Section X. Special
Sundays
¶ 266. The special
Sundays in The United Methodist Church are intended to be illustrative of the
nature and calling of the church and are celebrated annually. The special
Sundays are placed on the calendar to make clear the calling of the church as
the people of God, and to give persons the opportunity of contributing offerings
to special programs.
Six special churchwide Sundays
provide for churchwide offerings to do deeds expressive of our commitment: Human
Relations Day, One Great Hour of Sharing, World Communion Sunday, United
Methodist Student Day, Peace with Justice Sunday, and Native American Awareness
Sunday. Two special Sundays are without offering: Heritage Sunday and Laity
Sunday. Three churchwide Sundays, Christian Education, Golden Cross, and Rural
Life Sundays, provide opportunities for annual conference
offerings.
The special Sundays approved by
General Conference shall be the only Sundays of churchwide emphasis. The program
calendar of the denomination shall include only the special Sundays approved by
General Conference, special Sundays approved by ecumenical agencies to which The
United Methodist Church is officially related, and the days and seasons of the
Christian Year.
Because of the diversity of
history and heritages experienced by the central conferences, they shall not be
required to observe all of the special days listed below. The central
conferences are authorized to observe other special days appropriate to their
unique history and heritages.