Merry Christmas World 2010
"The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light.
on those those living the land
of the shadow of death
a light has dawned."
-Isaiah 9:2, NIV 
At home in Canada and in faraway nations, brokenness, poverty and despair are a daily reality. Many have long given up hope that any escape is possible. Our sensitivity to the needs around us can be dulled by routine exposure to various appeals for help. But in the eyes of the Lord, each one is special. Each man, each woman, each child, has a name—and each has a story that He knows intimately. He wants to give them a future and a hope—hope that can be found in Jesus Christ.
Join us as we gather resources to help make a difference in Canada and beyond through workers and projects supported by International Missions, Mission Canada and ERDO (Emergency Relief and Development Overseas). Your gift this Christmas can not only help spread the gospel, but can create opportunities for urgent, practical needs to be addressed in deprived communities in Canada, Africa, Eurasia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. As emotional and physical needs are met, the truth of God’s love comes to life.
You can make a difference.
You can give the gift of hope.
*give a gift through
International Missions*
Provide access to the life changing Word of God
Imagine life as a believer without access to a Bible. Many pastors in remote communities are leading their churches without enough Bibles to share with their leaders and congregants. New converts are hungry for the Scriptures but are not able to afford a copy of their own. Others can come to faith for the first time after reading the truth about God’s love for them and His concern for their needs. Your gift of $25, $50 or $100 can help provide Bibles to a global worker who can distribute them in their community. Click here to donate to the Bible fund
Boost leadership development and education
The Timothy Fund: One of the biggest contributions we can make to the global church is the “gift of leadership.” The Timothy Fund provides scholarships to underprivileged students in 30 of our Bible colleges and dozens of extension programs around the world. Your gift of $50 a month or $600 a year will provide an annual scholarship to help train a promising national leader, strengthening the church in the country they serve. Click here to donate to The Timonthy Fund
The Next Generation: Many youth and young adults in developing countries have both the aptitude and desire to learn, but because of acute poverty, they are unable to progress very far beyond a primary school education. Bright, dedicated Christian youth who have attended high school often feel a calling to serve in some profession, but need proper training which they have no means to pursue. Your gift of $50, $100, or $200 can help this next generation pursue their education dreams. Click here to donate to the Next Gen Scholarship fund
*give a gift through
International Missions*
Provide missionary Christmas care and outreach
Our dedicated global workers work hard all year to help change the lives of destitute and hurting people around the world—widows without means to care for their families, neglected and orphaned children, and the sick and dying. At Christmas, like so many of us at this time of year, they want to offer a little extra care. Your gift of $25, $50, or $100 can help them take additional steps to meet the needs of the growing numbers of people who depend on them for help—especially at Christmas. Click here to donate to missionary care/outreach
Give a general donation for areas of
greatest need
If you feel a desire to make a real difference this Christmas but are not sure of the best category to give to, consider making a general donation to Merry Christmas World. Your gift will be distributed according to the identified areas of greatest need. Prayerfully consider a donation which will advance the cause of Christ through our international activities—your contribution of any amount will be gratefully received. Click here to donate to the general donation
*give a gift through
Mission Canada*
Equip youth leaders in Canada
Canadian teens in grow up and live with the risk of never hearing the good news. Your gift of $90 will place a Youth Ministry Training Manual in the hands of a Pentecostal youth worker in Canada, preparing them to make the needed difference in the spiritual destiny of hundreds of teens in the province.Click here to help equip a Canadian youth leader
Launch a missionary in Canada and
reach underserved communities
In Canada, countless opportunities exist for new kinds of ministries that will reach into the lives of underserved people and neighbourhoods. Mission Canada recruits and sends uniquely called and qualified individuals to do just that—they are serving students on university campuses, touching the lives of urbanites who have no evangelical church nearby, counselling city kids living with poverty, crime and broken families, giving hope to teens and young adults in Quebec, or humbly serving Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. These Mission Canada workers are risk-takers and faith-walkers, courageously creating something new for the sake of lost people in Canada. Your gift of $50, $100, $200 or more can help them—and others—move forward with even greater confidence and effectiveness.Click here to donate to launch a missionary in Canada
*give a gift through
ERDO*
Help fund an ERDO school feeding program
Hungry children find it impossible to study. Undernourishment leaves them distracted, unable to retain information, vulnerable to numerous illnesses, and subject to high rates of absenteeism. They are unable to take full advantage of the opportunity they are given to get the education and training they need for a better future. When you give $100 towards the gift of food this Christmas, four children can receive a high-protein, nutritious lunch at school for a full year, improving both their health and their chances of academic success. Click here to donate to ERDO's school feeding program.
Become a ChildCARE Plus Sponsor
Just $34 a month makes a dramatic difference in the life of a child living in poverty. Over 400 children in Haiti are currently awaiting a sponsor. Their lives have been torn apart since the January 2010 earthquake—many have lost their homes, a parent, and other family members. ChildCARE Plus is the very best response as it provides Christian education, nutritious food, and access to health care. You can become a friend to a child in need this Christmas. If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please call 1-800-779-7262.
Invest in Small Business Loans
A mother will give everything
she has for her child—but what if there is absolutely nothing to give? Mothers who have escaped the war zones in the Democratic of Congo (DRC) have suffered horrific violence. Many have seen their husbands murdered. Others have been violated and stripped of all their possessions. Still others have watched while their daughters have been brutally attacked. $100 can provide small business loans to three mothers, giving them a little help to start a small business so they can feed their children. Each rotating loan has the power to impact several families. Click here to invest in small business loans
Purchase an emergency Survival Kit
No one is prepared for the overwhelming damage done by an earthquake, hurricane or volcano. We want to be ready—but many are unfortunately caught unawares and left vulnerable in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Your gift of $60 provides an emergency crisis Survival Kit. Each kit contains: clothing, bedding, and essential food items for one month. The kits are distributed to families who have lost their homes during a crisis. Click here to purchase an emergency Survival Kit
*frequently asked
Questions*
What is Merry Christmas World About?
The PAOC has identified needs of missionary and ministry activities currently beyond available funding. International Missions, Mission Canada and ERDO are partnering to offer you the chance to make a difference in areas of most urgent need.
How Can I Give?
*You can give online by reviewing and selecting one or more of the options above.
*You can call our office and ask for a brochure, reply card and response envelope to be sent to you. Then you can enclose a cheque or your credit card information, and send it back to us. Please make cheques payable to The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. In the memo line, write Merry Christmas World and the category you are choosing to give to (Mission Canada/Launch a Missionary, etc.).
*You can call 905-542-7400 to make a donation via credit card by phone. Please mention that you are interested in giving to Merry Christmas World.
*You can give through your participating local church. For more information, please call 905-542-7400 and mention your interest in participating in Merry Christmas World.
How Can My Church Participate?
Your church can participate by setting aside a specific time to take an offering, and by contacting our order desk at 905-542-7400 or orderdesk@paoc.org to order brochures, posters, bulletin inserts and PowerPoint slides for distribution and use before the selected date.
Thank you for bringing hope!