Extending God’s Love Across the World through One Great Hour of Sharing

Each year during Lent and Easter, we receive the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, joining with Presbyterians around the world to respond to hunger, disaster, and poverty. Through this shared gift, we support ministries like Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People, offering both immediate relief and long-term hope.


The roots of this offering go back to Easter Sunday 1949, in the aftermath of World War II. As the world struggled to rebuild, church leaders called on congregations to respond with compassion. In a national broadcast, President Harry Truman urged listeners to “build a new world, a far better world” where the dignity of all people is honored. More than seventy-five years later, that call still guides us.

Today, gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing continue to make a huge impact across the globe. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Panzi Foundation offers healing and hope to survivors of sexual violence, providing medical care, counseling, and support to rebuild lives. What began as a hospital has grown into a network of care, serving tens of thousands and delivering thousands of babies each year with extraordinary outcomes.

Closer to home, this same spirit of care is at work through partners like Bridge Refugee Services here in East Tennessee. Families like Svitlana's, who fled Ukraine seeking safety, have found support, resources, and community through Bridge. From food and housing assistance to job training and education through programs like GROW, refugees are given the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. In recent years, as resources have become more limited, our congregation and community have stepped forward in powerful ways to meet urgent needs.


When we give to One Great Hour of Sharing, we are part of something much larger than ourselves. We are helping bring healing in places of deep pain, offering welcome to those seeking a new beginning, and living out Christ’s call to love our neighbors near and far. Together, we continue the work of building a new world, one act of compassion at a time.