State associations encouraged by On Mission celebrations

On Mission celebrations and missions activities remain at the forefront of what many associations are doing.
   
Chilton Association held an On Mission celebration March 19–20 with 55 churches. An overflow crowd attended the rally.
   
Judson Association held its first missions conference in September. About 300 people from nine churches participated in the event at Judson Baptist Church. The association also had one of the largest “M” night celebrations in the state with 404 people from 21 churches. In another missions-related move, the association is considering building a missions center to serve Henry County.
   
Elmore Association conducted an On Mission celebration earlier this year at Journey Church. A young woman also made a public commitment to serve the Lord through missions. Also during the event, speaker Wong K. Park, a native of Korea who works the North American Mission Board, met a Korean woman and shared the gospel with her. As a result, she and others came to know Christ. These new believers may begin a new church as church planter Shadrach H. Jung comes to Elmore, Montgomery and Autauga counties to begin work with the Korean population.
   
Cherokee Association and Lookout Mountain Association will partner in an On Mission celebration Nov. 5–9.
   
Muscle Shoals Association reported that it concluded 2004 with a boost to morale with its On Mission celebration weekend.
   
Cahaba Association members participated in a medical missions trip to Nicaragua in February in conjunction with a Louisiana church. More than 2,500 were treated at clinics during the trip, and more than 1,000 decisions were made for Christ.
   
Calhoun Association had volunteers conduct a week of revivals with Keystone Baptist Association, Calhoun’s partnership association in Pennsylvania. They served in six churches with 10 saved and numerous other decisions. The association will be hosting World Changers in July and is working on more than 30 projects during 2005.
   
Coosa River Association is living Acts 1:8, leaders report. Upcoming projects include a missions trip to Maysville, Ky., in July and a missions trip to Alaska in August.
   
Fayette Association conducted a Team Impact Crusade March 30–April 3 in Fayette and Berry. There were 205 professions of faith. The association’s largest church is organizing Carpenters for Christ trips to Venezuela and Oklahoma, and one of the smaller churches is putting together a missions trip to Maine. On the international front, the association partners with an unreached people group and a Last Frontier missionary family.
   
Cherokee Association had 100 percent participation in the food drive for the Alabama Baptist Children’s Home in Oxford.
   
Selma Association has missions trips planned to Tennessee, Ohio, Minnesota, Belize, Mexico, China and India.
   
Escambia Association had 140 women attend the annual banquet for the association’s Woman’s Missionary Union, where $2,707 was raised to assist with the purchase of water purification systems for tsunami victims. Several from the association will also go with some from the University of Mobile to Brazil on a missions trip. The short-term missions team is also working in Escambia County on repairs from the damage of Hurricane Ivan.
   
Covington Association initiated a missions scholarship fund to assist first-time missions participants with funding. To date, more than $5,700 has been awarded to participants for projects in New York, Ecuador, Honduras and Kenya. The association continues partnerships with Frontier Baptist Association in New York and Riobamba, Ecuador.
   
Pickens Association sent 21 people to Plainfield, Vt., during 2004 to help Macedonia Baptist Church. The team conducted block parties, day camps and music programs in five area locations. A similar trip will take place this summer to Moline, Ill.
   
East Liberty Association will conduct Mission Endeavor 2005 July 16–23 in Chambers County. There will be block parties in LaFayette, Lanett and Valley; 12 backyard Bible clubs in the county; and repairs made on 20 to 25 homes of the elderly and needy. 
   
Madison Association reports positive results from the partnerships with Ulsan, South Korea, and with Philadelphia. The association is preparing for Crossover Greater Madison County and the IMB commissioning service.
   
St. Clair Association has scheduled a Missions Fest for April 2006 in participation with two other associations.
   
Winston Association had a group help hang drywall for a Bibb Association church in February. The association also has members headed on missions trips to Kentucky, Uganda, Honduras, Romania and Ukraine. An On Mission celebration is scheduled for March 2006.
   
Baldwin Association also has an On Mission Celebration planned for 2006. (TAB)