Mission Giving and Donations
United Mission
United Mission is our primary way of providing financial support for all we do as American Baptists.
A portion of UM giving supports the six institutions of the Central Region (Central Seminary, Ottawa University, Bacone College, Murrow Indian Children’s Home, Sunset Home and Prairie Homestead). Another portion of UM giving supports our wider denominational ministries including International Ministries, American Baptist Home Mission Societies and ABC/USA denominational connections.
The final portion of UM giving supports the ministries we share together in the Central Region, including pastoral search assistance to local congregations, camping and youth ministries, mission education and leadership training opportunities, new church planting, support of Bethel Neighborhood Center and other ministries that provide nurture and encouragement to Central Region churches and clergy.
America for Christ
For American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS), equipping disciples entails supporting and enabling highly motivated Christian disciple-makers who are delivering the Good News of Jesus Christ and producing life-saving and life-giving change in individuals and congregations across the United States and Puerto Rico.
The theme for the America for Christ (AFC) Offering 2018 is “Equipping Disciples,” informed by this biblical text: “The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13, NRSV).
ABHMS works to broaden our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus in word and deed for the 21st century, and to nurture discipleship by expanding our network of highly motivated change-agents who share the Good News and impact the world with God’s love. In this way, we encourage authentic Christian discipleship in which the fullness of the Gospel—in its personal and social implications—are manifested in individuals living Jesus’ message, involved in their communities and carrying out God’s call in their lives.
One Great Hour of Sharing
The purpose of One Great Hour of Sharing has remained the same: to collect special gifts to assist those in need. Contributions to One Great Hour of Sharing make a difference in the lives of people. Church World Service, with overseas partners are often the first on the scene following a disaster of natural or human origin. The needs of the people are identified and priorities are set to bring long-term solutions that will improve the quality of life for individuals and communities around the world. One Great Hour of Sharing, nearly 50 years old, continues to respond to needs equally critical as when it was first created.
Region Offering
When you give to the Region Offering, you help build the Body of Christ, His church, here in the Central Region. Your gifts become …
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The arms of Region Staff to serve pastors and churches
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The head of Support Staff that serve through information distribution and finances
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The hands of Interim Ministry to assist churches seeking a pastor
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The heart of Annual Gathering and the Region Board
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The feet of training events in boundaries, evangelism, stewardship, missions, resolving conflict and many more
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The legs of youth ministry through camping, conferences and initiatives like 4TEN
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The lungs of ministry at Bethel Neighborhood Center and other institutions
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The eyes of New Church Starts and Plants
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Thank you for partnering with us to be Kingdom Builders!
Retired Ministers and Missionaries
The roots of RMMO go back to the mid-1930s, when American Baptist congregations received a Communion Fellowship Offering on the first Sunday of each month to support retired ministers, missionaries, their widowed spouses and elderly clergy within their churches. In 1977, American Baptist Churches USA launched the Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO) to continue this appreciation of God’s service. The offering supports those who have dedicated their lives to God’s service by providing emergency assistance in times of need and a thank you check at the end of each year.
We hope congregations will be inspired by the theme this year, Generous Congregations. The verse is taken from Isaiah 32:8, ‘But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity’.” Generosity is central to our faith. As Christians, we are called to serve and care for others, and RMMO aligns with the collective spirit of love that inspires us all to honor the devotion of ministers and their families for their service to the church.
World Mission Offering
The World Mission Offering is a time to come together to celebrate and support the ministries that God is doing all over the world.
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October, congregations come together for a time of awareness, advocacy and action for global mission. Churches across the country celebrate and support the ministries that God is using to transform the world. This is the World Mission Offering.
For the 2018 World Mission Offering, we are highlighting the Ministry Priorities of Health and Wellness, Abolishing Global Slavery and Economic and Community Development. While these represent only a fraction of IM’s ministries, they provide a window into what God is doing worldwide through our 120 global servants, 900+ volunteers, 43 home staff and 240+ global partners.