Submitted by Joe Runner, Annuitant Visitor

The Christmas Fund supports the sending out of several hundred gift checks at Christmas to deserving retired clergy/spouses/lay employees which accomplishes two things: Its gives a financial lift at Christmas for those whose finances are tight; and, secondly, offers a "thank you" to these servants of the church reminding them that they are not forgotten.

The Fund also supports supplementing retirement income for those whose pensions are low, subsidizes health insurance premiums as needed, and provides a reserve fund to help in unforeseen emergency circumstances for both active and retired clergy folk, such as unexpected medical co-pays.

A wealth of interpretive material may be accessed at the Pension Boards website (pbucc.org) using the "Christmas Fund" link. If your church does not automatically receive materials for the Christmas Fund; envelopes, inserts and posters may be ordered from United Church Resources at 800-537-3394. They will be available around Nov. 1.

For those churches who continue to receive this special offering, "THANK YOU!" For those that do not, please consider doing so. The likely target date this year is Dec. 18, as Christmas Day falls on a Sunday.