Proud Mom

My oldest son was an acolyte for the first time in service today. An acolyte is "a person who assists in the worship service. Normally the acolyte serves by lighting and extinguishing the candles on the communion or altar table and distributing and collecting the offering plates. At the discretion of the pastor, the acolyte may also assist in other portions of the worship service. It is the custom in most local churches for the acolytes to be young persons, giving them an early opportunity to be participants in the service. Adults, however, also may serve as acolytes." I found this definition on the UMC website's glossary. I was so proud to see him up there, and despite my fears, he did very well, lol.

It was especially cool because today is also World Communion Sunday. The World Communion Sunday (in the Methodist churches) offering provides scholarships for U.S. (racial-and ethnic-minority) and international students, on both undergraduate and graduate levels. Originally a Presbyterian observance, the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America established World-wide Communion Sunday in 1940 as a global, interdenominational event. Prompted by the impact of World War II, the Methodist Church received an offering on this Sunday for the Fellowship of Suffering and Service. It aided the work of the Methodist Committee on Overseas Relief (now UMCOR), the Commission on Chaplains and the Commission on Camp Activities.

In 1971 The United Methodist Church changed the name of the observance to World Communion Sunday and redistributed the offering to support the Crusade Scholarship Program (begun in 1944), the Ethnic Minority Scholarship Program and the Division of Chaplains and Related Ministries.
In 1980 Chaplains and Related Ministries was moved to World Service funding, but the World Communion Sunday offering continued to assist racial- and ethnic-minority persons pursuing various avenues of ministry.