Click here to read an article “Keep Calm and Carry On’ written by Linda Clark and recently posted on Woman’s Missionary Union’s website. You may find it helpful in developing your leadership skill set.

December is the month to emphasize how Southern Baptists support mission efforts around the world.  Named for a missionary to China, Lottie Moon, gifts to the mission offering now total more than $2 billion! Moon’s name has become synonymous with love and sacrifice. Week of Prayer materials are printed every year to encourage churches to support more than 5000 career missionaries in over 100 nations.

Prayer resources are available through the Indiana state Woman’s Missionary Union office. Call or email to order free posters, Week of Prayer guides, and offering envelopes. Go online to imbconnecting.org to download videos for use in worship and to promote giving to your church’s offering goal. The resources are excellent and certain to motivate giving!

Many people don’t know about the fair-trade ministry called WorldCrafts sponsored by Woman’s Missionary Union. WorldCrafts is making an eternal impact on the lives of artisans around the world as it embraces its mission to develop sustainable, fair-trade businesses among impoverished people around the world. One way to support this ministry is to purchase your Christmas gifts through WorldCrafts! Items include gifts for women, children, and men as well as home décor handmade crafts. Christmas products are very popular for nativity collectors, ornaments, and stockings. The WorldCrafts Support Freedom campaign actively empowers customers, buyers, and artisans by supporting those groups working to free women involved in or at risk of human trafficking. Go to www.worldcrafts.org to view the catalog and place your order.

Southern Baptists focus on world hunger during the month of October. There are several ways your church can participate alleviate the needs associated with hunger. Pray for those working around the world to prevent hunger and malnutrition and for those who live with food insecurity. Pray for rain and abundant harvests! Encourage your church to give to the World Hunger Fund. 100% of your donations goes directly toward meeting hunger needs. Explore ways you can engage in hunger relief in your community such as kids’ food backpacks and food distribution. Host a churchwide Global Hunger Event using the downloadable resource from Woman’s Missionary Union for $9.99.

Bring the Unshakable Pursuit theme to life with activities, posters, and a circus event. By using a circus theme, help your children unpack what it means to have unshakable faith. As they study Bible stories about unwavering faith, they will develop a stronger spiritual understanding of what they believe and why they believe it. Resources for Children in Action are available through Woman’s Missionary Union at www.wmustore.com  

Here are several great ways to involve the entire family in missions this fall! Promote them in your church newsletter or bulletin. Print the ideas on sheets for distribution through Sunday School, community groups, or out of your media center. Have a brief fellowship time after worship to introduce the Candy Apple Bar idea. It might encourage families to adapt the get-together in their own neighborhood.

Neighbor Welcome – Is there a new family in your neighborhood? Volunteer to help unload the moving truck, unpack boxes, or collapse boxes for the trash. Let them know you love them because Christ loves them. Invite them to dinner after their hard day’s work or take drinks and easy-to-eat finger food since their kitchen isn’t open yet. Be sure to tell them about your church and what is offered for children and youth.

Candy Apple Bar – Provide apple slices on skewers, bowls of caramel, and toppings such as nuts, candy corn, mini chocolate chips, etc. Dip the apple slices in the caramel and then in the toppings of choice. If you do this in your neighborhood, invite other families with children of similar ages.

More than Enough – Help your children go through their closets and choose gently worn clothing and toys to donate to a ministry center. Choices Resource takes limited items.

One in seven people in the U.S. uses food banks to help meet their needs.

One out of six children (roughly 100 million) in developing countries is underweight.

Sunday, October 14, 2018 has been set aside to emphasize meeting hunger needs around the world. 100% of every dollar goes directly toward meeting hunger needs. A downloadable resource packet is available through Woman’s Missionary Union. The pack contains plans for an experiential hunger meal adapted in age-appropriate ways for preschoolers through adults. The resource is also available in Spanish. 

Once your church knows more about hunger in your area, you may want to suggest ways you can fight hunger together:

• Start a food pantry in your church.
• Enlist volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels to senior adults.
• Join Habitat for Humanity and help build houses for low-income families.
• Participate in a backpack food ministry through an elementary school in your area.
• To collect funds for hunger relief, give each family a Global Hunger Bread Bank (these can purchased through WMU for $1.50 each). If funding for banks is limited, make them from potato chip cans, small cartons, etc. Go to Pinterest for ideas and instructions.

Christmas is just around the corner! As you make plans for fall activities, why not schedule a WorldCrafts party for everyone or for a woman’ group? Since everyone will be purchasing Christmas gifts, why not purchase items that help women around the world earn a livelihood for their families. WorldCrafts and its local partners develop fair-trade businesses that provide sustainable income while offering eternal hope through Christ. WorldCrafts products represent a life changed by the opportunity to earn an income with dignity and hear the gospel message.

Items vary from accessories, Christmas gifts, home décor, jewelry, and stationery. You can shop by artisan or by country. Hosting a party is a fun way to teach people about how missionaries are working with groups of artisans, some of whom are at high risk for human trafficking. Go to https:www.worldrafts.org/share for all the resources you’ll need to share WorldCrafts with others. There are free downloadable cards, prayer calendars , and all the resources you need to set up a WorldCrafts display. There is a Fall/Winter 2018-2019 Display Set to help you create a market and teach preschoolers through adults (set includes recipes, poster, flyers, etc.). This website is newly re-designed so check it out!

“Tell the Story: Bible Storying for Kids” is now available at www.wmustore.com  Sharing God’s stories with children has never been more easy and effective. A digital download, this new resource includes these tools:

• 40 individual Bible story sessions
• 60 different activities and games
• 8 strategies for sharing Christ with kids
• 5-day Bible storying plan for a mission trip, outreach project of VBS
• Ideas for sharing with children who are unchurched or from different cultures
• Tips for adapting stories for adults
• A Bible storying cloth which is shipped separately

The response to this new resource has been great. And, it can be yours to use in ministry for $44.99!    

The annual Missions Lifeline event will be held Saturday, August 11 at Calvary Baptist Church in Greenfield. The event is designed for anyone interested in missions involvement and learning about how Southern Baptists “do” missions. There will be a variety of breakouts to encourage local ministry, disaster relief, partnering with other for ministry, and hearing guest missionaries. A mini Kids on Mission camp will be held for children grades 1-6. Registration includes all breakouts, lunch, and an Invitation to the Journey, a missions experience for all ages. Special guest is Sandy Wisdom-Martin, Executive Director of national Woman’s Missionary Union in Birmingham, Alabama.

This is an event you don’t want to miss! Make plans now to bring people from your church. Register online soon at: www.scbi.org/missionslifeline