possible for Provision to show up where needed, develop effective interventions, and provide intensive relational case management for hundreds of others experiencing housing and food insecurity in our area. Their role at Provision is crucial to community impact and engagement and is the reason why Provision was able to serve 700 meals in the month of February alone.

In order to still receive benefits from the county, they cannot make more than $1800/mon; however, the current amount that Provision Church can afford to pay them is only $600/mon, which does not reflect the current need for expansion and further outreach into the community, nor does it ensure their security or quality of life in this area and economy.

Therefore, the Kingstowne Communion is taking up this Lent 40-Day Challenge (and inviting you to join us) in sponsoring the increase in one of Provision's staff member's salaries.

**And we hope to raise their salary by $400/mon starting in March, reflecting a goal of $4,000, by MATCHING dollar-for-dollar what is given up to $2,000.**

Here's what that looks like when championed and owned by a community:

50 people giving $1 a day for 40 days + Kingstowne matching that, OR
25 people giving $2 a day for 40 days + Kingstowne matching that, OR
10 people giving $5 a day for 40 days + Kingstowne matching that, OR
5 people giving $10 a day for 40 days + Kingstowne matching that!

HOW TO GIVE

We invite you to consider your capacity to devote a small amount of your daily spending this season toward something and someone fully outside of yourself and your benefit, and if you feel so led to help us reach this goal and bless a person who is contributing to the connection and well-being of others, choose one of the following sponsorship levels and make a one-time donation that reflects your daily decision to give anytime between now and Easter:

CHARITY LEVEL | $20 ($0.50 /day for 40 days)
MERCY LEVEL | $40 ($1 /day for 40 days)
COMPASSION LEVEL | $80 ($2 /day for 40 days)
SOLIDARITY LEVEL | $120 ($3 /day for 40 days)
KINDNESS LEVEL | $200 ($5 /day for 40 days)
GRACE LEVEL | $400 ($10 /day for 40 days)
LOVE LEVEL | $1,000 ($25 /day for 40 days)

KINGSTOWNE COMMUNION'S MATCH

Did we mention that the Kingstowne Communion will MATCH whatever donations are raised this Lent up to $2,000?! Let's collaborate for the common good of our community by investing in the people whose presence is crucial to it's wholistic flourishing.

Lent 40-Day Campaign: Sponsor a Living Wage

Address housing insecurity. Raise the Living Wage. Invest in Provision's people.