Disciples Women
The Blessing Box: Living with Gratitude
For more than 50 years, the women of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) have had a special way to express
their gratitude to God for the blessings they have received—the
Blessing Box. The Blessing Box was created in 1953, the
result of a dream of the women who founded Christian Women's
Fellowship. Jessie Trout, who was CWF's co-founder and first
executive secretary, developed the idea as an over-and-
above way to help fund the wider mission of the church.
Since that time, Blessing Boxes have been
kept in the homes and offices of women across the church
to enable them to express their gratitude for everyday blessings
by giving to others. Thanks is given for a sunny day, a
birth, a reconciling experience, a welcome phone call, a
child's smile, a beautiful snow fall, a flower in full bloom,
relief from pain, a good book, a safe journey, and many
other things. It is a way of saying "Thank you God,
for your world and especially for people."
For those who participate, it is a spiritual
discipline even more than a financial one. It helps keep
a focus on gratitude to God and on the responsibility to
share blessings with others. The amount put in may be a
dime, a quarter or more. The amount is not nearly as important
as the discipline of regularly remembering God's goodness
thru the acts of dropping in coins and praying prayers of
thanksgiving.
Has the Blessing Box made a difference?
Yes!
In addition to cultivating life-long habits of thanks-giving,
the Blessing Box has generated millions of dollars in mission
support. From 2002 through 2004, Blessing Boxes raised more than $716,000 for missions. Beginning in 2007, 50 percent of the donations will go directly to the ministries carried out by the women of our church through the International Disciples Women's Ministries. This makes a significant
difference in the mission of the church at home and abroad.
How can I make a difference?
Our dream is to put a Blessing Box into the hands of every Disciples woman sitting in the pew of a Disciples of Christ church. You can help by using the materials from this page within your local congregation.
Begin making a difference
Blessing Boxes are available from Christian Board of Publication. The cost is $10 for a package of 10.
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