Missouri Baptists are giving more to missions through the Cooperative Program (CP) so far in 2013, according to just-released figures from the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC).<\/p>\n
In January and February, CP giving from MBC churches totaled $2.527 million, compared with $2.423 million during the same two months in 2012. That\u2019s an increase of more than 4 percent.<\/p>\n
In addition, CP giving in the first two months of the year is running nearly 5 percent ahead of budget.<\/p>\n
Several factors are contributing to the fast start, according to John Yeats, executive director.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe Missouri Baptists have captured a biblical vision of how global missions are advanced through sacrificial giving and the unique and primary Southern Baptist funding plan called the Cooperative Program,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnselfishly, our people and churches are supporting the effort to send more CP dollars outside the state where we can impact the lostness of the world. Our goal is to achieve a 50\/50 share of CP giving between the MBC and the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) by 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n
Currently, more than 60 percent of CP funds stay in Missouri, but CP giving above budget is automatically split 50\/50 between Missouri and the SBC beginning this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cMissouri Baptists are seeing the need to impact the world for Christ, and they are responding with open-handed generosity,\u201d Yeats noted. \u201cWith our 50\/50 emphasis, missions allocations are significantly changing toward greater support of our national and international ministries through the SBC.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yeats added that he believes some Missouri Baptist churches are joining other SBC churches across the country in taking the 1% Challenge, increasing the percentage their churches give through CP by one percent this year. According to a recent study by LifeWay Research, 15 percent of SBC churches have already embraced the 1% Challenge.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis enables our state convention to make a greater impact on lostness in Missouri, touch more families with trained workers, and help our colleges and children\u2019s home fulfill their assignment,\u201d said Yeats.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time, it assists the North American Mission Board with its church planting initiative. It allows the International Mission Board to keep a larger number of missionaries on the field, and it helps our seminaries do an even better job of training the next generation of pastors and church leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Missouri Baptists are giving more to missions through the Cooperative Program (CP) so far in 2013, according to just-released figures from the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). In January and February, CP giving from MBC churches totaled $2.527 million, compared with $2.423 million during the same two months in 2012. That\u2019s an increase of more than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":11768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_selected_social_profile":[]},"categories":[35,5,8,48,17,30],"tags":[197],"yoast_head":"\n