Human Relations Day

 

Human Relations Day, Jan. 18, is a United Methodist Special Sunday offering aimed to make it a day for all God’s children. The Human Relations Day offering supports Community Developers, United Methodist Voluntary Service and the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program. These efforts aim to heal injustice in the United States and Puerto Rico by encouraging social justice and work with at-risk youth.

The 1972 General Conference established Human Relations Day to “recognize the right of all God’s children in realizing their potential as human beings in relationship with each other.” Past actions should not determine the future .We are all God’s children and deserve justice and equality. Together, we can encourage better human relations by affirming the dignity, self-determination and interdependence of individuals and communities.

Human Relations Day was established by the 1972 General Conference. In 1989 the Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program replaced the Police-Community Relations Program to respond to the growing population of youth offenders and their need for creative redirection.

Human Relations Day is celebrated the Sunday before the national birthday observance of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. It’s an opportunity to “make it a day for all God’s children.” The special offerings strengthen outreach to communities in the United States and Puerto Rico, encouraging social justice and work with at-risk youth.

For information about Youth Offender Rehabilitation Program, contact General Board of Church & Society (GBCS), 100 Maryland Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20002, (202) 488-5611 or gbcs@umc-gbcs.org. The GBCS web site is www.umc-gbcs.org.

For information about Community Developers and U.M. Voluntary Service programs, contact the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM), 475 Riverside Dr., Room 1548, New York, NY 10115, (212) 870-3821 or info@gbgm-umc.org. GBGM’s web site is www.gbgm-umc.org.

Following are some support materials to help educate about Human Relations Day. These resources are available online at umcgiving.org, and there is a link to an online store where you can order additional free printed resources. You can also call and order resources, toll free at (888) 346-3862.

Resources include:

Other resources at umcgiving.org include bulletin inserts in color and black and white; facts and worship resources; graphics and photo gallery; and video clips.

About Special Sundays

Six times throughout the year, United Methodist congregations celebrate churchwide Special Sundays with offerings. Your support is critical to the survival of these important ministries and for sharing God's gifts around the world.

Churchwide Special Sundays with offerings enable United Methodists like you to offer refuge in times of disaster, promote peace and justice, provide scholarships and student loans, reach out to the community, teach skills to encourage self-sufficiency and share the love of Jesus Christ with God's people everywhere. Your support is critical to the survival of these important ministries and for sharing God's gifts around the world.

Online giving is available: Contribute.