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Missions Statistics
January 2nd, 2009 |
by Matthew Irvine |
Published in
Missions | 1 Comment
(Written by Barbara Springer)
As of January 2, we have given $66,053.97 toward our goal of $75,000. That’s 88% of our goal. Thank you so much for your generous giving to the Lottie Moon offering for International Missions!
I would like to share with you some information that I read recently. There are more than 600 people groups with populations of more than 100,000 who have no witness of Christ’s love among them. They are unreached; they are unengaged. Southern Baptists support more than 5,300 missionaries who are ministering among 1,183 people groups, but is that our full potential?
Our financial support is one way to measure our commitment to the Great Commission. Here are some statistics that really caught my attention. Among the 45,000-plus Southern Baptist churches, more than 15,000 churches do NOT collect an offering of any kind to support the work of the International Mission Board. Of the remaining 30,000 churches that do support the IMB, more than 20,000 give less than $25 per member based on the average Sunday morning worship attendance. If every weekly worshipper set aside just $5 per month, each could give $60 per year to the Lottie Moon offering resulting in a $400 million offering!
When our church set our goal of $75,000, we did not know the statistics. Yet, if we take the average Sunday morning worship attendance of our church, the average amount per weekly worshipper amounts to $61. That amounts to just $5 per month for 12 months, which is not really very much to ask! May we be found faithful in giving what the Lord would have us to give in order that all the people groups of the world may have a chance to hear the transforming Good News of Jesus Christ!
Blessings to all for a wonderful 2009!
January 5th, 2009 at 9:51 pm (#)
Thanks Matthew for these stats. One thing I think that many people may not fully realize is how this money is actually used.
I know we always hear that this supports international missions, but to be clear on that: Every penny collected through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goes DIRECTLY to the missionaries in the field.
None of the collected money goes to administrative costs in Richmond, VA…or anywhere for that matter. None!
This is THE most direct way to financially support our missionaries in the field with their work. The other way is our sincere prayers, which are fiscally free!