Rejoicing in Our Present: BBC Mission Offerings
you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth
Acts 1:8b
This week, you will receive a letter in the mail about the One Great Hour of Sharing offering that we will be receiving throughout the month of July. We thought we would take the opportunity this week to share more about the four special offerings that we receive each year as part of the mission of Brewster Baptist Church.
Brewster Baptist Church is a member of ABCUSA (American Baptist Churches of the USA). The ABCUSA Focus Statement is:
American Baptist Churches are missional congregations that nurture devoted disciples of Jesus Christ who live their lives in mission and ministry for the healing of the world through the love of God.
One of the ways that we help to fulfill this mission is through contributing to four special offerings: The America For Christ Offering, One Great Hour of Sharing, The World Mission Offering and the Retired Ministers and Missionary Offering, and contributing to United Mission.
During each quarter of the year, one of these four special annual offerings is promoted in local congregations across the country; however, gifts to any of these offerings may be received throughout the year.
America For Christ Offering
Your gifts to the America for Christ Offering impact thousands – through ministries with marginalized children, mission trips that transform lives torn asunder by hurricanes, resources that cultivate Christian leaders, chaplains who bring comfort to hospitals and nursing homes, and much more.
Two-thirds of received offerings are directed to the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, whom we have partnered with to do several of our mission trips, including Muskogee, OK, in 2018 (pictured below) and Puerto Rico in 2020.
One-third are directed to the ABC regional office of the giving church, for us that is The American Baptist Churches of MA (TABCOM). We receive this offering during the month of March. Their theme for this year is “Let us not become weary in doing good!” and thanks to your generosity, we were able to give over $8,000.
One Great Hour of Sharing
On Easter Sunday in 1949, on nation-wide radio, Christians were challenged to donate one million dollars in one hour to help people devastated by the aftermath of World War II. Faithful Christians answered the challenge, and the goal was met. That was the beginning of the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering.
Over the decades since, American Baptists have increased their support for the offering, and, in doing so, have been sharing the light of God’s love in all corners of the world — at times, during some of the darkest moments in human history.
Providing for the many needs that result from famine and hunger crises, displacement of people due to war and natural disasters, and recurring and extraordinary natural disasters has been the focus of OGHS. But not just in the immediate aftermath. OGHS continues to provide emergency relief after disasters, while, at the same time, supporting development work around the world that seeks to address chronic conditions that linger for years or decades longer.
Today, One Great Hour of Sharing supports disaster relief, ministries to displaced persons, and development projects of the American Baptist Churches and its partners.
The fund is administered by the World Relief Committee of the Board of General Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA.
We receive this offering throughout the month of July and also as special appeals arise for particular disasters.
The World Relief Committee disburses all the undesignated gifts to our many domestic and global projects. You can learn more about all of these mission projects on their website.
World Mission Offering
During the World Mission Offering, received in September and October, we have the opportunity to join the transformational work God is doing around the world through International Ministries’ 120+ global servants and 250+ global partners.
Not everyone is able to travel around the world to spread the Gospel, but God can use our contributions to change lives internationally take part in what the Holy Spirit is doing to bring God’s kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.”
Our Mission and Outreach Core Ministry meets after we have received this offering to decide how the funds are designated. This past year, we gave half of the World Mission Offering to International Ministries to use as needed, and designated the remaining funds to three global servants who we have had long time partnerships with.
Jon and Amanda Good were, at the time, serving as church planters in Hungary and will be continuing to plant churches in Europe following their home assignment.
Ann and Bill Clemmer serving as Regional Consultants in the Democratic Republic of Congo working with IM partners, HEAL Africa and IMA World Health, in the town of Goma. Bill provides support to health care workers, hospitals, and clinics that provide life-saving maternal and child health services, while Ann supports educational and relief assistance to widows, orphans and vulnerable children.
Madeline Flores-Lopez served as a global servant in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Cuba, before she passed away in December 2023.
We partnered with Madeline on many mission trips over the last 25 years and she is missed by many.
Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO)
The Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering is a long-standing tradition established in 1977 which supports ministers, missionaries and their widowed spouses who have devoted 15 or more years of their lives to service in ABCUSA.
We use 100% of the offering received at each of our Christmas Eve services as our gift to all those who served so faithfully to share God’s love. Due to the incredible generosity of our congregation, BBC is regularly one of the largest contributors in the ABCUSA to this offering each year.
United Mission
In addition to the four annual offerings, American Baptists are encouraged to support United Mission. Brewster Baptist Church contributes one third of the annual mission budget each year to United Mission.
American Baptists have always been a people of mission; mission is in our DNA.
Our United Mission (UM) contributions give concrete expression to this impulse and help us to be the hands and feet of Christ. United Mission is a simple yet intentional way that American Baptists contribute to a shared financial fund that is designed and used for mission and ministry that has an impact across the whole American Baptist family.
With a large portion of United Mission funds contributing directly to the mission efforts and ministries of the 33 ABC regional entities, the Office of the General Secretary, and the Board of General Ministries, all of which are accountable to and informed by our member congregations, United Mission funding supports efforts on all levels of our denomination as well on our shared mission fields. Portions of United Mission also directly support services provided by our national ABC partners.
Thank you for your generosity in supporting all of these mission offerings that help us to reflect Acts 1:8 as we share God’s love and support His mission locally, regionally and around the world.