In this issue
Celebrate—Dramatic advances overseas
Going—Quotable: Parents’ desires vs. God’s ... The latest on volunteer opportunities ... Quotable: ‘They want to see the face of Jesus’

Giving—His vision made the difference ... Make the Cooperatiave Program personal
Your prayers lift them up

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Celebrate
Dramatic advances overseas
IMB trustees celebrated reports of dramatic advances overseas—and allocated money to cover deficits caused by the rapid growth in missionary numbers that is outstripping financial contributions from the churches. Read more

“Don’t fear man, trust God,” Rankin tells new workers

Going

Quotable: Parents’ desires vs. God’s
“ I wanted to be a part of something that has eternal value.”—Loni, California Baptist University student who went last summer to Italy to work with Kurdish and Muslim refugees from Iraq

Sept. 11th left a lot of folks feeling skittish about going overseas for summer missions. College students wondered how they were supposed to honor their parents’ desires and yet remain obedient to God’s calling for us to GO to all nations and share their faith? Still God used a group of students from California Baptist University to reach out to hundreds of Kurdish and Muslim refugees from Iraq in Italy last summer.
Hear how one of those students made her decision to go.

The latest on volunteer opportunities
As the threat of terrorism and possible war looms, it just seems prudent to postpone any mission trips and stay close to home. But before you make that decision, you may want to examine what Scripture has to say.

Quotable: ‘They want to see the face of Jesus’
“ At this moment over 200 people, many from as far away as 25 kilometers, are walking to this place. They are carrying mats that they will sleep on around the outside of the church building. Sirs, they are not coming so they can see your face. They want to see the face of Jesus so please stand in the darkness and tell us a little more about Jesus.”—Zambian village leaders, when told that U.S. preachers would end Bible-teaching sessions at dark

Consider how you can show the face of Jesus
to those who haven’t yet seen it.

Giving

His ‘vision’ made the difference
Not many churches have voted to give $50,000 from their building fund to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.® But Forest Park Baptist Church in Joplin, Mo., did just that recently, bringing their total gifts to the offering to more than $100,000. Pastor John Swadley says it happened because he told what he saw on a recent vision trip to an unreached part of the world. Swadley says he took a cue from Paul in Acts 21:19 and reported in detail what he had seen God doing. In fact, he preached three sermons, each accompanied by about 50 photos in a PowerPoint presentation. “I don’t know about your preaching but pictures help mine considerably!” said Swadley.

Tell us what you did to promote international missions and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this year. Send e-mail to ksharp@imb.org.

Make the Cooperative Program personal
Cooperative Program Sunday falls on April 13. Make it
personal this year. Invite a missionary to tell your congregation what God is doing in one part of the world because they give through the Cooperative Program. The first step is to receive a list of missionaries available in your state. You can do this three ways:
• Visit our online personnel directory to find a stateside or retired missionary in your area.

• Call our Resource Center at (800) 866-3621.

• Call our Church Services Team at (877) 462-4721.

The list includes phone numbers so you can speak directly with a missionary, or you can ask the Church Services Team to match you with a missionary.

Your prayers lift them up

The young American followed closely behind his Chinese friends as they made their way to a house church meeting in the dead of night. Down the dark alleys they walked until they arrived at the site of the gathering. As they entered the modest home and were seated, they pulled out their Bibles, discreetly concealed in their clothing. The host, who had been imprisoned for years for his belief in Christ, held a Bible that was worn and tattered from decades of use. At some point during the gathering, the American shared his purpose in moving to their city and told them of churches in other countries that pray daily for the church in China. The Chinese brothers and sisters wept. He told them stories of God’s moving in places throughout China where they had not been able to visit. Again they wept. But nobody was more deeply moved that night than the foreign visitor. Embraced by the hospitality of the Chinese Christians, moved by their tears and stirred by their prayers, he left knowing he had been in the fellowship of saints and in the presence of God Himself.

Use this illustration to help those you lead understand how to pray for the emerging church in China and elsewhere. You might base such a study on these prayers of the missionary Paul for those with whom he worked:

“A Southern Baptist Convention entity supported by the Cooperative Program
and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering®.”

®Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is a registered trademark of Woman’s Missionary Union.