August 7, 2000
TOGETHER:
Investment in Texas mission field yields eternal rewards
___Texas Baptists are preparing to collect our annual Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions. This offering has grown across the years because Texas Baptists know we live in the heart of a great mission field. Our goal is $5.6 million--$100,000 more than last year.
___With this offering, churches have been started all across Texas. In isolated rural areas and in crowded urban centers, Texas Baptists made it possible for the gospel to be preached and ministry shared 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Texas Baptists have been faithful in their giving to this offering, but the need for that generosity to continue is greater now than ever before because of the tremendous challenges before us, such as the Borderland, where in the next few years there will be 30 million people on the south side of the Rio Grande and 6 million to 7 million on the north side--a total of almost twice as many people as now live in Texas.
CHARLES WADE
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
___Last spring, I was in a meeting with Joy Fenner, executive director-treasurer of Woman's Missionary Union of Texas; Jeanne Law, WMU president; James Semple, director of our State Missions Commission; and others who were charged with the responsibility of developing the list of mission priorities of opportunities for evangelism and ministry in our state. I was challenged and blessed in those hours of listening and praying. The needs in Texas are great--but Texas Baptists want to put our lives and our resources up against the heartache, loneliness, poverty, crime, sin and spiritual lostness in our state and help people come to know God.
___My own experience with the Mary Hill Davis Offering came with the calling of our minister of missions, Tillie Burgin, at First Baptist Church in Arlington. That offering from Texas Baptist churches made it possible for us to begin Mission Arlington. For 15 years, Mission Arlington has ministered to hundreds of thousands of people. Every week, there are more than 3,000 people in 220 Bible studies across the city, many being led by men and women who were won to Christ through this ministry. Texas Baptists helped support the beginning of the ministry by paying a portion of Tillie's salary for three years. Without that help, I don't believe our church could have begun the work. But with our church's commitment, Tillie's sense of calling and the generosity of Texas Baptists to the offering, it all became possible, and a wonderful life-changing ministry came into being.
___The Mary Hill Davis Offering can help other churches begin a mission ministry, and that seed money becomes a rich harvest of mission outreach in churches all across Texas.
___In the next few weeks, you will hear stories and see scenes recorded all across Texas that show your mission dollars actually changing lives by making it possible for our churches and Baptist people to be up close and personal with those who live in our communities.
___Please ask God to help you be on mission for him every day where you live and work. Be available for mission service in some ministry or mission effort in your church. And do give! The only way Texas Baptists get big things done is for all our churches and all our people to do their part. The gifts, large or small, are all needed. And you can be sure that what you invest in your Texas mission field will result in a better Texas, stronger churches, changed lives, happier homes and a bigger heaven!
___We are loved.
___
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