"Speak out... for the rights of all who are vulnerable. Speak out in order to judge with righteousness and to defend the needy and the poor." (Proverbs 31:8-9)
One of our denomination’s six Special Sundays, Peace with Justice Sunday calls the church to strengthen its capacity to advocate publicly and care for underserved communities throughout the world. Through connectional giving, contributions from St. Paul's join with contributions from United Methodist churches worldwide. Peace with Justice funds are administered by the General Board of Church and Society with half of all gifts staying with local ministries in each conference and half supporting the work of Church and Society globally.
This year, Peace with Justice Sunday will be recognized on June 15, 2025.
Click the button to donate.
We also gratefully receive donations by cash or check. Please make checks payable to St. Paul's UMC with "Peace/Justice Special" on the memo line, and mail to St. Paul's UMC, Attn: Treasurer, 10401 Armory Ave., Kensington MD 20895, or place your donations in the Sunday offering plates.
When you donate to Peace with Justice offering, you're supporting efforts like these programs that received funding during the last few years:
- The youth group at Calhoun First UMC in Calhoun, GA started the Book Blessings program with a PWJ grant in 2019. Calhoun has a high poverty rate and a high rate of non-native English speakers. Increased literacy is a key to helping kids overcome the effects of poverty, so the Calhoun UMC Book Blessings program purchases and distributes books to families through after-school programs, specifically targeting those facing homelessness or who receive free tutoring within the school system. (https://www.umc.org/en/content/pwjs-grants-make-a-difference-in-the-north-georgia-conference-pwjs)
- Helping Our Neighbors (HON) is a community engagement ministry of First United Methodist Church in Kalamazoo, MI. Moved by regular contact with persons living in homelessness or insecure housing, HON volunteers started asking, “What do you need?” Many of those they have come to know said, “We need a reliable way to communicate with persons and places that are essential for our safety and welfare.” Through a 2022 PWJ grant, HON began offering cell phones. Recipients have used them to find employment, call 911 in emergencies, and make routine appointments. (https://www.umc.org/en/content/helping-our-neighbors-in-kalamazoo-pwjs)
- The United Methodist Men organization in the Northeast District, East Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference, took on Environmental Justice and systemic poverty at the same time. With a PWJ grant in 2019, they divided a portion of the conference property into 10 modules, each with a focus on sustainable agriculture: tree orchards; range chicken production; duck, goat, hog and quail raising; inland fish ponds; mushroom culture and management; and organic vegetable farming. The goal is to teach sustainable agricultural practices AND create a dedicated source of organic, healthy foods for the surrounding community. (https://www.umc.org/en/content/united-methodist-men-in-philippines-focus-on-environmental-justice-pwjs)
- The Summer Arts Camp of United Methodist Church of the Redeemer, in Temple Hills, MD, received a grant from the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference in 2021 to design a program in partnership with a local youth center to help children unleash their creative abilities and artistic expressions through drama, music, dance, visual arts and photography. According to Rev. Michael Parker, "We are carving out safe space for children who live in extremely at-risk communities to have positive, safe, community building activities and receive nutritious meals throughout the summer, which is the peak time for juvenile-related offenses. Our children are able to not just build bridges but be bridges of hope and change in our community."
- In Indianapolis IN, a grant through the annual conference supports Matthew’s Voices hosted at Roberts Parks UMC. This choir offers access to and addresses the need for the arts in populations in the city that often go untouched, unloved, and underserved.
- The “Letting Girls Be Girls” program provides health education programming and services for young girls in the Rotifunk community of Sierra Leone.