Looking into your box of offering envelopes this week, you will discover your Lottie Moon Christmas offering envelope. We often think that everyone knows who Lottie Moon was and as some have said…..will we ever pay her off? This is due to the fact that every year we give money to this person around Christmas. Time nor space will permit me to give a qualified description of Lottie Moon so you will have to settle for my summation and if you want to know more, there is always Google.
Lottie Moon was one of our Southern Baptist missionaries in China. She served sacrificially there and, in the process, was responsible for many coming to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. To recognize her selfless ministry to the people there, our Southern Baptist Christmas offering for international missions is named for Ms. Moon with the hope that her generous example will spark a similar response from Baptists today…so give generously to the efforts of SBC missionaries around the world as they share the good news of Jesus. The theme for the offering promotion this year is…..Every Church. Every Nation. The heart of the slogan….. “Every church – regardless of size or resources – has a role to play in reaching every nation with the Gospel.
We also have another avenue of generous giving during the holiday season. Poplar Springs is a dually aligned church that not only cooperates with t he Southern Baptist Convention but we work alongside the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, as well. The CBF promotes what is called the Global Missions offering and their theme for 2018-2019 is “You Can Change the World” and it can be done through unselfish gifts of money, resources, time, and effort. On their promotions materials, there are two examples of the work being done through our CBF partners. Some of your donated funds will go to care for the sick in Haiti and your dollars could go toward providing cows for Macedonian farmers. These are only two of the many simple life-enriching ministries being performed in Jesus’ name through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. You will not find the CBF envelope for Global Missions in your personal giving envelope box but you will receive one in your bulletin this Sunday.
Please give generously to one or both of our partners in Global Ministry.
Thank you.
Andy O (704) 300-0062