Understanding Lottie

Every Christmas season, Southern Baptist churches begin planning their Lottie Moon Christmas Offering campaign. Goals are set, displays are created and spokespeople prepare to share the message of giving to missionary efforts around the world. The process is a familiar one, but do we realize where our money hits the ground running?

Honestly, for years, I didn’t understand. Sure I heard the stories and saw the promotional materials. Yes, intellectually I understood why we give. But my heart hadn’t caught the vision until I began traveling on short-term missions trips and witnessed the lives of our International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries in the field changed by the generosity of congregations back home.

Something deep within me got the point of this vital offering when I was face to face with the supplies purchased on the field and saw our offerings in action and making a tangible difference.

Some examples of how I’ve seen our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering utilized are:

• Prayer walking with missionaries in the Andes region of South America, we handed out tracts. We led a family to Christ in direct result to the use of those tracts.

• Worshiping in a storefront mission church’s service, using Bibles and other discipleship supplies, brought praise-filled tears to my eyes.

• The provision of transportation in the form of a white pickup truck got us safely across the desert sands of West Africa.

• Drinking freshly filtered water in a place where no other potable water source could be found, thanks to the missionary family’s good filter system.

• Witnessing how our IMB missionary families enjoy safe housing, good schooling options and daily provisions.

• Talking with missionaries who plant churches and invest in the lives of untouched communities, it is obvious that our offering helps make those efforts possible.

Want to see your church’s generosity make a tangible difference in lives around the world? Consider giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this year. Support the Great Commission efforts of the body of Christ like never before, and watch your giving take action.

Jennifer Devlin
Madison, Ala.