Every year Southern Baptist Churches across America begin collecting an offering titled the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. Named after a woman, Annie Armstrong, who transformed the way Southern Baptist do missions, this offering specifically supports missionaries across North America. One hundred percent of these funds are given directly to the missionaries and their work. This long-standing offering began in 1895 with approximately $5,000. However, in 2013 the offering collected was 57 million dollars. God has used the faithfulness of Southern Baptist for the last 119 years to do an incalculable work of missions through this offering.
We are praying that he will continue to do so in 2015. However, dangers exist in holding an offering such as this. It can be a temptation for Southern Baptist to merely put some money in an offering plate to support missions in general. Mrs. Annie would have been horrified by the thought of this. I want to issue A CALL TO MORE. Do more than drop a few dollars in a plate, commit in your heart to make this a season of care for missions. This can be accomplished in four specific ways.
Pray
Each day this week we will be posting specific missions and missionaries you can be praying for throughout your day. Take time to stop and pray for them with your family, in your small groups, and on your own. Don’t allow this to be a momentary thought rather devote your heart to lifting up the needs of these ministries and ministers to our Great God.
Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. (Psalm 66:16-19 ESV)
Encourage
Take time to read about each missionary or ministry and send them a note. We will include in each post a link to their Facebook page and/or an e-mail for you to send them some words of encouragement. In one year Annie Armstrong wrote 18,000 notes to encourage others to give, honor her legacy by sending messages to each of these missionaries. However, don’t allow this to be a one week event. If you use Facebook, follow them so you can see how God is using them and continue encourage them in the future. Missionary work can seem fruitless at times, because the fruit is not always immediate. Encouraging words can often bolster their perseverance in this difficult task.
Give
Don’t let this title scare you. Some may be saying, “Here we go again. They just want our money.” Let me exhort you with these words; Southern Baptist Missionaries are not rich, nor will they get rich doing this work. Many sacrifice nearness to relatives, good retirement plans, and benefits in order to barely get by, just so they can be more intentional about sharing the gospel and making disciples. This is not a task which bring fame and fortune, however it does exult the name of Christ among the nations. However, we must be realistic and see that this takes money. It takes money to have a place to live, food to eat, and a place to meet. It takes money to have the necessary resources for the work of ministry. So, give sacrificially in the same way they have sacrificially given their lives to this work. This can be accomplished through the offering time at your local church or at this link. Our church has a goal of $3,000, please consider joining us in this goal.
Go
I find it no coincidence that Christ encourages his disciples to pray for the missionaries (Luke 10:2) and then he sends them(Luke 10:3). So, I ask you to pray for more missionaries and I encourage you to consider how you might go on mission. Whether that be intentionality in your current community, taking short-term mission trips, or dedicating your life to being a missionary. This Sunday we will continue our sermon series through Gospel Mission, so join us in finding how you can be a part.
And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. (Luke 10:2-3 ESV)
The following video assists us in seeing how we can continue in the legacy of Annie Armstrong.
A Call to More: Plant Midwest
Let’s begin our call to more by considering the ministry of an organization by the name of Plant Midwest. Plant Midwest is a unique ministry which exists to encourage and equip all those participating in the church planting movement here in the Midwest. To that end, they host quarterly meetings for church planters, potential planters, pastors of established churches, leaders, and street missionaries from various regional gatherings and associations throughout Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, and Nebraska. Not only do they provide these quarterly meetings but they are catalyst for churches to partner together as we carry out the gospel mission. Read more
A Call to More
Every year Southern Baptist Churches across America begin collecting an offering titled the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. Named after a woman, Annie Armstrong, who transformed the way Southern Baptist do missions, this offering specifically supports missionaries across North America. One hundred percent of these funds are given directly to the missionaries and their work. This long-standing offering began in 1895 with approximately $5,000. However, in 2013 the offering collected was 57 million dollars. God has used the faithfulness of Southern Baptist for the last 119 years to do an incalculable work of missions through this offering.
We are praying that he will continue to do so in 2015. However, dangers exist in holding an offering such as this. It can be a temptation for Southern Baptist to merely put some money in an offering plate to support missions in general. Mrs. Annie would have been horrified by the thought of this. I want to issue A CALL TO MORE. Do more than drop a few dollars in a plate, commit in your heart to make this a season of care for missions. This can be accomplished in four specific ways.
Pray
Each day this week we will be posting specific missions and missionaries you can be praying for throughout your day. Take time to stop and pray for them with your family, in your small groups, and on your own. Don’t allow this to be a momentary thought rather devote your heart to lifting up the needs of these ministries and ministers to our Great God.
Encourage
Take time to read about each missionary or ministry and send them a note. We will include in each post a link to their Facebook page and/or an e-mail for you to send them some words of encouragement. In one year Annie Armstrong wrote 18,000 notes to encourage others to give, honor her legacy by sending messages to each of these missionaries. However, don’t allow this to be a one week event. If you use Facebook, follow them so you can see how God is using them and continue encourage them in the future. Missionary work can seem fruitless at times, because the fruit is not always immediate. Encouraging words can often bolster their perseverance in this difficult task.
Give
Don’t let this title scare you. Some may be saying, “Here we go again. They just want our money.” Let me exhort you with these words; Southern Baptist Missionaries are not rich, nor will they get rich doing this work. Many sacrifice nearness to relatives, good retirement plans, and benefits in order to barely get by, just so they can be more intentional about sharing the gospel and making disciples. This is not a task which bring fame and fortune, however it does exult the name of Christ among the nations. However, we must be realistic and see that this takes money. It takes money to have a place to live, food to eat, and a place to meet. It takes money to have the necessary resources for the work of ministry. So, give sacrificially in the same way they have sacrificially given their lives to this work. This can be accomplished through the offering time at your local church or at this link. Our church has a goal of $3,000, please consider joining us in this goal.
Go
I find it no coincidence that Christ encourages his disciples to pray for the missionaries (Luke 10:2) and then he sends them(Luke 10:3). So, I ask you to pray for more missionaries and I encourage you to consider how you might go on mission. Whether that be intentionality in your current community, taking short-term mission trips, or dedicating your life to being a missionary. This Sunday we will continue our sermon series through Gospel Mission, so join us in finding how you can be a part.
The following video assists us in seeing how we can continue in the legacy of Annie Armstrong.
Making the Most of Tyrone
Tyrone, Missouri has experienced a tragedy that will affect the community for years to come. In the days ahead the news media will leave and new stories will grace the headlines, however for the people of Tyrone and the communities throughout Texas County these event will press upon their minds for decades. We should not consider lightly the impact of these events.
You may be asking, “How could anyone take a devastating situation such as this lightly?” The gravity of this situation becomes light if and when we only allow it to reside in our minds or on our lips. If we merely think and talk about this tragedy without taking action we are wasting it. Something of this magnitude in the community of Texas County calls for action. One way to take action might be pursing gun control or encouraging the right to bear arms. We could talk about home security and the need for ADT, however all of these solutions fall woefully short of helpful. Actually, they are damaging to the families and the community. Reactions such as these are horribly rude and not only waste but exacerbate the problem. So how do you and I take action in such a way that we encourage the families and assist the community? The answer lies in the Gospel! The Gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to three actions in tragedies such as this. Read more
Valentine’s Banquet
While there are many praise worthy things about our community (Cabool, MO and its surrounding area), do you ever stop and think about the struggles within the community. I mean really stop and think about it. Does anything stick out? One of the struggles that seems to shine is the breakdown of the family. Many young families are struggling in their marriages and relationships. This problem will continue to prevail in future generations unless something changes. While this is a horrendous problem, it has even greater significance because marriage and dating relationships say something about God. At the beginning of God’s book it states,
God created us to reflect his image and this is revealed even in our relationship with one another. The problem is that we live in a fallen world full of sin which causes quarrels among us. God’s Word does however provide us with hope. That is why this Valentine’s Banquet will celebrate the hope found in God’s Word. This will provide YOU with a wonderful opportunity to encourage your friends and family that you care so much about to strengthen their relationships this Valentines Day. Invite them to participate in this fun-filled evening of food, games, and interactive teaching.
Everything is free of charge, however the youth will accept donations to offset the cost. If you are having trouble finding childcare we have a limited amount available.
If you are interested please register today, so we can prepare for your arrival.
A New Christmas Tradition
Most people think Christmas is about traditions, family time, and gifts. Marty Machowski doesn’t disagree, but helps us find all of these in Christ. Read more
No More Excuses
That’s not my gift. Isn’t that what you do across the ocean. That’s for summer trips. I’m not sure what to say. All of these and many more are the excuses people give for not sharing the gospel with others. And while the excuses abound, God’s Word still calls every believer to,
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The Treasure in Your Home
The Bible is probably one of the most undervalued books in all of America! It is a treasure hidden on the shelves of millions, collecting countless dust bunnies, and all because most don’t realize its value. I pray the masses would find this treasure and in their joy sacrifice everything to know, cherish, and practice it. I believe Kevin DeYoung’s latest book, Taking God At His Word, will be a tool used by God to accomplish this task. He portrays the Bible in a way that warms your affections, inspires your devotion, and corrects your priorities. Read more
Is God Limited by Sin?
In John Piper’s book Spectacular Sins, he not only addresses this question but asserts that God is indeed sovereign over sin. He asserts,
This little book goes beyond the category of “thought provoking” into “awe inspiring.” In a way only Piper can do, he overwhelms his readers with a view of God’s glory that not only produces greater worship, but grounds your faith for the worst of times.(p.14) Read more
How to Invite Your Friend to Church?
The following is a follow-up post to “Why Invite your Friends to Church?”
Recently I watched the video below and thought it was hilarious. However after some thought I began to wonder how individuals go about inviting others to church. Some times our invitations go well and other times they are slightly better than the video. So how do we invite others to join us for church? I don’t think there is a magical formula for inviting others to church but I do think there are four general principles. Read more
Why Invite Friends to Church?
When this church has a special Sunday to invite friends, there will be no pyrotechnics, no motorcycle stunts, and no elaborate stage set. While those things may make for great entertainment, they are a cheap substitute for worship. Instead it will be a normal Sunday with Scripturally centered Bible study, God exalting worship, and a Gospel centered message. So, why have a special Sunday for inviting friends to your church? Why invite friends into the normal rhythm of Church life? I would like to answer this in the following two ways.
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