JEFFERSON CITY – A great opportunity to support missionaries here, and now, in North America begins March 4-11 with the 2018 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO) Week of Prayer. With a little planning and resource support from Missouri WMU, Baptist churches across the state can meet the challenge.
The Missouri Baptist Convention has set our goal this year at $2 million, which will help contribute to the National Offering Goal of $70 million.
Missouri WMU Executive Director/Consultant Laura Wells said some sample resources have already been sent to churches, including an offering envelope, prayer guide and poster. These supplies are free and can be ordered at www.mobaptist.org/annie. Wells can also be contacted at dwells6770@sbcglobal.net or 636-209-0027.
A DVD from the North America Mission Board (NAMB) has also been sent to churches, but if your church has not received it by Feb. 15, contact Wells as quantities are limited.
A successful AAEO campaign often requires a plan of action, so Wells encourages churches to get started now. An abundance of resources are also available at www.anniearmstrong.com, including a list of effective tips from assigning an Offering Coordinator to implementing a special promotion that will create a fun and meaningful event for your church members.
“We should not assume that our congregation is familiar with our annual offerings,” Wells said. “Showing a brief DVD, reading a missionary story or sharing the history of the Offering can all be helpful in raising awareness in our churches.”
Missouri WMU President Cherri Crump said the AAEO was named after the founder and first corresponding secretary of WMU, Annie Walker Armstrong. Established to help fund mission work in North America, the Offering continues today to be a major source of financial assistance to the North American Mission Board.
In addition to AAEO resources, WMU offers relevant mission-related discipleship materials for preschool through adults, which can be previewed at the website www.mobaptist.org/wmu. WMU wants to encourage all believers to learn about missional living, how to apply the power of prayer, to give to missions and to serve.