Week of Prayer
| Week of Prayer |
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In the tradition of The Southern Baptist Convention, our church will take up a special offering in December, known as "The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering." This special collection of our donations will be designated for The International Missions Board, with the purpose of funding the expenses of missionaries overseas.
The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is named after the late Miss Charlotte Digges "Lottie" Moon (1840-1912). Miss Moon, a gifted teacher and linguist, gave up her aristocratic life in Virginia, to become among the first American women to ever enter mainland China, where she served the Chinese residents for nearly 40 years. In fact, Lottie Moon sacrificed her own health, and ultimately her life, as she struggled to aid the Chinese against a disease-infested famine in 1912. During her years of service, Lottie wrote many letters to church goers back in the U.S. As a result, the Southern Baptists took up a special collection for Lottie in 1888. It is this collection that has now become a sacred tradition. Any gift to The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is a gift unto individuals who have dedicated their daily lives to sharing the Good News of Jesus, while serving local communities. Without The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, The International Missions Board would not be capable of supporting 10,000 servants of The Gospel, at an average, estimated cost of $41,000 a year, per missionary. In fact, the offering represents 54% of The International Mission Board's total income. Of course, your prayers are just as important as any offering. From November 29th through December 6th, please unite with us in prayer, as we ask our Heavenly Father to bless the work that is being done in His name. Each day of the week, we will focus our prayers upon an individual country or region: November 29th - Pray for "Moses", a former Hindu who now serves his fellow people of Northern India for the sake of The Gospel, in spite of social persecution. November 30th - Please pray for "Renee & Ed" who work to build intimate friendships in Ethiopia, in order to pierce the veil of religious tradition in Ethiopia with the healing power of The Gospel. December 2nd - Please pray for the team of "Keith and Susan" as they work to imitate Jesus for the Berber people of North Africa. December 3rd - Please pray for the Vietnamese in Cambodia and for "Tim", the first Believer in Kbal Taol. December 4th - Please pray for the people of Iran and for the protection of persecuted Believers. December 5th - Please pray for the people of China and the growing demand for evangelists. December 6th - Please pray for the people of The Canary Islands and for the ability of our missions team to earn their trust. For more prayer resources please visit the International Mission Boards website. |