Gifts from the Giving Tree
Throughout the years the Cathedral community has always been very generous when asked to give to various causes. Providing resources to those who are making an impact around us and abroad is part of our Cathedral DNA. It’s why the Giving Tree has been so successful in sending youth out into the communities of Houston, Louisiana, and Costa Rica.
The Cathedral donations allow us to keep costs low for missioners to do the good work we are called to do by Jesus. It provides scholarships for students who can’t fiscally afford to go on a life-changing mission. It empowers each of our youth to “let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth,” as found in 1 John 3:18. Finally, The Giving Tree empowers our youth to answer the call with the support of their church community.
We believe it’s essential for our students to know mission work starts here in our community of Houston. Our annual Houston mission through the CUSE (Cathedral Urban Service Experience) program provides an opportunity to begin doing that work. It’s open to the current 5th grade through 12th-grade youth. This is an excellent opportunity for our youth to get to know the city they live in, grow closer together as a community, and experience God in a new way by serving local non-profits like The Beacon and Interfaith Ministries.
This year, we are once again able to serve abroad, in our sixth intergenerational mission to Costa Rica. Our high school students will join adults from the Cathedral on a short-term international mission to Limón, Costa Rica. Our companion relationship with the Diocese of Costa Rica throughout the years has been a great blessing and benefit to the lives of Cathedral youth. This summer we will continue to work to create a Diocesan space in Limón, similar to the existing one in San José, to draw missioners towards Limón to help strengthen the churches on the Caribbean coast. Two years have gone by since Cathedral youth have had the opportunity to participate in a mission trip. We wait, with great anticipation, to see the many ways God will be in our midst.
Each of these missions is important to the life and ministry of our youth. Unfortunately, not all are able to afford these trips. Donations to The Giving Tree from parishioners of the Cathedral are the primary source of funds to send youth on these life-changing trips and other activities throughout the year. Our goal this year is to raise $20,000. I am hoping you will join me in donating.
We offer several ways for you to donate. During Lent, from Sunday, March 6, through April 4, we will be in the cloister every Sunday. You can pick one of the envelopes from The Giving Tree and keep a picture from one of our previous trips as a reminder to keep us in prayer throughout the summer. In the cloister, we are able to accept cash, checks, and credit cards. Donations can also be made at www.christchurchcathedral.org/givingtreedonation or you can mail a check to the Cathedral office. Checks should be made payable to Christ Church Cathedral with The Giving Tree on your check memo line as well as on the envelope.
I hope you will prayerfully consider sending one of our students on a mission with both financial support and prayer.
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