The current issues of Missions Mosaic Magazine contains an excellent article by Sue Sprenkle, missionary/writer/photographer, about the need for churches to break the silence on this crisis. She asks the probing question, “Why is the church silent?” The article gives 6 ways your church can break the silence and extend a helping hand. Copies of the January 2018 issue can be ordered from Woman’s Missionary Union (1.800.968.7301, customer service). The article appears on page 23. You can order this monthly magazine online at www.wmustore.com  

If you and your church are looking for ways to plug into existing ministries in Southeastern Baptist Association, here are a few ways to do that. In our 9-county area, there are many ways to be of help and share the gospel through your compassionate actions.

Louisville Rescue Mission – Go to www.LousivilleRescurMission.org to see the variety of ministries that need your help in providing care and guidance for clients. You can participate in this ministry for homeless people by:

*organizing a drive for cleaning supplies, food, home essentials, and personal toiletries

*leading a chapel service to encourage residents   *partnering in prayer for healing and transformation

*preparing a meal for residents                                  *serving at the Thrift ‘n’ Thrive shop

*serving in the Day Shelter which provides vital relief services in a safe environment

*taking a customized group mission tour of the Louisville mission 

 *teaching a class or mentoring adult students on a variety of topics

 

Another ministry that relies heavily on volunteers is the Pearl Street Feeding Ministry. This ministry serves a Community Meal each week. Prayer requests are taken along with a brief message before a hot meal is served. Volunteers can help with food prep, serving, and presenting the gospel. Contact Bruce Farnsley for more information.

Choices Life Resource Center has reported that so far in 2017, 629 gospel presentations have been made to clients using the prenatal, mentoring, sonogram, and counseling resources. In the past 12 months staff, and volunteers have welcomed 68 babies into the world! Contact Rose Contra, Executive Director, for specifics of how you can become involved in this valuable ministry.

   These ministries continue to exist and expand because of your faithful support through prayer, involvement, and giving!

Southern Baptists, through their cooperative giving, work together to tell unreached people groups around the world about the good news of Jesus. More than 47,000 churches partner with the IMB to disciple new believers and plant churches in places that have never heard Christ’s name. Use the following information to encourage your church’s missions awareness.

Southern Baptists give: $153 million to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and $98 million through the Cooperative Program.

Southern Baptists see: 87, 287 new believers and 4,550 new churches started.

Southern Baptists go: For the first time in history, the Bible has been translated into the Udmurt language for people in Eastern Europe. The first church ever was planted among a Muslim people called the Mwani in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In a time when missionary-sending has been declining, Southern Baptists are again on a firm financial foundation and are commissioning new missionaries to go to the “ends of the world” with God’s love.

Each of us has a role to play in God’s Mission; explore your next steps at www.imb.org/next

In the November issue of Missions Mosaic magazine, SEIBA’s own Rhonda Wilkinson has written an article about her work in Hispanic church planting in our area. She relates stories of how God is working through Hispanic church planters and their families and about her work at Choices with Spanish-speaking clients. Her article is on page 10. Send her a note or email of encouragement of the great work she is doing!  

If your church is looking for a fresh, new way to minister during the coming holidays, there are resources to help you!

“33 Easy Ways to Do Missions in Indiana” – This resource leaflet was written specifically with Indiana in mind! You can obtain a copy by emailing Linda Clark at: lclark1213@hotmail.com  User-friendly ideas are only a couple of clicks away!

WorldCrafts  Party – How about hosting a party that will help women artisans around the world? You’re going to shop for gifts anyway, so why not buy fair trade hand-crafted items from artisan groups that exist to provide women with a sustainable income while introducing them to Jesus? Go to www.WorldCrafts.org to view the online catalog and order a party kit complete with invitations, games, recipes, and a sample of items.

“Across the Street and Around the World” by Diana Davis & Autumn Wall is a new source listing ministry ideas designed for the amount of time you have. What a great idea!

Consider a Christmas ministry to missionaries in the United States for their stateside assignments. How about ministering to a care-giver in your church? Is there anything you can do to be an advocate for children in your community? Contact Caleb Creel, SEIBA’s collegiate minister, about ways you could help him (call SEIBA’s office to contact him).

October 9 – 10 Indiana Southern Baptists gathered for a time of fellowship, business, and inspiration. Held at Highland Lakes Camp, the annual meetings included messages from Indiana pastors, reports on ministries in the state, and two concerts of prayer led by Dr. Rick Hillard.

Reports of mission giving and evangelistic efforts created an atmosphere of celebration among those present for the sessions. Following are some of the report information (just in case you couldn’t attend!)

*The International Mission Board representative reported that 87,000 persons were won to Christ last year and that 4,500 new churches were planted. New missionaries sent out numbered 193.

*Indiana Southern Baptists gave more than $2.5 million to mission causes in the state, nations, and around the world.

*Two churches in SEIBA were recognized for being in the Top 10 in Cooperative Program giving: Graceland Baptist Church, New Albany and lst Southern Baptist Church, Clarksville.

*Disaster Relief volunteers were called out 4 times so far in 2017. They are available to visit churches to make presentations about how to become a DR volunteer. Contact Rick Hilliard at SCBI for more information.

*There were 2,176 baptisms in Indiana last year (the first year of increase since 2005!).

The Women on Mission group in an Ohio church wanted to do something for children in their community. They did some research and decided to purchase backpacks and fill them with items for children who are placed into emergency care due to family issues or natural disasters. The bought and packed 30 backpacks, each containing these items: small blanket, pencil box and pencil,  coloring book, crayons, toothpaste and toothbrush,  stuffed animal, pillow, winter hat, gloves and small toy. They delivered the packs to the local family services agency. As a result the group has been invited to participate in other events that minister to children.

Operation Interdependence in Grand Junction, Colorado is a nationwide organization that helps support many of our troops serving overseas. One church in Virginia collected 226 packets of instant oatmeal and 159 individual drink stick packs and sent them to Colorado for delivery to troops. For more information about how you and your church can get involved go online to operation interdependence. The website will give suggestions for needed items and the address for delivery. This is a great idea for children or youth groups!

Women in several churches in Mississippi make small stuffed bears for Operation Christmas Child boxes. The bears are used as fillers in boxes needing extra items. They began the sewing project in 2010 and have made 12,000 bears! As part of the ministry when they get together to sew, the women pray for missionaries having birthdays that day (see Missions Mosaic monthly magazine for monthly birthday lists) and for each child who will receive a bear. A great ministry idea!

As our thoughts turn to a new school year and fall activities at church, why not plan a missions event that will include the entire family? Schedule the event on the church calendar and chose a time that will attract the largest crowd. Sometimes an activity right after Sunday morning worship is successful. A special missions evening may work well for you. Maybe even a Saturday!

Keep in mind that your focus is families, so plan with them in mind. This will mean that activities should be all-age friendly. If the event is to educate, gear the projects to children so they will be interested in participating. Here is one idea you might consider using:

“Family Fall Festival of Missions”

1. Plan activities for a come-and-go event so families can stay as long as they like and then move on to errands or sports events on their schedule.
2. Enlist plenty of volunteers and provide them with supplies and instructions for each display, activity, or project at the event. Arrange the facility with tables, chairs, and other equipment needed.
3. Promote the event about 4 weeks ahead of time to maximize attendance. Keep your plans simple but interesting. Be sure your publicity is attractive.
4. Enlist someone to provide food (there always has to be food!). Again, remember children will be present so serve finger food that they will like.
5. Think about having some of these activities/projects:

• Our World – learn about Southern Baptist mission work around the world. Attach balloons with world facts on slips inside them to a large world map. Darts that don’t have sharp points will please parents! Free bookmarks can be ordered from the International Mission Board at www.imbconnecting.com to use as prizes.
• Our State – use the Indiana State Missions Offering age level ideas online to provide information about our state and its spiritual needs. Choose 1 or 2 ministries and enlist someone involved in them to tell mission stories about their experiences (i.e., a Disaster Relief volunteer or volunteer at the Rescue Mission).
• Our Association - learn about church planters in southeastern Indiana. Ask our association’s Mission Coordinator, Gary Yochum, for information on the location of church plants in our area. Distribute a list of ways families can help.

This event doesn’t have to be complicated or lengthy. The purpose is to educate and that can be done with creativity and attention to details!

Six words can be used to describe the purpose of missions education in individuals’ and churches’ lives. These 6 words can enrich your church’s missions life!

Learn – about missions with biblically sound and age-appropriate curriculum for all ages. Go to www.wmu.com/getstarted for information. Gain a deeper understanding of tough topics like orphan care, depression and more, and see how you can make a difference: www.newhopepublishers.com  Find simple, effective ways to reach the community and the world for Christ: www.justmissions.com

Pray – for missions by cultivating a deeper prayer life. Find books on prayer at www.wmustore.com/prayer  Pray for Southern Baptist missionaries all over the world: www.wmu.com/prayercalendar

Develop - spiritually toward a missions lifestyle. One way to do this is to discover and develop leadership gifts and skills through the Christian Women’s Leadership Center’s learning experiences via online courses. Go to www.wmu.com/cwlc to register.

Support – Make a difference in the lives of human trafficking and disaster victims when you give. Be an active part of missions work around the world by giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Annie Armstrong Easter Offering: www.wmu.com/support  WorldCrafts is a ministry that changes the world as it gives hope to the hopeless by teaching women and men about God’s love and helps them develop a sustainable income. See fair trade products at www.worldcraftts.org

Participate – in the work of your church and denomination by helping your church further the kingdom when you give through the Cooperative Program. For resources go to www.wmu.com/cp

Engage - in mission action and witnessing through a variety of mission activities supported by resources available through WMU. Christian Women’s Job Corps, Baptist Nursing Fellowship, and Pure Water, Pure Love are 3 ministries designed to encourage believers to use their talents and skills to serve God and proclaim the good news of His  Son. See www.wmu.com/jobcorps and www.wmu.com/bnf and www.wmu.com/trips as well as purewater@wmu.org

These six words can change your life, your church, and the world!

Here are some new and old ideas to help your church demonstrate God’s love to others:

• Take a fall camping trip and carve pumpkins, inviting other campers to see them.
• Build wheelchair ramps for those needing mobility help.
• Package health care kits for the homeless.
• Crochet baby blankets for a pregnancy center.
• Volunteer at a food distribution center.
• Provide “Blessing Bags” with food items that don’t require cooking for homeless persons.
• Volunteer at a rescue mission to lead Bible studies or serve hot meals.
• Provide birthday parties for residents in a care facility.
• Knit hats for preemies and donate them to a local hospital.
• Host a regular meal for your local high school football team during the season.
• Serve Thanksgiving dinner at a rescue mission or on Skid Row.
• Get training and participate in Disaster Relief.
• Assemble food baskets for the needy in your community.
• Distribute cookies to community personnel (fire, police, etc.)
• Donate funds for water purification units for missionaries (contact WMU at www.wmu.com/PureWaterPureLove)
• Teach English as a second language after being certified.
• Read stories to elementary children.
• Lead worship and a Bible study at the county jail.