In an effort to better focus our resources of prayer, time, and finances on the immediate needs that exist right around us, we are inviting you to join in giving to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. This year, the national goal is $70 million dollars that will be used by the Southern Baptist Convention for missionary, church planting, and evangelism support. Your gifts will sustain efforts such as evangelism training, salaries, church facility costs, literacy missions, and Scripture distribution in our state, nation, and continent. Feel free to give any week in worship by filing out the designated offering envelope in the pew rack in front of you or by secure donation directly to the North American Mission Board (NAMB).

Most importantly, however, we are calling for you to partner with us in prayer this week. You can find each day’s prayer request at the NAMB website. Additionally, please join with your church family this week in praying for individual missionaries as well as churches like All Nations and Re:Generation in Vancouver, BC. Prayer for local efforts such as Dunamis Hispanic Mission, Chinese Mission Church, Helping Hands, JAIL Ministry, Family Promise, Hope Pregnancy Center, Body of Christ Community Clinic, and many others.

Take time this month, as we prepare to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to notice the need for the gospel that surrounds you, to give generously as you can, and to pray that the God of the universe would move in power and glory right in front of our eyes in these days. Let us hope in God well by trusting in the words of Jesus from Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” The cause of Christ will triumph in our day because our God is sovereign. Pray and give in this confidence.

You can explore the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and its impact further by reading the testimonies of active missionaries, learning more about Annie, and exploring the needs of our continent. Also, please comment below with your own prayers for and testimonies about God’s work right here in our own back yard.

• Providing a safe and secure alternative to the tents currently being used by families who have lost everything. The timetable is ongoing for the next 2-3 years.
• Increasing the capacity of the children’s home in Ferrier to receive orphaned girls. This involves completing a school and possible minor modifications of the children’s home. The timetable is to be finished by September before school opening. The boys home in Guibert has space to receive more children without modifications. Repairs and strengthening of the structures are underway on the boys home to ensure the safety of the boys.

Please continue to pray for the faithful servants at Hope for the Hungry and encourage those who are also members of the First Baptist family in whatever way you can. As always, feel free to mark “Haiti” on your check and place it in the offering any Sunday morning as God moves you to give financially toward the relief effort.

Thank you for your continued interest in Haiti as well as support of Churches Helping Churches. As always, feel free to mark “Haiti” on your check and place it in the offering any Sunday morning as God moves you to give financially toward the relief effort.

The church then had a chance to respond in support of the ministry by placing a donation on the open Bibles of our own Gideons as they stood at the exits. Church family, you gave generously yesterday, a total of $2,664. Thank you for your gifts. You have helped to distribute hundreds of Bibles in the United States and around the world.

Thank you Gideons for all that you do to share the gospel.

This past Sunday, you gave $2,019.50. All of that goes to the Helping Hands Ministry. Thanks, church family.

Your generosity will help to feed some needy Belton families.

For First Baptist Belton, that means loving our church family in Haiti well. There is not a single example in Scripture of the church filling the plates of the “general population poor” as a first or ultimate priority, though there are many of these people in Haiti. Rather, we do find instructions like those in Galatians 6:10, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Due largely to sheer numbers, the world will always be better, faster, and more effective than we can be at the important work of physical relief. As individuals, we should give to these efforts, pray for these efforts, and even volunteer to help, if God so directs. But the primary focus of the church, the priority calling of the body of Christ, the first response of all believers must be to help the church.

Finding local communities of brothers and sisters in Christ, assessing the needs of the church in Haiti, and rallying this family to rescue and restore the church are the most important steps of obedience we can offer Christ and His kingdom. It is the Haitian church that will endure, for God has promised that it will be so. Haitian believers will outlast the countless relief agencies and provide more enduring help than any bandage or surgery can. When the celebrity telethons end and the cable news channels turn their focus back to American politics, it is the church that will remain for the hope of Haiti. We can help her endure. We must help her endure.

With this goal in mind, we are asking that you partner with us in supporting two organizations with your finances and prayers.

Hope for the Hungry:  hopeforthehungry.org

This is non-profit missions organization based right here in Belton, TX and staffed by loving disciples of Christ — many of whom attend our church. Hope for the Hungry presents us with the unique opportunity to be directly connected with Haitian believers in an intimate way and know that our resources are being skillfully put to work with much discernment and prayer for the most kingdom-minded impact possible.

Churches Helping Churches: churcheshelpingchurches.com

Founded in the wake of the Haitian earthquake, Churches Helping Churches exists to address the immediate and long-term needs of churches when disaster befalls a country, region, city, or people. Currently, over 160 church families across this nation are banding together to rebuild the church in Haiti as quickly as possible so that the gospel might provide a lasting aid and hope to a hurting people. Please check out the website for phenomenal video and picture media better explaining the mission and specifics of their work in Haiti.

You may give directly to these two organizations or through the church on any Sunday morning by simply writing “Haiti” in the memo line of your check or on the front of your offering envelope. We will be working hard to provide you with updated prayer needs throughout the next weeks and months. For now, let us give confidently in the fact that our God is supreme and that He is in control. He is working all things together for His good and will ensure that His elect in Haiti know joy in the midst of sorrow. He will enlarge His kingdom and glorify His name even in the darkest of hours.

Questions about the Helping Haiti Hope effort? Please contact Daniel Rowe, Ministry and Missions Assistant.

The vision for the new building and location is very exciting. Dunamis hopes to be a shining light for the families living around the church by providing God-exalting preaching, a caring community of believers, ESL programs, children’s ministry activities, and a whole host of free classes throughout the week geared at meeting the needs of the neighborhood. Our prayer along with them is that God would bless the work that happens through the church family and in the building for His glory and the salvation of many souls. We encourage you to participate in this time of transition in two ways:

• First, pray and pray often. There is a great amount of anticipation and even some anxiety among the Dunamis congregation about moving away from our facility and into a home of their own. Ask God to provide wisdom to Pat and the others in leadership. Ask Him to draw unchurched and needy families out of their homes just blocks away and into the welcoming arms of His bride. Ask God for unity within the fellowship even as they experience a lot of outward change. Pray big prayers because our God is sufficient and willing!
• Second, you can give toward the financial needs of the move. While our church has approved the initial purchase of the building, any money the Spirit moves you to give will be tremendously helpful in funding repairs, maintenance, and other moving costs. Prayerfully consider this opportunity alongside your tithe, the need in Haiti, and the needs of First Baptist Temple so that we might “do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). If you do wish to give toward this opportunity, please write “Dunamis Building” in the memo line of your check.

Closing on the purchase is scheduled for this Wednesday afternoon. We hope to keep you updated on the transitions happening at Dunamis right here on the site, so check back often!

The death toll in the Haiti quake could exceed 100,000, Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive has said. “I hope that is not true, because I hope the people had the time to get out. Because we have so much people on the streets right now, we don’t know exactly where they were living. But so many, so many buildings, so many neighborhoods totally destroyed, and some neighborhoods we don’t even see people, so I don’t know where those people are.”

During this traumatic time, what will our response as a church be?  We implore you to intercede for the people of Haiti.  We have a mighty God who listens to the requests of His people.  Please pray.

We also suggest that you get involved financially by supporting organizations who are at work in Haiti.  Some organizations that are already at work are:

• Compassion International
• Baptist Global Relief
• Hope for the Hungry
• Samaritan’s Purse

(Viewing this in an email? Click here to watch the video.)

This year, our church goal is $78,000. Though this may seem like a large amount in the midst of our current economic climate, it is completely attainable if we faithfully give together – both in large and small amounts. We pray that the video above will help you better understand the gospel need for billions living around us as well as provide you with a simple way to measure your individual giving.

Remember the promise from Scripture as you prayerfully consider a gift toward the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, “All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name” (Psalm 86:9). Take heart in the fact that God is determined to bring the gospel to all nations and then rejoice that he allows us to serve him in this confidence.

Students at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor have already contributed 50 coats to the cause, and now is our time to lend a helping hand as well. In addition to the gift of coats, each child will receive a bible donated by the UMHB Baptist Student Ministry.

Take some time to look through coats your children may have grown out of at home, or take advantage of great holiday sales and purchase some new childrens’ coats at a local department store. The Coats for Kids donation box will be available in the foyer for one week only.

Let’s take this opportunity to bless our community this holiday season.

This year, our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal as a church family is $78,000. That may sound like a large number in the midst of an economic downturn, but no amount is too big when we are talking about the chance for the gospel to go out into all corners of the world.

If we divide our church goal of $78,000 among the 6,500 unreached people groups currently existing today, a simple donation of $12 will sponsor mission work to one of these groups in 2010. Likewise, a donation of $300 sponsors mission work to 25 of these people groups.

With every penny of your donation going directly to the work of Southern Baptist missionaries all over the world, there simply is no better gift to give the billions who have not heard the gospel this Christmas season.