It’s hard to believe, but Christmas is just around the corner! In the midst of plans for Christmas musical presentations and dramas and holiday parties, Southern Baptists turn their thoughts to the rich history of giving to the special missions offering named for Lottie Moon, an early missionary to China.

This year’s goal is $155,000,000!

Here are some facts about supporting international mission efforts you might be able to use to help your church reach its offering goal:

• It takes $58, 200 a year to support a missionary.
• That means it costs $4,850 per month.
• Which translates into $1,119 a week.
• It costs $159 per day to sustain a missionary on the field.

There are several ways you can ignite your church members’ excitement about giving this year:

1. Share from the pulpit or enlist someone to make presentations during worship services.

2. Use the free resources available from the International Mission Board (IMB). Go to: www.imbcomecting.org  for resources (videos, mission sermon, missionary testimonies).

3. Order bulletin inserts, prayer guides, and posters through the Indiana State WMU Office.

4. Set aside time to study about Norway, the country emphasis for 2016. Order materials for preschoolers, children, students, and adults at www.wmu.com  Use the age level or church wide studies as a kick-off for the Christmas giving season.

5. After you set your church goal, make plans for encouraging members to reach it! Take a percentage of the national $155,000,000 goal and create a visual to show the progress toward the goal. Ornaments for a specific amount of your goal can be added to a tree or bows on a Christmas wreath will keep the offering before the church. Encourage children to give by asking them to donate pennies in separate jars for the boys and the girls in a contest-like friendly competition.

Let’s start 2017 with a bang! If you and the women of your church would like to get together for a time of fellowship, missions information, and refreshments, please contact Linda Clark at lclark1213@hotmail.com  We will include a missions project in the event and have a great time getting to know each other and talk about how we can encourage church planters in our association, minister to college students, and provide help for various existing ministries.

More information will follow next month as we choose a date and time for the “Women’s Get-Together.”

Just released is “33 Easy Ways to Do Missions in Indiana,” a brochure full of easy-to-do ideas for small groups, the entire church, and/or women to engage in activities that reach out into your community. The new piece is designed with simplicity and low costs in mind so it’ll be a valuable resource when you need a fresh idea for children, students, or adults. You can receive the brochure as a downloadable piece or through the mail. Contact Linda Clark at lclark1213@hotmail.com to request a copy.

Missional living is developing a missions lifestyle that permeates every area of a person’s life. Resources, ministries, and activities through Woman’s Missionary Union support 6 purposes: Pray for missions. Engage in mission action and witnessing. Learn about missions. Support missions. Develop spiritually toward a missions lifestyle. Participate in the work of the church and denomination.

Go to www.wmu.com for more information about how you can begin missions education for your preschoolers, children, students, and adults. Email Linda Clark at lclark1213@hotmail.com for a consultation to customize missions education in your church. Be informed about how Southern Baptists are working to share Christ with a needy world!

The Christian Women’s Leadership Center exists to engage Christian women in discovering and developing their leadership gifts and skills through holistic learning experiences so they may serve effectively as God calls them in life, the marketplace, and the church.

An online, on-demand leadership certificate program launched in September 2016 and is designed for women leaders who desire to root their leadership in their relationship with Christ. Based on biblical principles, the program offers flexible learning opportunities for women with busy lifestyles and responsibilities.

Courses include foundations of leadership, leadership formation, and skills. For more information and to register, please visit the online education portal – www.ChristianLeaderLearning.com

Before you get caught up in the stress and busy-ness of holiday preparations, make the decision to make a difference for Christ by praying for the world. Fall celebrations melt into Christmas which merges into winter with almost no separation. If we aren’t careful, praying for others around the world gets relegated to the “back burners” of our minds.

You and your family can impact the world with your prayers. Use the prayer guide below to help guide your prayers. The guide can be copied onto cardstock and cut into bookmark-size strips for easy reference and use. Insert in church bulletins or distribute to Bible study groups.

MONDAY: Pray for international and state missionaries as they, too, enter the busy fall and Christmas seasons. Pray that God will guide their plans to reach out to people with God’s love during these special times of year.

TUESDAY: Thank God for the special skills and abilities He has given state and international missionaries. Ask that He will touch the hearts of their listeners.

WEDNESDAY: Thank God for men and women who have heard His call to serve in countries around the world and in our nation.

THURSDAY: Ask God to give missionaries wisdom and patience in ministering to others in need. Pray that they will have energy during the holiday season with its extra activities.

FRIDAY: Pray that missionaries will develop good relationships with people where they serve and that they will have opportunities to share the story of Jesus’ life and death.

SATURDAY: Ask that God keep missionaries’ families strong and healthy so they can do the work He has sent them to do.

SUNDAY: Pray that God will bless every gathering where His word is preached and the good news is proclaimed.

Ministry reports were given at a recent associational Executive Board meeting last month. Southeastern Association has some interesting ministries that can benefit from your church’s participation. Here are a few to consider:

Pearl Baptist Church

This New Albany church has a wonderful ministry to homeless persons in the area by providing weekly hot meals every Wednesday evening. The food is served by volunteers at the church. The ministry is partially funded by the North American Mission Board and others. What can your church do? It can provide paper goods so that all available funds can be spent on food. Contact Bruce Farnsley at: pearlbapt@att.net  about other ways you can become part of this ministry. Of course, paper money is always good too!

Choices for Women

This on-going ministry, located on Charlestown Road in New Albany, is always in need of volunteers and supplies. Contact Rose Condra for how you or your group can help. This biblically-based ministry shares Christ at every opportunity as workers assist women in making good decisions about their babies.

Campus Ministries

Under the direction of Cody Bishop, college campus life began Fall 2016 with several co-sponsored activities to attract students to Bible study and discipling opportunities. The emphasis for this fall will be one-on-one discipling. Churches can be involved by helping to provide food for the gathering events. College students are open to eating and studying! Contact Cody at: codylbishop@gmail.com

New Church Plants in Our Area

Think of all the needs a new church plant may have! Our association currently has 4 new plants, and the pastors of these churches may be needing something you have already have or can contribute. Contact the associational office for the pastors’ contact information. We need to encourage these new pastors as they serve in areas with limited resources.

Fall is just around the corner! When cooler weather comes to southern Indiana, our minds turn to hot chocolate and heavier clothing. Think for a few minutes of the things you associate with fall, and then consider how you can turn these fond memories into a ministry project for your Bible study class or mission group. Here are a few Fall-Related activities that might spur you to action:

1. Call a homeless shelter and ask if you can provide the makings for hot chocolate for a group study they may be sponsoring. Funds often don’t extend to something “extra” like this.

2. Collect knitted hats, gloves, and mufflers ahead of time for cold weather. Right now is a great time to purchase these items as reasonable prices before the season hits. Check your nearby Dollar Tree. They have a great selection!

3. Sponsor a Fall Festival event one evening at your church. Plan mission-related activities for the whole family. Set up several tables with different ministry projects so everyone can participate. Assemble Blessing Bags for the homeless containing such items as snack crackers, applesauce with plastic spoon, small cans of portable eats (Vienna Sausages, tuna & crackers, etc.), hand wipes, small bars of soap, and washcloths. Another table could be signing cards to be sent to members of the military serving overseas. Families could bring canned goods as their “entrance fee” to be taken to a local food pantry. If your church’s kitchen is large enough, enlist people to bring cookie dough ready to be baked and have volunteers direct attendees in making cookies that will be taken to local firefighters and law enforcement personnel. Enlist someone to deliver after cookies are plated.

Fall is a great time for family, friends, and making memories. Make some mission memories!

Welcome Gary Yochum as Southeastern Association’s new Ministry Coordinator. Coming out of the pastorate in Evansville, Gary and his wife, Debbie, will begin their new ministry with us September 1. Gary brings a passion for missions and pastors to his new position. You’ll want to meet him and talk about how you can support him and the work we as Southern Baptists have in this area!

If you do, Woman’s Missionary Union is the place to go! WMU has long been the main provider of current materials about Southern Baptist mission work. A national staff stands ready to help you subscribe to mission magazines and teach all ages about missionaries and how God is working around the world. Customer Service waits for your call! 1.800.968.7032

Go online to www.wmu.com and you’ll find a world of innovative materials for leading your church to pray for missions, to give to mission efforts, and to become involved in doing missions where you live and around the world. Through its WorldCrafts, Pure Water, Pure Love, Christian Women’s Job Corps, and mission trips, WMU is deeply committed to providing you and your church with quality publications that will help you implement your plans to impact your world for Christ.

Look up the following to learn more about some special mission projects:

• Host a WorldCrafts Christmas party to introduce this Fair Trade ministry helping women around the world market artisan products and support their families
• Donate funds to Pure Water, Pure Love to help our missionaries have pure drinking water on the field.
• How to increase your giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions
• Christian Women’s Job Corps (a ministry to help break the cycle of poverty) always needs volunteers to teach and churches’ support.

Woman’s Missionary Union is for all ages with organizations for Mission Friends (birth-K); Girls in Action and Royal Ambassadors (grades 1-6); Acteens (teens in 7th-12th grades); Challengers (teen boys); myMISSION (collegiate & professional young women); and Women on Mission (adult women); Adults on Mission (co-ed adults).