This week Baptist churches across Florida and the nation are coming together and giving towards the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. December 2nd through Dec. 9th churches are emphasizing and encouraging their members to give so that others may go.
Iglesia Bautista Northside in Hialeah, Miami suburb, has set a goal of $5000 towards Lottie Moon. “Every year we try to set the goal a little higher than the previous years’ with the intent of giving a little more even if we miss the goal,” said Alberto Ocaña, Northside’s pastor.
Giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas offerings helps send International Mission Board missionaries to share the Gospel with unreached people groups across the world. The 2018 goal for the offering is $160 million.
“We promote the offering well ahead of time,” said Ocaña. “This offering is special because it goes directly towards international missions and as Baptists this is part of our core; we have a missionary heart.”
In addition to monetary giving, Northside is also praying for missionaries. “Every day we have a group pray specifically for international missionaries.” The church is itself involved in international missions having sent a short-term mission group recently to Guatemala as well as financially supporting missionaries in Haiti.
According to the IMB today, more than 3,500 IMB missionaries serve among the nations, sent by Southern Baptist churches to take the gospel to those who have never heard. The need is urgent as 7,067 people groups are still unreached.
Because of giving by Southern Baptists, IMB missionaries were able to baptize 93,922 people and plant 6,138 churches around the world.
You can give to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering through your church or online at give.imb.org.
Keila Diaz, Florida Baptist Convention, December 6, 2018