Blog items tagged with "missions-ideas"

INDIANA STATE MISSIONS OFFERING

September is the annual season of prayer to focus on the ministries of our state convention here in Indiana. There is information about offering allocations and a prayer guide online. Go to www.scbi.com or call the state office to order resources such as posters and envelopes.

Following are some ideas to help you promote this important missions offering in your church. This offering is critical to strengthening and establishing ministries within Indiana. A percentage of what your association gives to the offering is returned to the association for use in special missions projects. We can win Indian to Christ more easily is funds are available to assist church planters, church revitalization, and ministry!

2020 Theme: Churches Helping Churches

Scripture: Hebrews 10:24

State Missions Offering Goal: $75,000

Tips for Promoting the State Missions Offering

1. Make your church aware of the needs in Indiana for evangelism (statistics and information are online). Use the church newsletter, website, and worship screen to educate your members about the importance of the offering.

2. Set a goal and create a visual to show the progress toward that goal. Idea: divide a large map of Indiana into associations or counties and assign a numerical “value” to each by dividing your goal. As gifts are given, color in that section or cover it with decorative paper to show goal progress.

3. Prepare information that is age-appropriate and give to Bible study teachers and leaders as well as community group leaders to share. Call an associational leader and ask him how your association uses their portion of offering gifts in your area.

4. You may be able to create a video of the above interview and show it during worship. Personal testimonies of missions projects are a good way to illustrate the offering’s importance.

5. Schedule a date on the church calendar and have a Hoosier Fair which focuses on the importance of the Indiana State Missions Offering. “Booths” could include a Did You Know table with facts about Indiana; a food table with street corn, popcorn, chicken wings; a basketball hoop for free throw shots; and games popular at county fairs in Indiana (corn hoe!). Use your imagination as you create an event to highlight Hoosiers’ need for Christ. Perhaps one booth could be a demonstration of how to give a simple testimony to share Christ. This is a perfect venue for a “Who’s Your One” evangelism emphasis.  

Recognizing that all of this will be impacted by covid-19, you may need to shift and adapt your plans to meet current social distancing restrictions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help in hosting a missions event using technology such as Zoom.

Regardless of current pandemic restrictions, gifts to the State Missions Offering are more important than ever in our search for ways to reach out to Indiana residents with the good news of Jesus. When our churches unite in giving, we will be more effective in showing God’s love through evangelistic projects, church planting, and revitalization efforts.

Tell His story in Indiana!

Did you know you can plan a whole year of churchwide missions with one book?

This guide introduces the year’s mission theme and provides suggestions for missions events, weeks of prayer and missions offering promotion, leadership tips, and much more.

Order Missions Leader: WMU Planning Guide 2020-2021 in print or digital version. Visit wmustore.com or call Customer Service at 1.800.968.7301 to purchase.

WorldCrafts, a fair trade compassion ministry of national Woman’s Missionary Union, is featured in the May issue of Missions Mosaic and the heart-warming stories of  women who have found eternal worth in Jesus are told. Artisans learn a handmade craft which provides a sustainable income. In many parts of the world, human trafficking and labor slavery are ways of life. WorldCrafts is a ministry that helps women and girls who are vulnerable to make a living, discover their self-worth, and hear about Jesus. There are over 30 million women, men, and children who are at risk for forced labor or forced marriage. Refugees and impoverished families live daily in fear of hunger, shelter, and freedom being taken away. Southern Baptist missionaries work closely with the artisan groups and are committed to helping these persons and families come to Christ through the ministry.

What can you do?

1. You can support WorldCrafts through prayer.  Download the monthly calendar and make it available to church members.

2. You can shop! Host a WC party or shop online.

3. You can share the stories. Set up an informational display at church and enlist prayer partners. The display can be part of a missions event.

4. You can host an offering for the Isaiah 58:10 Campaign which provides the funding necessary to  pay WorldCrafts artisans a sustainable income.

Visit WorldCrafts.org/share for resources.

“Stay At-Home” and “Shelter in Place” are phrases we all are having to adjust to, in this new normal we are experiencing.  These measures, that have been put in place to prevent the spread of this horrible virus, have isolated us.  Women, who thrive on social and relational connection, are having to find new ways to connect, encourage and minister to each other.  “How do we continue studying the Word together?”, “When will we be able to pray with our small group again?” and questions like these are floating around inside the heads of the women in the church. 

As ministry leaders, we must take time to consider all of the angles by which we might connect women and encourage them through these lonely times, that may be filled with worry and anxiety.  Though we are socially distant during these days, there are some great ways to reach out and continue to build relationships.  Some of these aren’t revolutionary thoughts, but sometimes it sure is helpful to be reminded of things that can make a difference, large or small. So here are 5 ways to create community with women in your church!

1. Pray for each other! Create a prayer tree or prayer partner system where women can share burdens and concerns and know that someone specifically will be praying for them.  These easy ideas have been used for generations, but certainly haven’t lost their relevancy.
2. Communicate with each other! Whether you simply call the women in your church or you set up multi-person online get-togethers, make sharing life happen.  You can access several free ways to accomplish this goal.  Utilize group meeting or video chat apps on smart phones like Skype, Zoom, Go To Meeting, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp Messenger, or Facebook Messenger. Consider writing letters or notes to women each week to encourage them.  Snail mail may seem outdated, but you know what they say, “Everything Old is New Again”.  It will be so nice to receive a kind letter or note in a mailbox filled with advertisements and bills!
3. Get in the Word Together!  Dive into reading and studying the Bible together.  Utilize the F260 Bible reading plan on the YouVersion Bible App, add friends and interact together on the app.  Create a small group study using the First 5 app and tag and invite other friends to join in.  Go online and access one of the free Lifeway Women’s Bible studies that are available now through June 18^th and discuss the teaching videos through a video chat.
4. Have Some Fun Together!  Put together a virtual trivia game with a group of friends!  Create a Private Facebook Group and have a Cooking, Baking or Crafting at-Home Challenge.  Post videos or pics online and chat about your successes or potential bombs!
5. Create an Online Support Group!   This period of isolation has changed so many things.  Connect women virtually as they navigate through similar struggles.  Topics can range from serious burdens like caring for a loved one or dealing with addiction to more lighthearted topics like ideas for family time, homeschooling kids while the schools observe e-learning or even how to stretch a dollar while feeling the economic effects of COVID-19.

In response to the needs of seniors who are sheltering in place or in care facilities with no visitors, WMU is partnering with Iron Stream Media to provide boxes of Christian books, Bible studies, ad fiction for them to read to seniors to ease the pain of their isolation. Honor62.com comes from Ephesians 6:2 where we are commanded to “Honor our Fathers and Mothers.” WMU and Iron Stream are sending the boxes to senior care facilities, hospice centers, hospitals, and to individuals. Will you partner with them by assisting with the cost of printing, shipping, and handling? Boxes star at only $15.00 (shipping included)! Go to www.Honor62.com for details and online purchasing.

Woman’s Missionary Union provides ideas and help in engaging adults in missions activities!  Discover more missionary stories and project ideas on www.wmu.com/adults

Check out the missionary spotlight and the update by clicking on the “Mission Stories” box. You’ll also find ministry ideas by clicking on the “Mission Projects” box.

While you are there, read the Adults on Mission Blog. October’s posting discuss Global Hunger Relief and domestic violence. Come back every month to read about prayer, social issues, stewardship, discipleship, and more!

This ministry was begun by Woman’s Missionary Union over 15 years ago and has reached thousands with the good news of Jesus while helping women (and men) achieve financial stability through handicrafts the artisans make.

You and your church can be involved In this ministry in several ways:

*Shop WorldCrafts handmade fair-trade products.

*Host a WorldCrafts benefit for a Christian Women’s Job Corps site and to support artisans in over 30 countries.

* Host a WorldCrafts market at your church, sharing the stories of artisan groups around the world.

* Pray for WorldCrafts artisans and job corps sites using the prayer guide available at: www.WorldCrafts.org/pray

* Donate funds to Pure Water, Pure Love which is a ministry that provides clean water systems and water filters to missionaries and WorldCrafts artisans.

For more information about WMU’s compassion ministries, visit wmu.com/ministries

The annual MK (missionary kid) Re-Entry retreat will be held next August at Highland Lakes. Every year incoming college students from all over the globe gather for a week of activities and speakers on topics that will be of interest to their adjustment to life in the United States. Because many of them were born overseas or have lived most of their lives there, this event is critical to help them face the challenges that will arise due to their unfamiliarity with American culture. WMU needs the support of Indiana churches to make this project a reality!

The estimated cost per student is $400 and your church or individuals can send donations to the state offices designated for “MK Retreat.” We are co-sponsoring this event with Kentucky WMU and must do our part! Contact Linda Clark for additional ways your church can be involved in this important event.

In just one month fill a bulletin board at your church or an entire wall with pictures of people doing personal missions projects. Challenge families and individuals to choose a project in their neighborhood or community to reach out to others with the love of Jesus. Take pictures of your project and make a copy of the best one to put on the bulletin board. Here’s how to make this happen:

• Make a list of missions project ideas and post them on a bulletin board, include them in the church bulletin, online, etc.
• Promote the summer projects each week.
• Projects can be done by families, Sunday School classes, or missions groups.
• Challenge the church to fill the bulletin board with pictures before the month is over.
• Create a slide show for a Sunday worship service.

This emphasis could be a great launch for personal missions involvement. NOTE: This missions idea was written up by Indiana WMU Vice President, Chris Conrades, Richmond, IN. Thanks for the great idea, Chris!

Here are some suggestions of things your family can do this summer. Warm weather is a great time to branch out and connect with neighbors and your community.

• Make brownies and deliver them to an unchurched family in your neighborhood.
• Help the children make holiday or get well cards for homebound neighbors and deliver them as a family along with baked goods or a small gift.
• Teach children how to prayer walk. Prayer walk your local school and around your neighborhood. You can do “prayer driving” too!
• Using a large world map, locate where missionaries serve and pray for them during your family devotion time. A list of missionaries and their birthdays is in the monthly missions magazine, Missions Mosaic, available from WMU (www.wmu.com/curriculum).
• Collect canned goods for a local food pantry. Deliver them together and arrange for a tour of the facility if possible.