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Portraits Magazine
Offering to impact Arizona missions
By Debra Butterworth
Even the smallest gift to the Arizona Mission Offering can have an eternal impact!
"Our vision of encountering 6 million persons who call Arizona home with the gospel of Jesus Christ depends in part on our support for our Arizona Mission Offering," said Arizona Southern Baptist Convention State Missionary Steve Bass.
"We utilize these funds to plant churches, support our collegiate work, assist when our Disaster Relief Team is dispatched, and assist our pastors and leadership through some difficult days so they can continue to minister and serve God," Bass explained.
Since the Cooperative Program pays for the administration of these ministries, every penny given to the Arizona Mission Offering goes directly to the mission causes.
With a goal of $150,000, the offering will be divided among church planting, Christian Challenge collegiate ministries, disaster relief ministries, ministers in crisis, and Crossover 2011.
Historically about 38 percent of Arizona's Southern Baptist churches have participated in the annual mission offering.
"Just think if 100 percent of our churches caught the vision and our leaders promoted the needs of each mission represented in the areas of church planting, university campuses, evangelism and disaster relief. It is my firm conviction we could get so much more resource to the mission field in Arizona," Bass continued. "Our state missionaries would be blessed."
Bass understands that the downturn in the state's economy has impacted families and churches.
"But would it not be a great testimony of our Lord if even in our own poverty, our people rose to the occasion and blessed others," Bass asked. "Will we do it? Will you do it?"
Churches are encouraged not only to give to the offering, but also to fervently intercede for these ministries, during the Week of Prayer for Arizona Missions, Sept. 12–19.
State leaders are rejoicing about what was accomplished in 2009.
Last year, the ASBC Church Planting Resource Team awarded site grants, totaling $27,000, to three churches. Start-up assistance was also given to another new work.
The gospel was shared on 10 university and community college campuses. Disaster relief volunteers responded. Ministers were assisted as their families dealt with personal crises.
However, much work remains.
"The Arizona Mission Offering provides additional resources to help new church starts," ASBC Church Planting Facilitator Ken Belflower, said, noting as new churches are started, site grants will be needed. "It's amazing what happens when we work together. Each church is the beneficiary, not just the giver," said ASBC Church Ministries Leadership Facilitator Keith Henry. "College students who are reached with the gospel become leaders in our churches and pastors."
"Collegiate ministries are not churches and are not funded by tithes and offerings," Henry noted. "It's a mission enterprise. Ministry expansion is laid upon Arizona Southern Baptists to reach the campuses with the gospel."
Assisting ministers in crisis isn't a program. "It's Arizona Southern Baptists saying we want to take care of our own," Henry said, noting the needs range from health issues to "negative ones. Even when there is a leadership crisis, that minister is still God's person. We're still God's people."
Without the Arizona Mission Offering, the Arizona Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Ministries wouldn't be able to maintain its equipment, ranging from specialized kitchen items to transportation trailers.
Arizona Mission Offering funding will be essential for Crossover, the SBC's annual evangelistic outreach that partners out-of-state volunteers with local churches.
"While the North American Mission Board is offering some assistance to help offset the cost of Crossover, there are many events that are either underfunded or unfunded completely, said Mitch McDonald, ASBC church evangelism facilitator.
Prayer guides, offering envelopes, and a list of speakers are being sent to each church. To obtain additional resources or a copy of the Arizona Mission Offering DVD, contact the ASBC office at 480-945-0880 or 800-687-2431.
From the ASBC website, www.azsobaptist.org, you can download the virtual prayerwalk, "Creative Ways to Participate in the Arizona Mission Offering," and clip art.