Frequently Asked Questions

One Great Hour of Sharing

Through One Great Hour of Sharing, lives are literally changed daily. Your support provides clean water, food, medicines, shelter, healthcare, education and so much more.

1. 1. Additional ways to give include:
      1. What is One Great Hour of Sharing^®?
         One Great Hour of Sharing, part of Our Church’s Wider Mission, is the special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that carries God’s message of love and hope to people in crisis. The UCC works with international partners to provide sources of clean water, food, education and health care, small business micro-credit, advocacy and resettlement for refugees and displaced persons, and emergency relief and rehabilitation. One Great Hour of Sharing also supports domestic and international ministries for disaster preparedness and response.
      2. Who participates in One Great Hour of Sharing?
         Several Christian denominations – American Baptist Church, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Church of the Brethren,  the United Church of Christ, and Church World Service – work together to develop common promotional materials thereby sharing ideas, costs, and a commitment to faithful service. Each denomination receives and manages its respective One Great Hour of Sharing offering.
      3. How is the United Church of Christ’s offering used?
         Over fifty-five percent (55%) of the UCC’s offering supports international development initiatives. The offering also funds refugee resettlement, disaster preparedness and response, and disaster-related volunteer initiatives in the U.S. and internationally.
      4. Where and how are One Great Hour of Sharing funds shared?
         The United Church of Christ responds to humanitarian and development needs in the world. Specifically, the UCC supports sustainable development and refugee needs internationally and provides disaster relief and immigration assistance in the United States.The United Church of Christ responds as a member of organizations such as Church World Service and the ACT Alliance. We also support the direct mission efforts of churches and church-based organizations that the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) have direct partnerships with through Global Ministries. Nearly one-fifth of the UCC’s OGHS offering is shared through Church World Service to support refugee, and disaster programs worldwide.
      5. How many dollars are given to the UCC’s One Great Hour of Sharing offering?
         Due to the pandemic, in 2020, the OGHS offering was only $1.2 million (44% less than the previous year). Nearly sixty percent of UCC congregations participate annually.
      6. What percentage of One Great Hour of Sharing donations are used directly for the mission?
         On average, of every dollar given to One Great Hour of Sharing, 95 cents is used directly for mission programming; and 5 cents for interpretation materials. The associated administrative costs are paid by gifts to Our Church’s Wider Mission National Basic Support.
      7. How are decisions made to fund the various projects?  
         Most of the expenditures are put into the budget to support long-term sustainable development. All funding is reviewed and monitored by a leadership committee that also reviews grant requests for long-term disaster rehabilitation initiatives and refugee support.
      8.  How can I contribute to One Great Hour of Sharing?
         The OGHS special mission offering is received through local UCC congregations and all UCC members are encouraged to participate in this way. Local churches may forward their gifts to their conference office and all gifts are then forwarded to the:
         United Church of Christ
         P.O. Box 71957
         Cleveland, Ohio 44194
   1. Make a secure gift online
   2. Text to Give: Text OGHS to 41444

   Thank you for your support.

   For more information, contact our office at oghs@ucc.org