Monthly Archives: May 2014

WMU Makes a Difference

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As an auxiliary to the Kentucky Baptist Convention, our role has always been that of “helper” to the convention and to Kentucky Baptist Churches. Six objectives guide our work and while they are familiar, it is vital that we revisit them often.

  • Pray for missions.
  • Engage in mission action and witnessing.
  • Learn about missions.
  • Support missions.
  • Develop spiritually towards a missions life-style.
  • Participate in the work of the church and denomination.

KBC visionKentucky WMU plans events, training, ministry opportunities, and distributes funds to achieve these objectives. As we do this, we come alongside the KBC to “help churches reach Kentucky and the world for Christ.”   A the same time, we are grateful for Cooperative Program support that allows us to have a top-notch missions education staff and for the Eliza Broadus Offering which is used for Kentucky Baptist missions ministries, including missions education materials, events and resources.

While we are still receiving gifts to the 2013-14 Eliza Broadus Offering, allocations for 2014-15 have been set. In the coming year EBO will assist Kentucky Baptists through $995,000 distributed for the work of the KBC ($860,000), associations ($35,000), and ministries across our state ($100,000). This is more than twice the CP funding of $430,000 designated for Kentucky WMU in 2014-15. Of the Cooperative Program funds designated for the work of Kentucky WMU in the coming year, nearly half has been designated by the KBC as “Cooperative Program Resourcing.” This designation recognizes the important role of WMU in educating and supporting the total work of Kentucky Baptists and Southern Baptists

EBO was at work last weekend through SALT (State Association Leadership Training). It will be at work this summer through camps, overnights, Kentucky Changers, Excel, Familyfest, Baptist Nursing Fellowship, and much more. Your EBO gifts help to provide many missions opportunities, inspiring participants to achieve the WMU objectives.  And when the WMU objectives are being carried out, the results are felt across Kentucky and around the world!

A recent article in Baptist Press cited a story from Georgia  with the headline “Georgia WMU remains backbone of strong missions giving.” The story reported on research by state missionary Tom Crites, who oversees the state convention’s Research Services. Crites said “the document affirms the long-held belief that WMU is the lifeline to missions support, both prayerfully and financially. What is surprising,” he said, “is just how strong that connection is.” Crites went on to say “The research reveals that churches with WMU groups give nearly 80% of all gifts to the Cooperative Program.” “That is a staggering amount,” he concluded.

I was asked to give a response to this story which came out right after I had written the first part of this blog as my EBO at Work article for the May 20 issue of the Western Recorder. Here is the quote I sent: It does not surprise me that those who studied missions giving in Georgia found that WMU was the common denominator among churches that are strong missions givers.  We did a similar analysis in 2007 of Kentucky giving and found that churches with WMU gave 83% of that year’s Cooperative Program receipts. The work of WMU to educate our churches about missions and then to get them involved in doing missions has a definite impact, and one way to measure that impact is through Cooperative Program and missions offering giving. Simply stated, churches with WMU give more than those without.
      Let me add one other observation. In the 2007 analysis that we did of giving in Kentucky, only 62% of the churches reported having WMU enrollment. That means that 83% of CP that year was given by 62% of the churches.  Thus a word to the wise in our denomination would be to help us strengthen WMU in all of our churches. Encourage the work of WMU in churches.  Encourage pastors to be WMU supporters.  Not only will missions giving be stronger, but since CP giving is generally based on a percentage of undesignated receipts, strengthening WMU will strengthen the church as a whole, including church finances.  What would happen if more churches had active WMU work?  I believe the results would be “staggering.”

The 2013 state missions theme was “More than Ever, Make a Difference.” The closing challenge said: “How about it? Are you ready to pray, give and go? Are you ready to make a difference?  Remember:
– You can make a difference.
– Your prayers make a difference.
– Your gifts make a difference.
– Your church can make a difference.
– Your association can make a difference.
– Kids can make a difference.
– Youth can make a difference.
– Learning makes a difference.

More than ever, let’s make a difference!

WMU at Work in Ten Mile Association

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A recent WMU newsletter from Ten Mile Association included reports of WMU at work in the association and through the churches. Let these inspire you!

From Pat Callan, WMU Director: I …enjoy working at the Racetrack on race days.  In my wildest dreams, I would never have thought so years ago.  I knew nothing about racing and really saw no sense in racing a car around and around a track to just see many of them tare to pieces.  But you know, when I read the article in Missions Mosaic about Raceway Ministry and knew that a track was coming to the county where I live,  I just knew God would use  this venue for His kingdom work.  I told about this article as I did the Prayer Calendar one Sunday morning at Paint Lick and John Roberts thanked me for mentioning it after services.  He told me God was calling him to this ministry.  At that time, however, he did not think he had long to live.  God had other plans and he got a new liver and lived long enough (14 years) to not only see it started but developed it into a wonderful ministry with people trained to take over his job when needed.  We will all miss John at the track this summer.  God again has however provided J.T. Marsh to be our new director, and lead in a mighty way.  Many of our churches are involved in this ministry by providing volunteers and cookies.  Pleasant Home Church is joining are ranks this year and will be working at a campground and providing ministry there.  We still have another campground with no ministry if you are interested.  Volunteers are always needed.  Come join us there on race week.

logoCookies, Volunteers, Bibles, Hot wheels needed for Raceway Ministry at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. Every church is asked to make cookies this year for Raceway Ministry.  We will need them to be brought to the Ponderosa Campground by Wednesday, June 25th….  We also need VOLUNTEERS. We have trainings available for all volunteers as follows: May 17th for general training and for trauma response, at 1:00, May 31 for general and guest services, and June 14 for general training.  All these trainings are at Glencoe Baptist Church and begin at 8:30 until around noon each Biblesday.  We also need Bibles and they are cheaper this year and printed with drivers testimonies and a page as a tribute to John Roberts for $80.00 a case of 50 Bibles.  We need some refrigerators and freezers if anyone has one they can donate.  Hot wheels are always needed as well.  We need a church to do ministry and be in charge of Hawks Landing Campground also.  [See ministry photos on Facebook]

GA Day Camp at Eagle Valley is June 24, 25, 26. This camp is for girls, ages 6-12 or in grades 1-6 and do not have to be presently in an active GA group, and their adult leader.  It starts at 9:30 each day, Tuesday, Wed. and Thursday but it would be good if you could come at 9:00 on Tuesday for registration.  Each girl is to bring her Bible, a towel or blanket to sit on and a sack lunch.  Leaders are to bring a gallon of Kool-aid and cookies each day as well as paper towels, band aids, toilet paper and hand soap.    The cost is $10.00 per girl and a dollar for the leader.  The theme this year is, “Set your GPS”  and should be an interesting one. Each church should come prepared to do a variety show skit, musical, comedy, interpretive movement, puppet show etc. for a ten minutes performance.  Please make an effort to bring girls from your church and community to this camp.  You will be glad you did.  If you have questions, please see Becky Purcell, 859-428-7725

Upcoming Associational WMU Meeting: Our next associational WMU meeting will be held on July 8 at Glencoe Baptist Church and will be a GA Birthday Celebration with praise songs from GA Day Camp and Anita Wainscott from Dallasburg will be speaking about her trip back to Africa. It will begin at 10:30  and everyone is asked to bring a covered dish to share. I am asking each GA group who attends Day Camp to come to this meeting and share something they learned and enjoyed at camp. Also if you were a GA, you might want to share an experience.

Glencoe Baptist News – Our children love visiting with residents of Gallatin Health Care as part of a continuing Children’s Ministry activity. And, for the past 25 years Louise Roberts and ladies from various churches in the area lead a hymn sing at the health care on the 4th Monday of each month. The youth group had a lock-in March 21. The church worked together to purchase items to fill two Buckets of Hope which were delivered to the annual WMU meeting in Winchester. (We’re working to fill two more buckets before the annual KBC meeting in November.) The North American Mission study was taught on March 6 for our members and those of Oakland Baptist. We met our goal for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.  We are participating in the Mother’s Day Offering for Sunrise Children’s Services and we will begin collecting baby bottles filled with change until Father’s Day for Care Net Pregnancy Services. Our girls are looking forward to GA Day Camp in June.  Our ladies and girls will soon be busy baking cookies for Kentucky Raceway Ministries to give away at Kentucky Speedway. Our church was very blessed to have members of Sparta Baptist and Paint Lick Baptist to come on Saturday, May 5, to help us with some repairs and maintenance.  Several projects were taken care of including adding a new double door and two single entry doors to our educational building; new electric outlets and switches were installed.; the front porch steps, posts, and floor were scraped and painted; and, the entry was repainted.  Cleaning and straightening up in classrooms and library were done, too. There are still items to be taken care of, if someone else is looking for a mission activity.  By Dona Roberts

Paint Lick WMU: Paint Lick ladies have been busy. We have continued our Wednesday night Kids Club and this week, April 14th will be our last session for this school year. A couple of us ladies went to our Gallatin County Community Baby Shower and gave away wipes with a scripture verse on it and a flyer inviting the young mothers to church. Our Acteens met on March 13th at my house and made pull string bags to be filled with items for homeless youth.  We had five girls and five ladies. We also attended the Ford Fan Free Day at Ky. Speedway and helped children do a craft.  Five of us attended the State WMU meeting at Winchester and five of us attended our last associational meeting.  We collected around $750.00 for Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. By Pat Callan

Vine Run Baptist Church WMU promoted the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering during March and April. Our offering total was $1,032. The WMU also sponsored a Dessert Auction to benefit a youth from another church going on a mission trip. Church members donated homemade desserts and then bid in a silent auction for those desserts before and after church. Winning bidders took home their tasty treats after church. We raised nearly $400 for this cause. The WMU also collected items for care packages for our church and community college students to send during “Finals Week”. We also sent packages to our members in the military. Along with notes of support and encouragement we included lots of goodies to share with their friends when pulling those all-nighters. From Rhonda Wilhoite

Ten Mile Baptist Church ladies met with Pat Callan on March 6th to discuss starting a Women on Missions group in their church.  Since then, they have met on April 10th and on May 8th and are already very busy planning and doing projects.  Frances Bayes and Vesta Moore went to the Senior Celebration at Lawrenceburg and also to the State WMU meeting.  They took three buckets of items for their thrift store.  Frances reports that they need small appliances, pots and pans and men’s items such as fishing poles.  They also take books and clothing.  They have decided that their goal is to be missions minded in their community and that’s what we are all about!!!  Hurrah for Ten Mile!

These and other news items from Ten Mile Association WMU are a great encouragement to everyone. WMU organizations involve churches in missions!  Doing missions locally, learning about God’s work around the world, giving to send missionaries, praying for missions and much more is what WMU is all about.  Contact the WMU leadership team in your association or Kentucky WMU for help in starting or strengthening WMU work in your church or association.  And Hurrah for Ten Mile Association WMU!