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Every day, Disciples answer the call to be a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. In the Preamble to the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), we accept our mission of witness and service to all people in the name of Jesus the Christ. We extend God’s welcome to all at the Lord’s Table, because we believe that our shared Christian faith bonds us to each other and to the entire world.
No matter the challenges we face – from combatting racism to ending human trafficking, from starting a church to sustaining a community – Disciples know that by sharing the work, we accomplish what, by God’s design, we cannot do alone.
Disciples Mission Fund (DMF) brings the whole Church together, connecting us to the life-giving and life-saving work we have been called to do. It also simplifies giving for congregations and individuals, providing a way to support the entire Church at once. DMF-funded regional and general ministries offer opportunities for Disciples to serve as missionaries, attend college or seminary, advocate for the least of these, and so much more.
When you make a gift to Disciples Mission Fund, you share God’s love from your doorsteps to the ends of the Earth.
Visit the Resources page for a variety of resources to help you and your congregation share the story of Disciples’ work through DMF.
Common Funding System
As a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world, we use a common funding system to enable all congregations to channel resources through one system to be shared across the life of the Church.
The mission funding system, as overseen by the General Board, is a pre-allocated means of offering gifts in support of region ministries, general ministries, and institutions of higher education. This system allows the Church to partner together for promotion and interpretation, and the receipting and distributing of gifts.
Where DMF gifts come from:
83% – Congregations
10% – Christian Church Foundation
5% – Disciples Women/CWF
1% – Blessing Boxes
1% – Individuals
Less than 1%: Church schools and youth groups
How DMF gifts are distributed:
49% – Regional Ministries
29% – General Ministries
9% – Higher Education Institutions
12% – Office of General Minister and President (OGMP)
1% – Other Ministries
Click below for dollar amounts that each ministry received from Disciples Mission Fund:
2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018• 2019 • 2020 • 2021 • 2022 • 2023
Core Support
When you make a gift to Disciples Mission Fund, you share God’s love from your doorsteps to the ends of the Earth. No matter how you give, you are supporting the life-giving and life-saving work of our Church through regional and general ministries. Because of your support, Disciples start new churches, strengthen ecumenical partnerships, combat evils like racism and human trafficking, bring others to Christ, improve communities, and so much more.
To make the most impact with your gift:
- Select “Disciples Mission Fund – Core Support” for your online gift
- Schedule a recurring gift to simplify your giving and sustain DMF ministries
- Make sure your congregation includes support of Disciples Mission Fund in its annual budget
- Find more resources to encourage DMF support in your congregation
- Contact us for more ways to streamline your individual or congregational giving
Your ongoing support strengthens all of the ministries in the DMF system, and allows us to continue the work of our Church.
Special Day Offerings
Special days in the life of the church allow us to focus our worship around moments that are central to our faith. DMF Special Day Offerings provide an opportunity to highlight specific ministries as part of our faith celebrations. Congregations can receive these special offerings during worship, or budget for a special gift, and individuals can always designate their gift to DMF for any of these special offerings.
Disciples celebrate four special days by supporting specific ministries through DMF:
Easter
The Easter Special Day Offering supports most of the General Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). These ministries operate across the U.S. and Canada as well as around the world. Through care, service and advocacy for others; sharing resources, stories and worship, general ministries partner with regions to strengthen congregations for the mission our Church.
Pentecost
Gifts to the Pentecost Special Day Offering support the development and growth of new churches. Fifty percent of the gift is given to the region in which its given, designated for new church ministries, and the remainder supports New Church Ministry, the general ministry leading the General Assembly’s New Church Priority.
Thanksgiving
Fifteen colleges and universities, and seven theological institutions, receive direct support through the Thanksgiving Special Day Offering, further nurturing the relationship between our Church and educational institutions. This offering provides scholarships and pastoral care to Disciples students at Disciples schools, so your gift directly impacts the lives of leaders who will serve the Church for years to come.
Christmas
The Christmas Special Day Offering directly supports regions in their mission to extend the ministry of Christ. Regional Ministries provide pastoral care and enrichment programs in 32 areas of the U.S. and Canada. Regions are often known for their camp and conference programs, as well as the development and ordination of ministry candidates. All gifts made to the Christmas Special Day Offering support the region in which they’re given.
Other Special Mission Funds
Disciples Mission Fund is one of three special mission funds created to sustain important work of our Church. There are two other Special Mission Funds that have special offerings each year:
Week of Compassion
Week of Compassion is the relief, refugee, and development mission fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), working with partners to alleviate suffering throughout the world. Gifts to Week of Compassion provide a tangible and present witness, and place the whole Disciples church alongside vulnerable communities, responding both to natural disasters and human-caused crises around the world.
Reconciliation Ministry
For more than 40 years, Disciples have had a visible ministry to address racism in society. Gifts to Reconciliation Ministry, through its Offering or throughout the year, support programs and initiatives aimed at dismantling racism.
DMF History
Disciples Mission Fund has its origins in the mid-20th century as another expression of increasing efforts to cooperate in the emerging denomination. Congregations voluntarily share support through our common fund, which is divided among general, regional, and educational ministries. Those ministries covenant not to solicit additional funds directly from the congregations.