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Frequently asked questions

What is the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering®?

Southern Baptist churches collect the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for the sole purpose of supporting international missions. Every penny of the offering goes to the International Mission Board’s overseas budget, thus supporting our missionaries and their work.

What is the goal for this year’s offering?

The goal for the 2009 offering is $175 million.

What is the 2009 theme?

The 2009 theme is "Who's Missing? Whose Mission?" More than 1.5 billion people are missing out on the opportunity to hear the Gospel. They are living in pockets of lostness, hidden behind cultural, physical, political and language barriers to a Gospel witness. Yet God calls every church and every believer to be on mission with Him to break down the barriers.

What part of the world is being spotlighted this year?

For the first time in several years, IMB is not focusing on a particular region but instead on heavy concentrations of lostness across the globe. Many of the world's people missing from God's family live in these pockets of lostness where barriers to the Gospel keep them from hearing. More information on the pockets and barriers is available on our "Who's Missing? Whose Mission?" Web site. Specific illustrations from the pockets are featured during Week of Prayer.

What planning materials are available to help church leaders prepare for the offering?

• The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering planning guide for missions leaders offers helps and Web links to more resources to help you lead a successful missions emphasis, including products available to order.
• The pastor’s planning guide offers a sermon outline, success stories, suggestions for worship services and Web links to other helpful resources.
• For the first time, leader guides for students and children are available offering resources and stories for these specific audiences.

All four guides include a DVD-ROM with preview and presentation format video features on the DVD side and downloadable video, promotional art, photos and more on the ROM side. The guides are conveniently bundled together in a media kit that will be sent to churches for distribution to the appropriate leaders. Churches will receive the guides by mid-September.

Does the IMB have offering resources for youth and children?

Yes. Our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering 2009 Media Kit includes leader's guides for students and children. The guides include DVD-ROM with age-appropriate video stories and downloads. More resources can be found on imb.org/studentresources and imb.org/childrensresources.

Can I find dollar examples of how the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is used to support missionaries?

Yes. Check out  “Lottie Moon at Work” for resources to help pastors and missions leaders promote the offering. You’ll find stories grouped by age levels (children, students and adults) and by world regions. The stories give specific costs associated with missionaries sharing the Gospel – expenses that your church members help provide when they give to the offering. Each story package includes viewable and downloadable resources like videos, bulletin inserts, photos and more.  

What materials can I order for my congregation?

FREE resources for your church to promote the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering include
• The 2009 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Media Kit described above
• Extra pastor, missions leader, student leader and children's leader guides with DVD-ROM 
• To the Ends of the Earth mini-magazine, fall edition
• Your Church on Mission With God fliers, LMCO edition
These products will be available Oct. 1 or sooner.

What region will be the focus next year?

During 2010 we will celebrate the work God is doing around the world!

 Find out more about coming dates, themes and focus regions.

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Also recommended for churches this fall

Week of Prayer for International Missions

What and when is the Week of Prayer?

The Week of Prayer, Nov. 29-Dec. 6, encourages churches to pray daily for the international missions work and missionaries the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering supports. Also featured during this week is a Southern Baptist church that is taking the Great Commission seriously as members go plant churches among an unreached people group.

Who is featured during the Week of Prayer?

This year Southern Baptists will pray for missionaries in pockets of lostness, heavy concentrations of lostness where physical, cultural, political and language barriers challenge a Christian witness. Visit the Week of Prayer section of this Web site to find out who they are.

How do churches obtain Week of Prayer resources?

Your Woman’s Missionary Union state office distributes free Week of Prayer guides and posters. Churches should receive their quantities by Nov. 1. Besides English, the prayer guide and poster also are printed in Spanish, French, Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese.

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International Mission Study

What does the International Mission Study feature?

Woman’s Missionary Union’s 2009 study features North Africa, highlighting the ways Southern Baptists of any age can be part of God’s work in this part of the world.

How can I get the study?

Kits, pupil materials and teacher's guides are available from WMU or in a LifeWay Christian Store in your area.

What other resources are available for the study?

Visit the mission study section of this Web site for helpful resources and links.

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Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization

Many churches joined in a concert of prayer May 31 for the peoples of the hard places, illustrated by the Sayang (name changed) during 2009 Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization. Other churches are observing this day at another time of their choice. Undated materials include a video with study and planning guides, downloadable promotional poster and 30-day "Loving the Lost" pocket prayer guides. 

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