Having a Missions Mindset

When I first began talking with the Search Committee at our church back in August I asked them early on for a copy of the Church’s Budget.  I was not asking so that I could see what the Pastor was paid, but where you spent your money.  You can know a lot about a church or an individual by looking at their checkbook.  I was pleasantly surprised to see how much was geared towards outreach.  I was especially pleased to see that Second Baptist gave 14% of undesignated receipts to the Cooperative Program.  Obviously this church has a heart for outreach!

I was also interested in learning more about the Kentucky Baptist Convention and its priorities.  Just last week I had the opportunity to attend the KBC Meeting in Florence, Kentucky.  There I learned how the KBC spends its Cooperative Program receipts with 49.8% going to the Southern Baptist Convention’s Missions causes (funding for over 5,000 IMB Missionaries world-wide, 5,500 North American Missionaries, and the support of our six seminaries around the country training tomorrow’s Christian Leaders).  I saw where we had allocated 50.2% to instate missions programs (Sunrise Children’s Services, Baptist Healthcare System, Oneida Baptist Institute, and various missions around the state including new church starts).  When I see numbers and commitment along these lines it excites this preacher!  Even the theme for this year’s meeting was ‘More for Christ – He must increase, I must decrease, John 3:30’

I found the entire meeting from the Pastor’s Conference on Monday to the Convention Meeting on Tuesday to be spirited filled and refreshing to all those who labor for our Lord.  I met a host of Pastors who sincerely have a heart for missions in our Jerusalems, Judeas, Samarias, and the World.  What a blessing it was for all.  I thanked God again for allowing me to be a part of such a group of  laborers for Christ!

Floyd Paris, this year’s President of the KBC, challenged all of us to give three dollars more per week this year than last.  Only three dollars more per person would have a tremendous impact on the amount we have to reach our world.  He shared an experience he had this year with a group of students who went with him to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip.  They were in Mucha Agua and as they were preparing to leave they discovered that the church needed a new roof.  When they inquired as to the cost they discovered it was going to run around $3,000.  The young people told Brother Floyd that they could not leave without doing something to provide a new roof for the church.  He asked what they wanted to do.  To make the story short they collected all the monies their parents had given them to buy souvenirs and gave the money for the roof.  The total they collected?  $3,200!  Brother Floyd then challenged us to give and people began to bring money and deposit it on the altar at the front of the church.  The total given?  $7,430!  You will see pictures of the pile of money in the upcoming Western Recorder Newspaper.  There were few dry eyes in the place as God burdened the hearts of His people to give.  After all, being mission minded is having a heart after God’s own heart!