Scratch a Baptist, and he will bleed missions. Our denomination was founded out of a desire for all people to participate in the missions enterprise. Cooperative Program (CP) promotion is carried, primarily, by international missions. The biggest crowds in Baptist life come to hear about how the gospel of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed “to the ends of the earth.” And, if there are any heroes among us, they are the international missionaries who invest their lives in foreign lands in order to share the love of Christ.
That is why this season of the year more Baptist churches are promoting the same emphasis at the same time than any other emphasis sponsored by Southern Baptists — Nov. 28–Dec. 5 is the Week of Prayer for International Missions.
The week culminates with the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO) for International Missions. The LMCO is the largest single offering taken in Christendom. In a brief period of time, Southern Baptists will give toward a $150 million goal. Last year the offering totaled $136 million. No other single offering from any denomination comes close to that figure.
Part of the emphasis includes a mission study — church groups gather to learn more about the proclamation of the gospel in a particular part of the world. Since Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) began the Week of Prayer emphasis, the featured country has been in a different part of the world each year. WMU leaders said that was to encourage a broad world view.
Last year, International Mission Board (IMB) officials balked. They wanted to focus the study on a particular area of the world for two or three years at a time.
As a result, in 2003, WMU prepared its normal mission study information focused on the Balkan countries. IMB sent out a separate package of study material focused for a second year on China.
This year WMU’s mission study material lifts up Mexico. IMB study material emphasizes East Asia.
Thus, while Alabama Baptist churches may be observing the Week of Prayer for International Missions, neighboring churches may be learning about different parts of the world. The united effort of study and prayer that marked this emphasis across the years is no longer there.
Thankfully, in 2005 and 2006 WMU and IMB will work together in their mission study focus. India will be the focus of both groups in 2005 giving India two years of promotion by IMB because that country is included in this year’s IMB materials. Egypt will be the focus of both groups in 2006.
It remains to be seen if the two groups will be able to coordinate their emphases beyond that point. We certainly hope they will.
The LMCO is important to the 5,277 missionaries serving overseas through the IMB. The offering is the single largest source of mission support received by the mission sending agency. In calendar year 2003, for example, the IMB received $132 million through the LMCO. The CP provided $93 million.
These funds, together with about $14 million in investment earnings and $5 million in direct donations, allow Southern Baptists missionaries to work full time sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The missionaries do not have to be distracted by fund raising in order to stay on the missions field.
IMB officials emphasize that every dollar given through the LMCO goes directly to missionary support. That is because CP support provides the infrastructure and stateside support that makes this worldwide enterprise possible.
Through the LMCO and the CP, Southern Baptists sustain their missionaries at a pre-determined standard of living, send out new missionaries to the field and reach out to more and more unreached people groups with the good news of Jesus Christ.
God is blessing missionary efforts overseas. Last year the IMB reported more than 500,000 baptisms and more than 420,000 new people involved in discipleship training. IMB officials said they were able to initiate contact with 192 formerly unreached people groups in 2003, bringing the total of people groups with whom IMB missionaries work to 1,328.
Every prayer offered for international missions is important. Every piece of information learned enables one to pray more specifically for missions needs. Every offering given is important. The total demonstrates again that Southern Baptists working together can do more than any church or individual can do alone.
Pray about your participation in the Week of Prayer for International Missions and your gift to the LMCO. What you do is important for missions.
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