Thanksgiving Offering Appeal 2022

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Thanksgiving-Offering-2020-1024x1024.png

WE NEED TO REACH FOR OUR $50,000.00 THANKSGIVING OFFERING GOAL!

Will you pray about and consider giving your personal offering toward the 2022 THANKSGIVING OFFERING?

There is just no way that we can exaggerate or over-state the importance of our Thanksgiving Offering. The Thanksgiving Offering is indispensable if we are to maintain providing our missionaries with the levels of service and benefits we are giving them now – and we certainly can’t increase the benefits we give them without a very generous Thanksgiving Offering.

All the offerings given to the Thanksgiving Offering go directly toward the support of our missionaries by funding the commitments, benefits, and services we give them over the course of the next year.

Consider these truths:

  • All the commitments, benefits, and services we give our missionaries are funded through offerings and contributions given to the Missionary Support Fund
  • The only contribution streams that supply the Missionary Support Fund are the monthly offerings given to the Missionary Support Fund and the THANKSGIVING OFFERING
  • The monthly Missionary Support Fund contributions do not sustain all the accrued annual disbursements for the commitments, benefits, and services we give our missionaries
  • Therefore, we need and depend upon the THANKSGIVING OFFERINGS to make up for the monthly deficits we will incur in providing the commitments, benefits, and services we give our missionaries over the upcoming year
  • This year’s THANKSGIVING OFFERING will make up for next year’s monthly deficits in Missionary Support Fund contributions and disbursements
  • IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE SUFFICIENT THANKSGIVING OFFERING FUNDS NOW IN ADVANCE OF NEXT YEAR’S DISBURSEMENTS, THEN WE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO REDUCE THE COMMITMENTS, BENEFITS, AND SERVICES WE GIVE TO OUR MISSIONARIES
    • we have no other reserves, subsidies, or endowments to draw from or fall back on
    • we cannot borrow money to operate
  • So, it is essential that we all give as generously as possible so our missionaries’ needs will be supplied
  • Will you give a generous personal THANKSGIVING OFFERING right now?
    • and, at the same time, may we encourage you to commit to making monthly offerings to the Missionary Support Fund!
  • Your missionaries’ needs will be met – and thanksgivings to God will abound and increase and continue!

Giving Options:
You can give your Thanksgiving Offering either through your church’s offering, or by mailing your personal check to our Treasurer, or by giving online through our website www.bfmnow.org ‘Give’ tab and typing in Thanksgiving Offering in the memo field.

Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.


Read more

Thanksgiving Offering Appeal

WE NEED TO REACH FOR OUR $50,000.00 THANKSGIVING OFFERING GOAL!

Have you given your personal offering toward the 2020 THANKSGIVING OFFERING?

There is just no way that we can exaggerate or over-state the importance of our Thanksgiving Offering. The Thanksgiving Offering is indispensable if we are to maintain providing our missionaries with the levels of service and benefits we are giving them now – and we certainly can’t increase the benefits we give them without a very generous Thanksgiving Offering.

All the offerings given to the Thanksgiving Offering go directly toward the support of our missionaries by funding the commitments, benefits, and services we give them over the course of the next year.

Consider these truths:

  • All the commitments, benefits, and services we give our missionaries are funded through offerings and contributions given to the Missionary Support Fund
  • The only contribution streams that supply the Missionary Support Fund are the monthly offerings given to the Missionary Support Fund and the THANKSGIVING OFFERING
  • The monthly Missionary Support Fund contributions do not sustain all the accrued annual disbursements for the commitments, benefits, and services we give our missionaries
  • Therefore, we need and depend upon the THANKSGIVING OFFERINGS to make up for the monthly deficits we will incur in providing the commitments, benefits, and services we give our missionaries over the upcoming year
  • This year’s THANKSGIVING OFFERING will make up for next year’s monthly deficits in Missionary Support Fund contributions and disbursements
  • IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE SUFFICIENT THANKSGIVING OFFERING FUNDS NOW IN ADVANCE OF NEXT YEAR’S DISBURSEMENTS, THEN WE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO REDUCE THE COMMITMENTS, BENEFITS, AND SERVICES WE GIVE TO OUR MISSIONARIES
    • we have no other reserves, subsidies, or endowments to draw from or fall back on
    • we cannot borrow money to operate
  • So, it is essential that we all give as generously as possible so our missionaries’ needs will be supplied
  • Will you give a generous personal THANKSGIVING OFFERING right now?
    • and, at the same time, may we encourage you to commit to making monthly offerings to the Missionary Support Fund!
  • Your missionaries’ needs will be met – and thanksgivings to God will abound and increase and continue!

Giving Options:
You can give your Thanksgiving Offering either through your church’s offering, or by mailing your personal check to our Treasurer, or by giving online through our website www.bfmnow.org ‘Give’ tab and typing in Thanksgiving Offering in the memo field.

Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.


Read more

Thanksgiving Offering Update & Appeal

As of 11/22, our THANKSGIVING OFFERINGS total received was: $15,059.08

The total reflected in the Monthly Contribution Report printed in the next issue of our newsletter may be more … in fact, we are praying it will be exceedingly richly more!  – but, we are preparing this update for publication before the close of the month…

WE NEED TO REACH FOR OUR $50,000.00 THANKSGIVING OFFERING GOAL!
(…please read below…)

Have you given your personal offering toward the 2019 THANKSGIVING OFFERING?

All the offerings given to the Thanksgiving Offering go directly toward the support of our missionaries by funding the commitments, benefits, and services we give them over the course of the next year.

Consider these truths:

  • All the commitments, benefits, and services we give our missionaries are funded through offerings and contributions given to the Missionary Support Fund
  • The only contribution streams that supply the Missionary Support Fund are the monthly offerings given to the Missionary Support Fund and the THANKSGIVING OFFERING
  • The monthly Missionary Support Fund contributions do not sustain all the accrued annual disbursements for the commitments, benefits, and services we give our missionaries
  • Therefore, we need and depend upon the THANKSGIVING OFFERINGS to make up for the monthly deficits we will incur in providing the commitments, benefits, and services we give our missionaries over the upcoming year
  • This year’s THANKSGIVING OFFERING will supply next year’s monthly deficits in Missionary Support Fund contributions and disbursements
  • IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE SUFFICIENT THANKSGIVING OFFERING FUNDS NOW IN ADVANCE OF NEXT YEAR’S DISBURSEMENTS, THEN WE WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO REDUCE THE COMMITMENTS, BENEFITS, AND SERVICES WE GIVE TO OUR MISSIONARIES
    • we have no other reserves, subsidies, or endowments to draw from or fall back on
    • we cannot borrow money to operate
  • So, it is essential that we all give as generously as possible so our missionaries’ needs will be supplied
  • Will you give a generous personal THANKSGIVING OFFERING right now?
    • and, at the same time, may we encourage you to commit to making monthly offerings to the Missionary Support Fund!
  • Your missionaries’ needs will be met – and thanksgivings to God will abound and increase and continue!

Giving Options:
You can give your Thanksgiving Offering either through your church’s offering, or by mailing your personal check to our Treasurer, or by giving online through our website www.baptistfaithmissions.org ‘Donate/Support’ tab and typing in Thanksgiving Offering in the memo field.

Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.


Read more

Thanksgiving Offering FAQ

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. “WHY DO WE HAVE A THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”

We have a Thanksgiving Offering because WE NEED IT for the coming year to supply the financial commitments we have made to our missionaries for the services and benefits we provide from the General Fund.

2. “WHY IS THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING SO IMPORTANT?”

The Thanksgiving Offering is ESSENTIAL because it is the only source of funds for supplying our missionaries’ needs during the coming year. All of the commitments we make to our missionaries are supplied from the General Fund – and the Thanksgiving Offering funds are the only available resources to provide many of those benefits.

3. “WHAT SERVICES AND BENEFITS DOES THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING PROVIDE?”

The Thanksgiving Offering enables us to provide the services and benefits we have committed to our missionaries “as the Lord provides.” These benefits include:

  • reimbursements for missionaries’ Furlough (Home Assignment) airfare/transportation expenses to and from the field
  • reimbursements for their hospitalization personal deductibles for the year (their personal deductible is $1000 and we reimburse them $600 of that amount)
  • children’s school/education expenses (if funds are available)
  • expenses for mailing BFM News & Reports (missionaries’ monthly letters, reports, updates — and detailed report of all offerings given through BFM that month)
  • expenses for maintaining Stateside office for communication and daily services – there are a lot of activities that go on Stateside to keep our missionaries functioning on their fields of service

4. “HOW ELSE IS THE GENERAL FUND SUPPLIED?”

The standard supply for the General Fund is from monthly offerings which are given to the General Fund. These offerings are listed monthly in BFM News & Reports under “General Fund”. These monthly General Fund offerings are used to supply the “Essential Maintenance Transactions” [EMT] which we have committed to the missionaries for their standard essential monthly expenses. These include:

  • their monthly salary
  • their monthly standard housing allowance
  • their monthly standard ministry allowance
  • their monthly hospitalization premium
  • expenses for printing BFM News & Reports – their monthly newsletters, reports, and updates

Note: these monthly “Essential Maintenance Transactions” are not supplied from Thanksgiving Offering funds – but from the monthly offerings given to the General Fund.

Note 2: For detailed explanations of how our missionaries’ ministries are funded, please access our two brochures “Baptist Faith Missions” and “Caring for those who care for the world” on our website (baptistfaithmissions.org), click on FaithWorks Blog and open the thumbnail brochure icons on the right margin.

5. “WHY IS THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING GIVEN AT THE THANKSGIVING SEASON?”

  • The BFM Thanksgiving Offering began many years ago in conjunction with the annual Thanksgiving Missionary Conference in the Detroit-area and has continued that way to this day.
  • Also, the Thanksgiving season is good reminder of the thanks we owe God for His Indescribable Gift in Jesus Christ – and our Thanksgiving Offering is a good way to express that thanks.
  • And, the Thanksgiving season and Offering is a good occasion for us to give missionary offerings so others, also, may hear the blessed Good News of salvation through Christ…and, in this way, MULTIPLY STILL MORE THANKSGIVINGS TO GOD.

6. “HOW CAN I GIVE MY THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”

If your church receives a Thanksgiving Offering for the missionaries supported through BFM, then we encourage you to give your offering through your church. Most of the Thanksgiving Offerings which are given by churches are made up by the voluntary offerings of individual members who give to the Offering. Pastors, we encourage you to give your church the opportunity to contribute to our BFM Thanksgiving Offering.

7. “WHAT IF MY CHURCH DOES NOT RECEIVE A BFM THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”

If your church does not participate in the Thanksgiving Offering, you may send your personal gift to the Treasurer of BFM and designate it “Thanksgiving Offering.” (Baptist Faith Missions / Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer / P.O. Box 471280 / Lake Monroe FL 32747-1280)

You can also give online at baptistfaithmissions.org and click on ‘Donate/Support’ and designate for ‘Thanksgiving Offering.’

8. “CAN I GIVE MY THANKSGIVING OFFERING ONLY AT THANKSGIVING…OR DURING NOVEMBER?”

No. Most churches and individual Friends of BFM give on or around Thanksgiving Sunday (either the Sunday before or after Thanksgiving Day). However, offerings continue to come in to the Treasurer during the month of December, and sometimes on into the next year. You can give your Thanksgiving Offering any time. But, all offerings designated “Thanksgiving Offering” go toward the same collective Offering for that year.

9. “HOW IS THE “EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND” PERSONAL GIVING MINISTRY PERTINENT TO THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”

We introduced the “EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND” ministry and plan during the 2003 Thanksgiving Conference. “Every Friend a Giving Friend” encourages each of our missionaries’ friends to personally participate in regular giving to the General Fund. This plan is nothing new or unique; it is just another way to express and articulate what the Friends of BFM have been doing since the inception of the Mission.

It is also patterned after the instructions Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9: that is,

  1. to purpose in your heart to give an offering (9:7)
  2. to give as generous an offering as God enables you (8:1-3 & 9:6)
  3. to ask God – and trust Him – to supply you with the funds you will need to give the offering (9:8)
  4. to plan and begin preparing even a year ahead of time (as Paul instructed the Corinthians and the other churches to do) (8:10-11 & 9:2)
  5. to give your offerings to the Lord and to the Lord’s missionaries willingly and cheerfully (9:7)
  6. to express your love and obedience to the Lord (8:8 & 9:13)
  7. to give as your response to Jesus Christ’s grace and gift of Himself to you (8:9 & 9:15)

We encourage every Friend of BFM to be a Giving Friend and give a personal
Thanksgiving Offering to help supply our missionaries’ needs which are met through the General Fund.

“EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND” also challenges each Friend of BFM to personally participate in missions by giving monthly offerings over and above the regular tithes and offerings you give to your church to meet the needs of your local church’s ministries. We encourage each Giving Friend to make a personal commitment to either begin giving or increase your giving each month to the General Fund.

10. “WHY DO YOU SET GOALS FOR THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”

We set goals because the goal amount is keyed to the projected needs we expect to meet for the coming year of missionary ministry. And, when we increase the commitments, services, and benefits we need to give our missionaries so they can fulfill their ministries, our needs for the necessary funds increase also. And, please remember with us that we cannot approve and commit to increasing the modest support we give our missionaries unless we believe the Lord will supply those funds through your giving.

OUR 2016 THANKSGIVING OFFERING GOAL IS $55,000.00.

Would you please pray and ask the Lord of the Harvest what he would have you give to this year’s Thanksgiving Offering? And then ask Him also to supply you with that gift from his inexhaustible resources of Grace?

Thank You, GIVING FRIENDS!

—–
Giving Options:
You can give your Thanksgiving Offering either through your church’s offering, or by mailing your personal check to our Treasurer, or by giving online through our website www.baptistfaithmissions.orgDonate/Support’ tab and typing in Thanksgiving Offering in the memo field.

Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation.


Read more

2015-16 Thanksgiving Offering Goal: $55,000

ThanksgivingOfferingIf you missed our previously published
2015 Thanksgiving Offering FAQ,
you can find it here.

Have you given your Thanksgiving Offering yet to help us reach our goal of $55,000.00?  We are well aware that our Thanksgiving Offering reminders and appeals have been interrupted and delayed this year especially with the glitches we have experienced with the mailings of the Mission Sheets (see our other post: “WHERE ARE OUR MISSION SHEETS?”)

But, our missionaries are in serious need of our giving at least our $55,000.00 goal.

We use the Thanksgiving Offering funds throughout the coming year to provide the services and benefits our missionaries depend on to provide for the commitments we have made to them “as the Lord provides.”  The Lord does provide – but He provides through the gracious and generous giving of our missionaries’ Giving Friends.

If your church participates in our Thanksgiving Offering, then personally contribute there.  If your church does not give you that opportunity, we encourage you to contribute as generously as God enables you and either give online here or by mailing your check to our Treasurer: Baptist Faith Missions  |  Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer  |  P.O. Box 471280  |  Lake Monroe FL 32747-1280


Read more

2015 Thanksgiving Offering FAQ

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. “WHY DO WE HAVE A THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”

We have a Thanksgiving Offering because WE NEED IT for the coming year to supply the financial commitments we have made to our missionaries for the services and benefits we provide from the General Fund.

2. “WHY IS THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING SO IMPORTANT?”

The Thanksgiving Offering is ESSENTIAL because it is the only source of funds for supplying our missionaries’ needs during the coming year.  All of the commitments we make to our missionaries are supplied from the General Fund – and the Thanksgiving Offering funds are the only available resources to provide many of those benefits.

3. “WHAT SERVICES AND BENEFITS DOES THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING PROVIDE?”

The Thanksgiving Offering enables us to provide the services and benefits we have committed to our missionaries “as the Lord provides.”  These benefits include:

  • reimbursements for missionaries’ Furlough (Home Assignment) airfare/transportation expenses to and from the field
  • reimbursements for their hospitalization personal deductibles for the year (their personal deductible is $1000 and we reimburse them $600 of that amount)
  • children’s school/education expenses (if funds are available)
  • expenses for mailing The Mission Sheets (missionaries’ monthly letters, reports, updates —  and detailed report of all offerings given through BFM that month)
  • expenses for maintaining Stateside office for communication and daily services – there are a lot of activities that go on Stateside to keep our missionaries functioning on their fields of service
  • providing and maintaining a Furlough Home in Lexington for those missionaries who choose to use it

4. “HOW ELSE IS THE GENERAL FUND SUPPLIED?”

The standard supply for the General Fund is from monthly offerings which are given to the General Fund.  These offerings are listed monthly in the Mission Sheets under “General Fund”.  These monthly General Fund offerings are used to supply the “Essential Maintenance Transactions” [EMT] which we have committed to the missionaries for their standard essential monthly expenses.  These include:

  • their monthly salary
  • their monthly standard housing allowance
  • their monthly standard ministry allowance
  • their monthly hospitalization premium
  • expenses for printing The Mission Sheets – their monthly newsletters, reports, and updates

Note: these monthly “Essential Maintenance Transactions” are not supplied from Thanksgiving Offering funds – but from the monthly offerings given to the General Fund.

Note 2: For detailed explanations of how our missionaries’ ministries are funded, please access our two brochures “Baptist Faith Missions” and “Caring for those who care for the world” on our website (baptistfaithmissions.org), click on FaithWorks Blog and open the thumbnail brochure icons on the right margin.

5. “WHY IS THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING GIVEN AT THE THANKSGIVING SEASON?”

  • The BFM Thanksgiving Offering began many years ago in conjunction with the annual Thanksgiving Missionary Conference in the Detroit-area and has continued that way to this day.
  • Also, the Thanksgiving season is good reminder of the thanks we owe God for His Indescribable Gift in Jesus Christ – and our Thanksgiving Offering is a good way to express that thanks.
  • And, the Thanksgiving season and Offering is a good occasion for us to give missionary offerings so others, also, may hear the blessed Good News of salvation through Christ…and, in this way, MULTIPLY STILL MORE THANKSGIVINGS TO GOD.

6. “HOW CAN I GIVE MY THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”

If your church receives a Thanksgiving Offering for the missionaries supported through BFM, then we encourage you to give your offering through your church.  Most of the Thanksgiving Offerings which are given by churches are made up by the voluntary offerings of individual members who give to the Offering.  Pastors, we encourage you to give your church the opportunity to contribute to our BFM Thanksgiving Offering.

7. “WHAT IF MY CHURCH DOES NOT RECEIVE A BFM THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”

If your church does not participate in the Thanksgiving Offering, you may send your personal gift to the Treasurer of BFM and designate it “Thanksgiving Offering.”  (Baptist Faith Missions / Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer / P.O. Box 471280 / Lake Monroe FL 32747-1280)

You can also give online at baptistfaithmissions.org and click on ‘Donate/Support’ and designate for ‘Thanksgiving Offering.’

8. “CAN I GIVE MY THANKSGIVING OFFERING ONLY AT THANKSGIVING…OR DURING NOVEMBER?”

No. Most churches and individual Friends of BFM give on or around Thanksgiving Sunday (either the Sunday before or after Thanksgiving Day). However, offerings continue to come in to the Treasurer during the month of December, and sometimes on into the next year. You can give your Thanksgiving Offering any time.  But, all offerings designated “Thanksgiving Offering” go toward the same collective Offering for that year.

9. “HOW IS THE “EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND” PERSONAL GIVING MINISTRY PERTINENT TO THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”

We introduced the “EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND” ministry and plan during the 2003 Thanksgiving Conference. “Every Friend a Giving Friend” encourages each of our missionaries’ friends to personally participate in regular giving to the General Fund. This plan is nothing new or unique; it is just another way to express and articulate what the Friends of BFM have been doing since the inception of the Mission.

It is also patterned after the instructions Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9: that is,

  1. to purpose in your heart to give an offering (9:7)
  2. to give as generous an offering as God enables you (8:1-3 & 9:6)
  3. to ask God – and trust Him – to supply you with the funds you will need to give the offering (9:8)
  4. to plan and begin preparing even a year ahead of time (as Paul instructed the Corinthians and the other churches to do) (8:10-11 & 9:2)
  5. to give your offerings to the Lord and to the Lord’s missionaries willingly and cheerfully (9:7)
  6. to express your love and obedience to the Lord (8:8 & 9:13)
  7. to give as your response to Jesus Christ’s grace and gift of Himself to you (8:9 & 9:15)

We encourage every Friend of BFM to be a Giving Friend and give a personal
Thanksgiving Offering to help supply our missionaries’ needs which are met through the General Fund.

“EVERY FRIEND A GIVING FRIEND” also challenges each Friend of BFM to personally participate in missions by giving monthly offerings over and above the regular tithes and offerings you give to your church to meet the needs of your local church’s ministries. We encourage each Giving Friend to make a personal commitment to either begin giving or increase your giving each month to the General Fund.

10. “WHY DO YOU SET GOALS FOR THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING?”

We set goals because the goal amount is keyed to the projected needs we expect to meet for the coming year of missionary ministry. And, when we increase the commitments, services, and benefits we need to give our missionaries so they can fulfill their ministries, our needs for the necessary funds increase also. And, please remember with us that we cannot approve and commit to increasing the modest support we give our missionaries unless we believe the Lord will supply those funds through your giving.

OUR 2015 THANKSGIVING OFFERING GOAL IS $55,000.00.

Would you please pray and ask the Lord of the Harvest what he would have you give to this year’s Thanksgiving Offering?  And then ask Him also to supply you with that gift from his inexhaustible resources of Grace?

Thank You, GIVING FRIENDS!

—–
Giving Options:
You can give your Thanksgiving Offering either through your church’s offering, or by mailing your personal check to our Treasurer, or by giving online through our website www.baptistfaithmissions.org ‘Donate/Support’ tab and typing in Thanksgiving Offering in the memo field.

Click here to make a one-time donation.
Click here to set up a recurring donation. 

 


Read more

FaithWORKS Report [October 2014]

PRAY AND PRAISE in this issue…

  • JOHN AND ALTA HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for allowing Bro. Hatcher to complete an English translation of his book on the Holy Spirit! PRAISE GOD for blessing Sis. Alta with another birthday and good health! PRAY that God would continue to give them opportunities to share the Gospel.
  • JOHN MARK AND JUDY HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for a time of fellowship and making meaningful contact with new people! PRAY as they begin teaching English to children and continue meeting with teens and adults for “English Night”. PRAISE GOD for evidences of grace in the Mazère Bible Study!
  • JUDSON AND RAQUEL HATCHER—PRAISE GOD for blessing their evangelistic cookouts and changing people’s hearts and PRAY He will continue to do so! PRAISE GOD for their monthly pastor’s meeting and for the pastoral mentoring that is taking place. PRAY for Jud as he has been facing some health issues.
  • PAUL AND WANDA HATCHERPRAISE GOD for allowing Paul to travel to Manaus to speak and encourage the church, plan with church leadership, and catch up with family! PRAY for the works in Brazil to thrive. PRAISE GOD for a blessed time at Tabernacle in Mims, Florida! 
  • NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORD—PRAY for them as the holiday season nears and homesickness intensifies. PRAY for them as they train qualified men to start churches. PRAY the light of the Word of God would shine in the prison ministry and many would be saved. PRAISE GOD for Carrie being such a faithful wife, mother, and encourager!
  • SHERIDAN AND ANITA STANTON—PRAISE GOD for a successful building dedication! PRAY for wisdom as the church calls a Pastor. PRAY for Andrew! PRAY as they make preparations to return to the States in November, especially that the Lord will continue to give peace and encouragement.
  • ROGER AND JULIE TATE—PRAISE GOD for electricity and sunshine! PRAY for the new class of church planters that has started at the training center, that those who remain will learn and grow and be committed to wholeheartedly serving the Lord.
  • BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASER—PRAISE GOD for prospering the trip of young evangelist Alysson to the border of Brazil & French Guyana. PRAY for the leader of Projeto Vida, Paulo Novaes, as he faces new health issues. PRAY for his co-pastor’s family after the death of his aunt. PRAISE GOD for blessing their church with new growth!

Thanksgiving Conference 2014


ThanksgivingOfferingPlease be planning to give a generous Thanksgiving Offering to help us supply our missionaries’ needs.  We must have a generous Thanksgiving Offering to finance the commitments and benefits we give our missionaries over the coming year.

Ask the Lord how generously He wants you to give.  And, ask Him also to supply for you the offering He wants you to give.

2 Corinthians 9.8
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you;
that you, always having all sufficiency in all things,
may have an abundance for every good work.

When Paul was on his way to visit the saints at Rome, he asked them to be prepared to help him financially so he could continue taking the Gospel on his journeys beyond them.

Romans 15.24
‘Whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you.
For I hope to see you on my journey,
and to be helped on my way there by you,
if first I may enjoy your company for a while.”

In other words, “When I come to Rome, please help me with your offerings to continue my missionary ministry on beyond you!”

We are pleading with you on behalf of our missionaries to please help them continue their missionary ministries on through 2015 with the Thanksgiving Offerings you will give during this giving season.  Will you help us help them on their way?


2015 THANKSGIVING OFFERING

Philippians 4.19
And my God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

By the time you read this, we will be in immediate need of your most generous Thanksgiving Offering…AT THIS MOMENT!

Because, at the moment of this writing [17 October], we have maybe just enough funds left over from last year’s Thanksgiving Offering to carry us into mid-November.  Then, we will be out of funds of any kind to carry us through December 2014 and on through 2015.

We will necessarily begin using Thanksgiving Offerings now during October and November to finance our missionaries’ support services. Ordinarily, we don’t begin using Thanksgiving Offerings received at the end of the year until the first of the following year.

Matthew 6.8
…for your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

So, let me appeal to you on behalf of our missionaries – with all the wisdom and passion God will grant me – to respond to their needs with as generous a Thanksgiving Offering as God will enable you to give.

2 Corinthians 9.8
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you;

that you, always having all sufficiency in all things,
may have an abundance for every good work…

Last year’s total Thanksgiving Offering was $49,058.41.  It was given over six months, but I assure you, that’s OK!  Your Thanksgiving Offering doesn’t have to be given during November!  In fact, it will remain open for as long as you need it to be open!

THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING SUPPLIES OUR MISSIONARIES’ NEEDS THAT ARE NOT SUPPLIED FROM YOUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS. 

Monthly General Fund Offerings
I know we have produced an attractive and informative brochure to explain how our Monthly General Fund Offering works.  It is entitled “Caring for those who care for the world” and is available in PDF form on our website and also by requesting paper copies from the Executive Secretary.  But, please allow me here to reiterate how we use your Monthly General Fund Offerings.  The Essential Maintenance Transactions [EMT] that provide for their most basic living and ministry expenses are supplied from your Monthly General Fund Offerings.  They include salary, housing and ministry expense allowances, hospitalization premiums, and Mission Sheets printing and distribution.

These total EMT disbursements add up to $43,300.54 every month.  Only one month last year [January] was the Monthly General Fund Offering sufficient to cover these disbursements.  We supplied the following monthly deficits from February-March from the surplus received in January.

Extraordinary Estate Gift
Then, in April, we supplied the deficit in the Monthly General Fund from the remaining portion of the extraordinary estate gift Ernest and Helen Palmer had left BFM in 2013.

Founders Day Offerings
By that time, you were giving your Founders Day Offerings from June through September.  The special contributions you made to the Founders Day Offering [in addition to your faithful regular giving to the Monthly General Fund] supplied our missionaries’ Essential Maintenance Transactions over the next four months.

I repeat, all of these every-month basic living and ministry expenses are not provided for from the Thanksgiving Offering; they are supplied from the Monthly General Fund Offerings.

And, in the event that the Monthly General Fund Offerings don’t cover those Essential Maintenance Transactions – and we don’t have other designated funds to use – then we must reduce those standard commitments we have made to the missionaries that month by the amount of the shortage of funds.  It appears we will be faced with that undesirable necessity this month of November 2014.   

BUT – THESE DISBURSEMENTS ARE NOT SUPPLIED FROM YOUR THANKSGIVING OFFERINGS.  Let’s get back to the Thanksgiving Offering now.  The Thanksgiving Offering supplies all the commitments and benefits we provide to our missionaries throughout the year in addition to the Essential Maintenance Transactions we have noted above.

Those benefits include:

  • furlough transportation expenses,
  • children’s education allowances,
  • hospitalization deductible reimbursements,
  • postage to mail the Mission Sheets,
  • maintaining the Missionary Furlough Home in Lexington KY,
  • and all the professional services and supplies that are required to maintain all the activities that go on here in the States to keep their ministries going.

And, let me note here that in 2014, [1] we didn’t have the funds to disburse the Children’s Education Allowance benefit, and [2] we had missionaries who didn’t request reimbursement for their furlough transportation back to the States because they knew we didn’t have the funds.

AND SO – WE NEED THE THANKSGIVING OFFERING TO SUPPLY ALL THE OTHER COMMITMENTS, BENEFITS, AND SERVICES THAT ARE NOT SUPPLIED BY OUR MONTHLY GENERAL FUND OFFERINGS.   I repeat, last year’s $49,058.41 did not supply all the benefits we would have given during the year if we had received a larger Thanksgiving Offering – and what we did receive is now exhausted before the end of the year.

Like Paul in 2 Corinthians 9, we are praying to God supply our needs with the means to give a generous offering – and also that He will plant and infuse the Grace into our hearts to give us the purpose, the willingness, and the joy to sow and reap bountifully [verses 6-8].

That is, after all, the way God Himself gives – and the way Christ gave Himself.

2 Corinthians 9.15
Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift.


KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS

KrogerPromote

All of you do not have Kroger stores in your locality – so this won’t apply to every reader.  And if you do, not all of you shop at Kroger.  But, if you do, you most likely have a Kroger Plus card to scan when you make your purchases to take advantage of in-store discounts and fuel discount points.

Some of you have also been participating in the Kroger reloadable gift card program.  By depositing your money on the reloadable card and using the card to make your purchases, BFM received a ‘commission’ from those purchases.

Kroger has discontinued the use of the reloadable gift card.  However, they have now made it easier to continue the benefit to your favorite Non-Profit Organization [BFM].  No extra steps.  Simply register your Kroger Plus card online and choose BFM as your Non-Profit Organization.  Then, use your Kroger Plus card as you always do and Kroger will direct the benefits to BFM.

We have posted all the instructions you need here. If you’re going to shop at Kroger anyway – and still get all the present benefits of using your Kroger Plus card – then we encourage you to add BFM as a beneficiary also.

(You can also download a printable Word document of the instructions with pictures here. Or a PDF here.)


BFM BROCHURESbrochure (2)

We now have TWO very attractive and informative professionally-produced brochures.  We want you to help us get these promotional messages into the hands of anyone and everyone who is interested in the mission work the Lord is accomplishing through the missionaries who are supported by your offerings through BFM.

(1) The first of these brochures is one that will introduce you to BFM and inform you about the basic principles by which BFM functions. (click here to view)

GF Brochure(2) The second brochure is just now ‘hot off the press.’  This one is entitled “Caring for those who care for the world,” and is designed to inform and explain just how essential the monthly General Fund is to the daily living and ministry needs of our missionaries. (click here to view)

Both of them are full-color, either 6 or 8 pages 8 ½ x 11 format, pictorial, and informative.  Will you please help us distribute these brochures as widely as you can?

If you will send your name and mailing address to:
Dave Parks, 3985 Boston Road, Lexington KY 40514
email: daveparks[at]twc.com | phone: 859.223.8374 –
and tell us how many sets of these brochures you want – we will get them back to you by return shipping.

For now, you can access an electronic flip-through version of the new brochure by going to our website and clicking on the brochure cover.

Again, please serve as ambassadors for your missionaries by helping us get either single-copy sets to interested persons or bundles to distribute in our churches.  The brochures will ‘speak for themselves’ – for our missionaries.


MISSIONARIES ON FURLOUGH

Please note the new address and phone numbers for John and Alta Hatcher and Paul and Wanda Hatcher. Their address is:  15905 Mercott Court, Clermont FL 34714.  Their home telephone number is: 229-529-8497.  John & Alta’s email address is: jhatcher[at]uol.com.br.

Paul and Wanda’s cell number is: 239-227-6551 and their email address is: rphatcher[at]gmail.com.

We encourage you to pray for them and correspond with them.


2 Corinthians 9:8



Read more

FaithWORKS Report [September 2014]

PRAY AND PRAISE in this issue…

  • MIKE AND BEV CREIGLOWPRAISE GOD for a time of fellowship, especially with Henry. PRAY for the people being saved in Bolivia in spite of persecution. PRAISE GOD for full Sunday evening services at First Baptist and in the chapels. PRAY for Idevaldo and his wife, the newest missionaries who will be sent to the field later this year.
  • JOHN AND ALTA HATCHERPRAISE GOD for His glorious Gospel He has given us the privilege of sharing with others. PRAY that you will be a faithful witness.
  • JOHN MARK AND JUDY HATCHERPRAISE GOD for the birth of grandchild #10! PRAY for committed first-generation leaders. PRAISE GOD for Philip and Amanda serving in France with them.
  • PAUL AND WANDA HATCHERPRAISE GOD for always providing. PRAISE GOD for working in the life of Francisco Santiago and for the 66th anniversary of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Manaus! Through this ministry, your giving and prayers, children, grandchildren, great children, and even great-great grandchildren churches have spread in more than half of the state of Brazil. PRAY as His work continues to spread.
  • AJ AND BARBARA HENSLEYPRAISE GOD for open doors to share the Gospel at a large new school! PRAISE GOD and PRAY for 52 young prisoners who put their faith & trust in Christ! PRAY that the Lord would open legal doors for vocational classes at the prison. PRAY for their upcoming “Mission Awareness” month. PRAY that the Lord would provide the finances for their blown motor.
  • NATHAN AND CARRIE RADFORDPRAISE GOD for Carrie’s permit for the hospital ministry being renewed! PRAISE GOD for answering prayers for safety. PRAY that the Lord will provide other children in Kitale who are their girls’ ages. PRAISE GOD for their new four-legged family member!
    ROGER AND JULIE TATEPRAISE GOD for a sweet time of worship in a tiny village at night. PRAY for the witch doctor’s village and for the Pokot Christians to be burdened to share the Gospel with their own people. PRAISE GOD for light in the darkness and PRAY that His Gospel will penetrate resistant hearts.
  • BOBBY AND CHARLENE WACASERPRAISE GOD for His protection during an armed robbery. PRAY for the safety of new missionary Alysson, a new missionary they just sent out to the Tupi Indians, and that the Gospel would go forth with great success! PRAISE GOD for growing their church and for the volunteers who are helping work on the building.

Thanksgiving Conference 2014CHANGED DATES FOR THANKSGIVING CONFERENCE

The New Hope Missionary Baptist Church will be hosting the Thanksgiving Conference again this November – but it will not be during Thanksgiving week this year.  The new dates will be Monday-Wednesday – November 10, 11, 12.  Please note and mark these new dates – plan to attend. [You can view the full schedule here.]


ThanksgivingOfferingPlease be planning to give a generous Thanksgiving Offering to help us supply our missionaries’ needs.  We must have a generous Thanksgiving Offering to finance the commitments and benefits we give our missionaries over the coming year.

Ask the Lord how generously He wants you to give.  And, ask Him also to supply for you the offering He wants you to give.

2 Corinthians 9.8
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you;
that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things,
may abound to every good work.

When Paul was on his way to visit the saints at Rome, he asked them to be prepared to help him financially so he could continue taking the Gospel on his journeys beyond them.

Romans 15.24
‘Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you:
for I trust to see you in my journey,
and to be brought on my way thitherward by you,
if first I be somewhat filled with your company.”

In other words, “When I come to Rome, please help me with your offerings to continue my missionary ministry on beyond you!”

We are pleading with you on behalf of our missionaries to please help them continue their missionary ministries on through 2015 with the Thanksgiving Offerings you will give during this giving season.  Will you help us help them on their way?


KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS

KrogerPromote

All of you do not have Kroger stores in your locality – so this won’t apply to every reader.  And if you do, not all of you shop at Kroger.  But, if you do, you most likely have a Kroger Plus card to scan when you make your purchases to take advantage of in-store discounts and fuel discount points.

Some of you have also been participating in the Kroger reloadable gift card program.  By depositing your money on the reloadable card and using the card to make your purchases, BFM received a ‘commission’ from those purchases.

Kroger has discontinued the use of the reloadable gift card.  However, they have now made it easier to continue the benefit to your favorite Non-Profit Organization [BFM].  No extra steps.  Simply register your Kroger Plus card online and choose BFM as your Non-Profit Organization.  Then, use your Kroger Plus card as you always do and Kroger will direct the benefits to BFM.

We have posted all the instructions you need here. If you’re going to shop at Kroger anyway – and still get all the present benefits of using your Kroger Plus card – then we encourage you to add BFM as a beneficiary also.

(You can also download a printable Word document of the instructions with pictures here. Or a PDF here.)


BFM BROCHURESbrochure (2)

We now have TWO very attractive and informative professionally-produced brochures.  We want you to help us get these promotional messages into the hands of anyone and everyone who is interested in the mission work the Lord is accomplishing through the missionaries who are supported by your offerings through BFM.

(1) The first of these brochures is one that will introduce you to BFM and inform you about the basic principles by which BFM functions. (click here to view)

GF Brochure(2) The second brochure is just now ‘hot off the press.’  This one is entitled “Caring for those who care for the world,” and is designed to inform and explain just how essential the monthly General Fund is to the daily living and ministry needs of our missionaries. (click here to view)

Both of them are full-color, either 6 or 8 pages 8 ½ x 11 format, pictorial, and informative.  Will you please help us distribute these brochures as widely as you can?

If you will send your name and mailing address to:
Dave Parks, 3985 Boston Road, Lexington KY 40514
email: daveparks[at]twc.com | phone: 859.223.8374 –
and tell us how many sets of these brochures you want – we will get them back to you by return shipping.

For now, you can access an electronic flip-through version of the new brochure by going to our website and clicking on the brochure cover.

Again, please serve as ambassadors for your missionaries by helping us get either single-copy sets to interested persons or bundles to distribute in our churches.  The brochures will ‘speak for themselves’ – for our missionaries.


MISSIONARIES ON FURLOUGH

Please note the new address and phone numbers for John and Alta Hatcher and Paul and Wanda Hatcher.  Their address is:  15905 Mercott Court, Clermont FL 34714.  Their home telephone number is: 229-529-8497.  John & Alta’s email address is: jhatcher[at]uol.com.br.

Paul and Wanda’s cell number is: 239-227-6551 and their email address is: rphatcher[at]gmail.com.

We encourage you to pray for them and correspond with them.


2 Corinthians 9:8



Read more
^