Catch-Up Sunday catching on in Missouri
By Bob Baysinger
Managing Editor
September 9, 2003
JEFFERSON CITY – Catch-Up Sunday is beginning to catch on with Missouri Baptist churches.
Catch-Up is a Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC)-sponsored program designed to help churches catch-up on budget needs. The plan involves churches establishing attendance and offering goals
According to Spencer Hutson, MBC Biblical stewardship specialist, Coventry Estates Baptist Church, Independence, recently had its "Catch-Up" Sunday with an offering of $15,000.
"Because of terrible weather lat winter and other weather setbacks, we wanted to create a tool that churches can use to catch up on budget giving," Hutson said. "It’s not for every church, but there were a number of churches that had services interrupted by tornadoes and snowy weather."
Statewide, Missouri Baptist’s cooperative giving declined slightly in August.
Cooperative Program receipts for the month, according to Jay Hughes, Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) controller, totaled $1,139,344. The figure represented a dip from the $1,386,661 given during August, 2002.
August, 2003 had five Sundays, but receipts from the fifth Sunday were not recorded until September because the last Sunday was the last day of the month.
Mike Dennis, MBC Cooperative Program specialists, said the 2003 CP cumulative total of $10,547,362 continues to lag behind the 2002 cumulative figure. Missouri Baptists gave $10,XXX,XXX during the first eight months of 2002.
"We are still encouraged with the support of our churches during difficult times," Dennis said. "Many of our churches are feeling the effects of a dry summer, yet they have been faithful in their mission giving."