Posts by "System Administrator"

We’ve been on lockdown, learned how to social distance, and are “doing church” in ways we’d never dreamed of before COVID-19 hit. The impact consumes our news reports and has filtered into the very fiber of all that we do as believers. We don’t need another list of all that has changed nor the problems that have arisen because of those changes

However, the impact of the pandemic on our churches and their giving cannot be glossed over. Because of the giving process of Southern Baptists, every ministry and agency has been hurt by the fact that giving on the church local level has dramatically changed. Giving online has become the norm; churches are re-aligning their budgets; state conventions have cancelled events that created income and downsized spending. The support of missionaries on the field and concern about decreased giving to special missions offerings has meant our two mission boards have made tough decisions about allocations.

Is there a solution to the financial issues caused by the pandemic? We in the local churches must continue to be faithful in giving our tithes and offerings. We need to encourage staff and leadership to commit to the same level of giving through the Cooperative Program to enable our agencies to continue to support and expand evangelistic efforts around the world.

The Indiana state missions offering is emphasized in August and September, so as soon as promotional materials are available (contact our SCBI office for information), set a church goal and begin to make  your congregation aware of how crucial this year’s offering will be. Begin making plans to promote the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, realizing that 50% of the IMB budget comes from the gifts to LMCO.

We can help our ministries and agencies survive and support missionaries who are proclaiming the good news of Jesus in difficult places around the world!

Something new is coming your way! In compliance with Indiana State WMU By-Laws, an election of officers must take place every year. The annual Missions Lifeline event that usually provides the venue for doing that has been postponed until the fall, but the actual business component for WMU will be held online with a special missions celebration on Saturday, August 15 at 10:00 a.m. The hour-long event will include interviews with missionaries, a word from national WMU Executive Director, Sandy Wisdom-Martin as well as the business component.

This is the first call for all WMU members to attend this exciting online event! More information will be posted and published via Face book and emails about connecting to attend. Voting privileges are extended to any member of a WMU group in any local Indiana church.

You’ll be able to participate from your home or with a small group connected at your church. It’s a new day, dictated by necessity! It’s a new way of doing something we’ve done for a long time! It’s a new way for you to participate and learn about how Southern Baptists engage in missions!

Indiana and Kentucky WMUs are co-sponsoring the annual MK Re-Entry Retract for IMB missionary kids returning for college. This event is coordinated by IMB and state WMUs to provide an intense time of orientation for students to help them adjust to life in the United States. A casual camp atmosphere helps them relax as they discuss serious topics that will impact their college years and help them cope with issues facing most college students.

WMU provides backpacks, lodging, meals, snacks, and more snacks, and more snacks plus some fun-filled sessions designed for interaction among students. This year’s event is being coordinated by Allison Kinion, Indiana WMU and Liz Encina, Kentucky WMU. If your church would like to participate financially, there’s still time to give! Contact the Indiana state WMU office and speak with Terah Adams.

The event will be held August 4-7. Here’s how you can pray:

1. Pray for safe travel and minimum pandemic restrictions.

2. Pray for the health of college students as they gather.

3. Pray that the students will be able to overcome homesickness for their family and homes.

4. Pray that camp counselors and presenters will connect with the students and establish strong ties even during this brief time together.

5. Pray that students will feel God’s presence as they begin new lives in new surroundings and meet new life challenges in the United States.

Contact the SCBI WMU office for information on theme, offering goals, and promotion materials for the 2020 State Missions Offering. Set a church goal, put an in-gathering date on the church calendar, and help your church become aware of how our state convention is proclaiming Christ to Hoosiers. Watch the SSBI website for details coming soon.

Creating an awareness of God’s mission for His followers should be an integral part of our churches. Learning about missions is one part of this awareness. As we learn how God is working in the world, we will be challenged to participate as individuals, families, and churches. Following are some resources available through Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention. The website – www.wmu.org – gives resources and information to help you begin your missions journey.

Age-Level Mission Groups:   Preschoolers, children, and students can learn how missionaries share Christ around the world. Each age has its own age-appropriate missions magazine and materials for leaders of the groups. Co-ed materials for children and youth are also available.

Adult Mission Groups:   Adults on Mission is a co-ed mission group with online resources. Adult women can find mission stories and ministry ideas in its monthly publication, Missions Mosaic.

New Mission Groups:   Starter Kits for any age-level mission group are available through WMU. Six month’s mission curriculum is FREE when processed through Indiana’s State WMU Office (www.scbi.org/wmu). Southeast Association can help you through this process.

Churchwide Missions:  WMU publishes many resources to help churches reach their communities for Christ and motivate members to develop missions lifestyles. Go to www.wmu.org/ministries for project ideas, mission experience opportunities, and how to support Southern Baptist mission endeavors.

33 Easy Ways to Do Missions in Indiana:   A new print resource (available via email upon request), this leaflet outlines 33 “user-friendly” ways you and your church can tell others about Jesus and support missions through praying, giving, and going.  (Email request: lclark1213@hotmail.com)

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.

Listen to engaging conversations that will inspire you to go deeper in your Christian faith walk. These podcasts are designed for women who want to develop a missional lifestyle. The podcasts are available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

Podcasts thus far include:

“10 Ways God Encourages to Give and Receive Hope”

“Hope for Anxious Women in Anxious Times”

“Committed to God’s Call”

“Loving God with All Your Mind”

Go online to watch these timely podcasts and join Sandy Wisdom-Martin and guests. When you download the podcast, be sure to subscribe and leave a review if option is available.

By this time you should have received an important email for our state WMU director, Allison Kinion. She has sent each of you a downloadable copy of David Crosby’s book, “Your Pain is Changing You.”This book was written for Project HELP: PTSD and can be a valuable help for churches at this time with topics such as fear.

This resource will give you and your staff and church leaders a beginning point for ministering to the members of your congregations and community. The Bible Study “Trading Up” is another resource which contains several study sessions that may be of use to you as you navigate the uncertainties of re-opening your churches after the long period of social distancing.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Allison through the state convention or via email: akinion@scbi.org

Because the second Transformed event in northern Indiana was canceled, “Tuesdays at 2” is being offered online providing a selection of the seminars that were to have been given there. Every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. a leader will present her seminar followed by a live Q and A chat. The first Tuesday at 2 was held on May 5 on Facebook. Go to Facebook next Tuesday and participate! Oh, and it’s free!

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.