The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

This year a friend of the Church, who wishes to remain anonymous, is going to match, dollar for dollar, the amount we collect in the Lottie Moon Offering, up to $1500.

Our hope is that this will motivate everyone to give sacrificially so that we can not only meet our goal but exceed it.

This year, too, we are focusing on the sacrifices that missionaries make to take the Gospel around the world.  One such Missionary was Bill Hyde who died on the mission field in 2003 of a bomb blast.  You can read a bit about him here.   And there’s more here.

If you can’t go- won’t you give to support those who are every day sacrificing themselves for the Gospel.

 

Why I Am Not Attending the Tennessee Baptist Convention

I had my hotel reservation made.  I had my plans set.  I was looking forward to attending a meeting that I had hoped would aim at glorifying Christ, bind believers together in his cause, and be a period of encouragement.  After all, we Pastoral types can get discouraged from time to time so we get sort of excited about the possibility of attending a Convention meeting that will lift us up.

But I’m not going because, alongside news reports that Baptists at the TBC will be bickering over Belmont (and the immoral suit entered into by segments of the TBC leadership); there will also be bickering over the appointment of committee members who may not wish to sign on board with the Baptist Faith and Message of 2000.

The Annual Meeting used to be about Christ, but now its about power.  And I have no interest in power aside from the power of the Spirit to live the Christian life.  So I’m not going.  I’m not going to participate in fussin’, fightin’ and feudin’ under the guise of powerplay.

When the Annual Meeting returns to being an event whose only purpose is to exalt the Lord and encourage the Denomination, I’ll go back.   Till then, I’m not wasting my time, our Church’s money, or energy on it.