By: Rev. Lyndy Zabel

Every day, Minnesota United Methodists activate love, transform lives, and change the world through their prayers, presence, gifts, and service. On Dec. 1, you’re invited to join thousands of other United Methodists in supporting missions and missionaries around the world while doubling your impact.

For the third year in a row, the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) is hosting “Giving Tuesday.” After Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, United Methodists and their friends will come together on Dec. 1 to financially support a variety of projects, or “Advances.” (Download bulletin insert promoting this giving opportunity.)

GBGM will provide matching funds, dollar for dollar, for the first $1 million in gifts to Advance projects that are received online on that day. (A maximum of $2,500 per individual gift will be matched, and each Advance project may receive a maximum of $25,000 in matching funds.)

Last year, 8,700 gifts totaling $2.5 million were given toward 770 projects and missionaries.

You may give to any Advance(s) or missionar(ies) that you’d like to support. The Minnesota Conference’s Mission Promotion Team strongly recommends giving to one of these four projects (and/or one of the conference-supported missionaries):

• International Disaster Response (Advance #982450): Assists refugees fleeing Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa and heading to Europe as our world faces the largest mass migration since World War II. Bishop Ough is encouraging all congregations to actively work to address this humanitarian crisis—perhaps by receiving a special Thanksgiving offering. Contributing on Giving Tuesday is another way to show support. Read Bishop Ough’s letter and view giving resources

• The Center for Victims of Torture (Advance #171142): Provides services to torture survivors and advocates for public initiatives that aim to put an end to torture. Learn more about Center for Victims of Torture

• Compatible Technology International (Advance #3021634): Provides guidance and technical assistance to rural poor people in the world through the application of simple, human-powered technologies. Learn more about Compatible Technology International

• Mujila Falls Agricultural Center (Advance #15016A): Addresses hunger and poverty with sustainable agriculture and leadership training under the direction of Paul Webster, one of our conference-supported missionaries. Learn more about Mujila Falls Agricultural Center

Here’s how to give:

1. Between midnight and 11:59 p.m. Dec. 1, visit www.umcmission.org/give.

2. Enter the project or Advance number, or select a missionary you wish to support.

3. On the page of the project or missionary you want to support, click “Give Now.”

4. Follow the prompts on the donation screen, which include specifying the name of your church.

5. Payment must be made online using a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover are all honored).

6. Your donation, up to $2,500, will be doubled (provided that some of the $1 million in matching funds remains when you donate).

*Note that you may give to multiple projects. Follow the process listed above for each project using the appropriate Advance number.

Love in action transforms lives and makes the world a better place. Contributing on Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for us to help heal a broken world. Please give generously.

Rev. Lyndy Zabel is director of missional impact for the Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.