Last-minute Lottie
Got one hour, one day or one weekend to put the Lottie Moon emphasis before your church? No problem. In this section we offer specific steps to breeze you through a 30-minute presentation during Sunday morning and Wednesday evening services, a 15-minute presentation or just one timeslot only.You can deliver a powerful message with the resources on this Web site. You can:
1. Plan a last-minute emphasis that will challenge your church to see the needs and give more than ever to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
2. Choose activities that fit the program opportunities you have.
3. Link to resources and downloads.
2. Choose activities that fit the program opportunities you have.
3. Link to resources and downloads.
The overall message to share with your church this season: “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. The Bible describes them as living in darkness, alienated from God and without hope in the world.
• Our obedience will give them hope. God calls every church and every believer to be on mission with Him to break down the barriers. Through prayer, volunteering and strategic partnerships on the field, you and your church can help bring a lost people into God's family.
• But could it be that one of the barriers to reaching these pockets is a lack of financial resources? We must also be willing to give sacrificially to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering so those called to invest their lives sharing the Gospel can go.
• Our obedience will give them hope. God calls every church and every believer to be on mission with Him to break down the barriers. Through prayer, volunteering and strategic partnerships on the field, you and your church can help bring a lost people into God's family.
• But could it be that one of the barriers to reaching these pockets is a lack of financial resources? We must also be willing to give sacrificially to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering so those called to invest their lives sharing the Gospel can go.
For a more illustrative description of the barriers and what we can do to break them down, read the full theme interpretation.
Take a minute now to register your church’s Lottie Moon goal. You will also find tips on setting your goal – and receive a free gift.
Coordinate with your pastor on your presentation and resources to illustrate your message. He may want to build his sermon on the sermon helps offered for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering season.
If you have been allotted time on both Sunday morning and Wednesday evening:
Sunday morning (30-minute option)
Introduction: Begin your presentation with A Challenge from Jerry Rankin (3:57).
Using the “Who’s Missing? Whose Mission?” slide image as background, with your church’s goal inserted, give your pitch for the offering. (As an option, if your church relates to a specific missionary, project a photo of that missionary as you promote the offering.):
• Share the three “overall message” bullet points above, stressing the last barrier that Rankin also notes in his video: the financial barrier.
• Acknowledge the economic crisis we’ve all experienced this past year but why continued, sustained giving is critical. As you are speaking, show a few people group photos from Week of Prayer to illustrate pockets of lostness:
• Acknowledge the economic crisis we’ve all experienced this past year but why continued, sustained giving is critical. As you are speaking, show a few people group photos from Week of Prayer to illustrate pockets of lostness:
People have always been missing from God's kingdom. But this year it's even worse. It's worse because we Southern Baptists, impacted by the U.S. economy, were unable to give as much as in previous years to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. And our gifts last year were way off the expected need to make a significant dent in the number of lost people in the world. That means fewer workers are able to take their places overseas to do their part in helping reach God's missing peoples. So this year's offering is exceptionally important. When our church gives, we reduce the number of missing persons.
• Match your church’s goal to the average cost of supporting a missionary. For instance, if your church goal is $7,000, point out that your church alone – if it meets its goal – will provide for a missionary to live and minister on the field for two months:
o $40,931.64 a year
o $3,410.97 a month
o $787.15 a week
o $112.14 a day
• Then, depending on your time, show one or more of five short missionary testimonies on video, ranging from 38 seconds to 2:34 minutes, to personalize giving to the offering. Or, if you are lucky enough to have a home video from a missionary your church supports, show that for an even more personal connection for your audience.
• OPTION: Tell a story or two from Lottie Moon at Work. If your congregation needs a more concrete illustration of what the offering provides (other than missionary salary and ministry), tell the “Fastest office on four wheels” story while showing related photos, or let the related video (2:31) illustrate how the truck provided by LMCO enables this ministry to go into the hard places of West Africa. (Emphasize, however, that the largest portion of the offering goes toward keeping the missionary on the field.)
o $40,931.64 a year
o $3,410.97 a month
o $787.15 a week
o $112.14 a day
• Then, depending on your time, show one or more of five short missionary testimonies on video, ranging from 38 seconds to 2:34 minutes, to personalize giving to the offering. Or, if you are lucky enough to have a home video from a missionary your church supports, show that for an even more personal connection for your audience.
• OPTION: Tell a story or two from Lottie Moon at Work. If your congregation needs a more concrete illustration of what the offering provides (other than missionary salary and ministry), tell the “Fastest office on four wheels” story while showing related photos, or let the related video (2:31) illustrate how the truck provided by LMCO enables this ministry to go into the hard places of West Africa. (Emphasize, however, that the largest portion of the offering goes toward keeping the missionary on the field.)
Conclusion: End by asking the congregation to prayerfully consider how much they might give to reach those still missing from God’s family. Lead in prayer that your church will be obedient to help tear down barriers to the Gospel.
Sunday morning (15 minute-option)
Introduction: Begin your presentation with Who’s Missing? Whose Mission? (2:59). This video has a succinct message on barriers and giving.
Using the “Who’s Missing? Whose Mission?” slide image as background, with your church’s goal inserted, give your pitch for the offering. (As an option, if your church relates to a specific missionary, project a photo of that missionary as you promote the offering.):
• Following the video, say: Could it be that one of the barriers to reaching these pockets is a lack of financial resources? We must also be willing to give sacrificially to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering so those called to invest their lives sharing the Gospel can go. This past year Southern Baptists, impacted by the U.S. economy, were unable to give as much as in previous years to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Our gifts were way off the expected need to make a significant dent in the number of lost people in the world. That means fewer workers are able to take their places overseas to do their part in helping reach God's missing peoples. So this year's offering is exceptionally important. When our church gives, we reduce the number of missing persons.
• Match your church’s goal to the average cost of supporting a missionary. For instance, if your church goal is $7,000, point out that if your church reaches its goal, it alone will provide for a missionary to minister for two months.
o $40,931.64 a year
o $3,410.97 a month
o $787.15 a week
o $112.14 a day
• Show a brief missionary video testimony, tell a story from Lottie Moon at Work, or show the video from “Fastest office on four wheels” (2:31).
• Match your church’s goal to the average cost of supporting a missionary. For instance, if your church goal is $7,000, point out that if your church reaches its goal, it alone will provide for a missionary to minister for two months.
o $40,931.64 a year
o $3,410.97 a month
o $787.15 a week
o $112.14 a day
• Show a brief missionary video testimony, tell a story from Lottie Moon at Work, or show the video from “Fastest office on four wheels” (2:31).
Conclusion: End by asking the congregation to prayerfully consider how much they might give to reach those still missing from God’s family. Lead in prayer that your church will be obedient to help tear down barriers to the Gospel.
Wednesday evening digging deeper: pockets of lostness (30-minute-plus option)
Introduction: Begin your presentation with Who’s Missing? Whose Mission? (2:59) or A Challenge from Jerry Rankin (3:57), depending on which option you chose above for Sunday morning.
As you interact with your audience:
• Reinforce that more than 1.5 billion people are missing the opportunity to hear the Gospel. The number of lost people in the world is much greater – but those living in pockets of lostness are hidden behind barriers that keep them from even the chance to hear.
• Read Psalm 86:9: "All the nations You have made will come and bow down before You, Lord, and will honor Your name" (HCSB). Comment that God is planning the biggest celebration of all time, inviting people of every color, language and culture to gather around His throne. But some people still haven't gotten their invitations.
• Ask for responses to the question Jerry Rankin asks in his challenge video: How could it be that after 2,000 years of Christian history, so many people groups remain untouched?
• Engage in conversation based on statistics about the pockets of lostness and some of the more visual, personal examples of individuals in the fuller “Who’s Missing? Whose Mission?" theme interpretation.
• Read Psalm 86:9: "All the nations You have made will come and bow down before You, Lord, and will honor Your name" (HCSB). Comment that God is planning the biggest celebration of all time, inviting people of every color, language and culture to gather around His throne. But some people still haven't gotten their invitations.
• Ask for responses to the question Jerry Rankin asks in his challenge video: How could it be that after 2,000 years of Christian history, so many people groups remain untouched?
• Engage in conversation based on statistics about the pockets of lostness and some of the more visual, personal examples of individuals in the fuller “Who’s Missing? Whose Mission?" theme interpretation.
Week of Prayer, Nov. 29-Dec. 6, features representative people groups living in pockets of lostness around the world. Here are some suggestions and options for using these stories to illustrate pockets of lostness and the need to support workers to go to them:
• Create a short PowerPoint or slide presentation by downloading one picture of each of the Week of Prayer people groups. Read the introduction to Week of Prayer as you show the “Who’s Missing? Whose Mission?” slide (add your church’s goal to the banner). Summarize the vignette for each Week of Prayer people as you show each slide.
• Create a longer PowerPoint or slide presentation by downloading the entire photo gallery for each Week of Prayer people. Follow the suggestions above, but add information to each slide contained in the caption in the photo gallery.
• If your church is doing the International Mission Study on the North African Berbers, be sure to coordinate with the leader of the study so that your presentation becomes an introduction or a follow-up to the study.
• Three of the Week of Prayer profiles are illustrated on video. Make your presentation a video show or combine video with PowerPoint above.
o Peoples of Northern India: Moses (2:59)
o Peoples of Iran: Stereotypes Unmasked (2:43)
o Peoples of the Canary Islands: Pursuit of Happiness (2:59) plus Shari Lopez’s video testimony (2:07)
• Create a longer PowerPoint or slide presentation by downloading the entire photo gallery for each Week of Prayer people. Follow the suggestions above, but add information to each slide contained in the caption in the photo gallery.
• If your church is doing the International Mission Study on the North African Berbers, be sure to coordinate with the leader of the study so that your presentation becomes an introduction or a follow-up to the study.
• Three of the Week of Prayer profiles are illustrated on video. Make your presentation a video show or combine video with PowerPoint above.
o Peoples of Northern India: Moses (2:59)
o Peoples of Iran: Stereotypes Unmasked (2:43)
o Peoples of the Canary Islands: Pursuit of Happiness (2:59) plus Shari Lopez’s video testimony (2:07)
Conclusion: Whatever option above you choose, be sure to conclude with the “Whose Mission?” message of this year’s theme, especially as it relates to giving during this Lottie Moon Christmas Offering season: The Bible says the lost are living in darkness, alienated from God and without hope in the world. But our obedience will give them hope. God calls every church and every believer to be on mission with Him to break down the barriers. Let’s not let insufficient giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering be one of them.
If time allows, end with Lead You to the Cross (4:36) a music video by No Other Name. Nested within this video is a tribute to Dr. Martha, a worker martyred for her faith who led many to the Cross. The Lottie Moon offering supports workers like Dr. Martha who dare to cross barriers to the Gospel.
Wednesday evening (15 minute-option)
Introduction: Present the same introduction as above in the 30-minute presentation, with video and message, but limit the interaction with your audience.
Select one Week of Prayer people group to use as illustration of the pockets of lostness:
• If your church is doing the International Mission Study on the North African Berbers, you might want to select Day 4 of Week of Prayer and coordinate resources with the leader of the study.
• Otherwise a strong suggestion would be to focus on the Peoples of Northern India (Day 1), using the photos or video noted above, emphasizing that national believer Moses was trained by and partners with Southern Baptist missionaries supported by the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. Together they are breaking down barriers to take a witness to remote Himalayan villages. Tell how Moses learned to share the Gospel with pen and paper at Lottie Moon at Work, "Message marked Urgent."
• Otherwise a strong suggestion would be to focus on the Peoples of Northern India (Day 1), using the photos or video noted above, emphasizing that national believer Moses was trained by and partners with Southern Baptist missionaries supported by the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. Together they are breaking down barriers to take a witness to remote Himalayan villages. Tell how Moses learned to share the Gospel with pen and paper at Lottie Moon at Work, "Message marked Urgent."
Conclusion: Whatever option above you choose, be sure to conclude with the “Whose Mission?” message of this year’s theme, especially as it relates to giving during this Lottie Moon Christmas Offering season: The Bible says the lost are living in darkness, alienated from God and without hope in the world. But our obedience will give them hope. God calls every church and every believer to be on mission with Him to break down the barriers. Let’s not let insufficient giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering be one of them.
If you have been given only one brief slot of time
Option 1 (with video)
• Show the Who’s Missing? Whose Mission? video.
• Present the “overall message to share with your church this season” bullet points above, at the beginning of Last-Minute Lottie.
• End by asking the congregation to prayerfully consider how much they might give to reach those still missing from God’s family. Lead in prayer that your church will be obedient to help tear down barriers to the Gospel.
• Present the “overall message to share with your church this season” bullet points above, at the beginning of Last-Minute Lottie.
• End by asking the congregation to prayerfully consider how much they might give to reach those still missing from God’s family. Lead in prayer that your church will be obedient to help tear down barriers to the Gospel.
Option 2 (no video)
• Present the “overall message to share with your church this season” bullet points above, at the beginning of Last-Minute Lottie.
• Read the story of Moses in Day 1 of Week of Prayer, the Peoples of Northern India, including the prayer request at the end.
• End by emphasizing “time is indeed short.” Ask the congregation to prayerfully consider how much they might give to reach those still missing from God’s family. Lead in prayer that your church will be obedient to help tear down barriers to the Gospel.
• Read the story of Moses in Day 1 of Week of Prayer, the Peoples of Northern India, including the prayer request at the end.
• End by emphasizing “time is indeed short.” Ask the congregation to prayerfully consider how much they might give to reach those still missing from God’s family. Lead in prayer that your church will be obedient to help tear down barriers to the Gospel.
We'd love to hear if Last-minute Lottie has been helpful to you and what suggestions you would have to improve it. E-mail lmco@imb.org. And thanks!
