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IMB celebrates $159.5m Lottie Moon Christmas & SPORTS & T MISSIONS T RY M I N I Sexceeds Offering total, goal E N T E R TA I N M E N >> by Leslie Peacock Caldwell IMB SENIOR EDITOR
RICHMOND—The International Mission Board (IMB) is reporting a 2019-20 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering total of $159.5 million, the second highest offering in history. This total exceeds by $4.5 million the 175-year-old organization’s budgeted goal of $155 million. IMB also received $97.2 million from the Southern Baptist Convention’s Cooperative Program for 2019-20. Oklahoma Baptists gave nearly $4.9 million to the 2019-20 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. “I’m thrilled to report that the Lottie offering is growing again,” IMB President Paul Chitwood said. “A growing Lottie offering means that more lost people, not fewer, will hear the Gospel and be saved. A growing Lottie offering means that more hurting people, not fewer, will be helped and offered hope. A growing Lottie offering means more missionaries, not fewer, will go to the ends of the earth to carry the Good News. Thank you, Southern Baptists, for growing the Lottie offering!” The offering reflects the commitment of Southern Baptist churches to support international missionaries and reach every language, people, tribe and nation with the Gospel. One hundred percent of gifts given to this offering are used for the support of missionaries. E L I NcelebratNmore This year’s generous is allOthe EW Ngift NT T CON E ed during a year inBwhich worldUSIVEfamilies E -EXCLmany W wide experienced significant loss of income due to COVID-19. “Everything we thought COVID-19 would take away from us, God gave back—and more—through the Lottie Moon offering and the generosity of the Southern Baptist family,” said Price Jett, IMB vice presN INFO ident of finance, logistics,IC travel IOtechnology. ATand
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“God has blessed IMB the past year, just as He has for 175 years. I have to believe He has big plans in store for Southern Baptist missions,” Jett said. Sandy Wisdom-Martin, executive director of national Woman’s Mission C E Salso celebrated the V O IUnion, faithfulness of churches and the way God led people to give sacrificially. “The sacrificial gifts offered by faithful Southern Baptists this giving cycle are substantial enough to tip the scales of eternity in favor of the Kingdom,” Wisdom-Martin said. “Names will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life as a result of what was stewarded well. What a privilege to join God in His redemptive work in the world.” The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering supports more than 3,500 full-time missionaries and their families. These personnel live among the lost in order to reach the nations with the Gospel. IMB President Paul Chitwood spoke to trustees in the meeting of the board on Sept. 30 about the multitudes who remain unreached. “As an organization representing Southern Baptists and their calling before God to share Christ
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NOV 7
Chaplain Training
Disaster Relief Training
Info: OKC Police Training Center Contact Marianne VanZandt, mvanzandt@oklahomabaptists.org for more information
Info: Madill, First Contact Marianne VanZandt mvanzandt@oklahomabaptists.org for more information
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Oklahoma Student Worship Choir Concert Info: 6-8 p.m. OKC, Brookwood oklahomabaptists.org/ student-worship
Annual Meeting of Oklahoma Baptists Info: 1-6 p.m. Broken Arrow, First oklahomabaptists.org/ annualmeeting
NOV 5
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VBS Jumpstart
Week of Prayer: Lottie Moon Christmas Offering
Info: $15, 8:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Del City, First Southern Contact Pat Jones pjones@oklahomabaptists.org for more information
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>> PHOTO: IMB.ORG IMB missionaries Charlie and Shannon Worthy hold evangelistic camps in Italy to build relationships and share the Gospel.
Info: Week to pray for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering
FOR MORE INFO ON OKLAHOMA BAPTISTS’ EVENTS, VISIT WWW.OKLAHOMABAPTISTS.ORG/EVENTS
OBU Announces Details, Speakers for Winter Commencement Nov. 21
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Oklahoma Baptist University will host its Winter Commencement ceremony for fall 2020 graduates Saturday, Nov. 21. The ceremony will be divided into three separate events in order to facilitate social distancing. All ceremonies will be in Raley Chapel. The first service will start at 9:30 a.m.; the second at 11 a.m.; and the third will begin at 2 p.m.
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Washington, D.C. Southern Baptist church gains religious liberty win in court TOM STRODE | OCT 12
A federal court ruled late Friday, Oct. 9, the District of Columbia has likely violated the religious freedom of Washington, D.C., Capitol Hill and therefore cannot prevent the Southern Baptist congregation from meeting outdoors with proper safety measures in place. FIND ALL THESE STORIES AND MORE ONLINE AT WWW.BAPTISTMESSENGER.COM
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among the nations,” Chitwood said, “we have felt a great responsibility during this pandemic to care for the gifts they so graciously entrusted us. To Southern Baptists, E & us again, I want to say, thank O PforLallowing P Eyou to serve you in carrying out the Great WS N E ComH C R U H C mission in partnership with you and your church. Much remains to be accomplished, but together, under the power of Christ, we can continue to welcome the multitudes before His throne (Rev 7:9).” This year’s Lottie Moon and Week of Prayer stories emphasize God’s goodness of U proRE T L U C & S W E vision, but alsoNthe vast needs that remain. From a children’s shelter in Kenya, to a fish farm in Peru, to a radio ministry in Europe and a clinic in Thailand, God is at work but also revealing the significant need of the nations to turn to Him. Charlie and Shannon Worthy build strong partnerships with believers in Italy to advance the Gospel. They understand that working alongside local believers to plant churches and disciple believers will produce fruit long past their time there as missionaries. And the support they receive from Southern Baptists makes all the difference. “The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is critical to what we do,” Charlie said. “We are grateful for Southern Baptists, and we are grateful and honored to be Southern Baptists.” Chitwood urges churches to remain committed to the task, even take time to celebrate His generous provision. “Please join us as we step into a new fiscal year, trusting God and calling upon you to be generous in your praying, sending, going and your increased giving through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering,” Chitwood said. “There is no greater work than the one we share in proclaiming ChristL N E groups N toIpeople N EofWHisO who have never heard great name!” NTENT
October 22, 2020 | The Baptist Messenger | www.baptistmessenger.com | News & Trends
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The Baptist Messenger (ISSN 0744-9518) is published semi-monthly by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, 3800 N. May, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112-6506. Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Circulation last issue: 40,899. Individual subscriptions are available upon request. When writing for a change of address or a subscription renewal, please include a copy of your mailing label. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Baptist Messenger, 3800 N. May, Oklahoma City, OK 73112-6506. While the Baptist Messenger attempts to provide advertisers of integrity who furnish quality products, it is recommended that buyers be cautious, do research and get references to any advertiser with which they are not familiar. Publication of an advertisement in the Baptist Messenger does not constitute an endorsement of the products, services or businesses. October 22, 2020 • Volume 109, Number 20. Member, Baptist Press News, Christian Newspaper Association, Evangelical Press Association, Oklahoma Press Association.
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