The North Carolina Missions
Offering (NCMO) received a $15,276 boost this month when Baptist State
Convention of North Carolina (BSC) employees pledged to give that amount.
Approximately 100 convention staffers were present for a staff meeting at the
Baptist Convention office when pledge cards were collected. The staffers will
make the contributions through their local churches.
“The NCMO is critical to
many of the ministries of North Carolina Baptists. Our board of directors and
our BSC staff have really stepped to the plate to lead all N.C. Baptists in
sacrificially committing to this offering,” said Chuck Register, executive
leader for Church Planting and Missions Development, who coordinated the
effort.
The NCMO goal for 2010 is
$2.1 million. This year’s theme, “every nation … our generation” reminds
North Carolina Baptists that the “nations” referred to in the Bible are now
among us. More than 230 language/culture groups now live in the state and few
are Christians.
NCMO provides vital funding
for several major missions efforts. Just over half of NCMO goes to N.C. Baptist
Men and is that organization’s primary funding source.
In addition, 15 percent
of the offering total goes to support two mission camps. About 3,000 volunteers
worked out of the Red Springs Mission Camp in Robeson County last year. Similar
numbers are anticipated for the Shelby Mission Camp, set to fully open in
Shelby this year.
NCMO also provides nearly a
third of the budget for the Convention’s church planting ministry. That
ministry provides support, training and coordination for nearly 150 church
planters and started 98 new churches during 2009.
About half of those new
churches were among ethnic/language groups, including 20 new Hispanic churches.
Ten percent of NCMO will be sent to the state’s 79 Baptist associations, who
use the funds in a wide range of missions and ministry projects.
More details
on the offering are available at www.ncmissionsoffering.org.
Orders for NCMO promotional
materials are being filled daily as churches request free bulletin inserts,
offering envelopes, prayer guides and other materials. Prayer guides and
promotional suggestions enable a church to promote NCMO throughout September or
to tailor the prayer/information emphasis to a particular week. Some churches
choose to put NCMO into their missions budgets.
NCMO videos and print materials
are available from www.ncmissionsoffering.org
or by calling (800) 395-5102. A new “What If” booklet is available for churches
not familiar with NCMO.