TOGETHER:
Make sure your gift list honors Christ
___In this beautiful time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, our deep gratitude to God should lead us to generosity.
___We are so thankful to God for the gift of his Son and for his calling in our lives that we are almost embarrassed to receive so much. But a better response to gratitude is generosity. Embarrassment produces nothing. Generosity passes on the blessing.
___This Christmas, as you prepare your gift lists, be sure to include a meaningful list that honors Christ in your giving.
___What might go on your list? The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Southern Baptist international missions, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's Global Missions Offering, the Baptist General Convention of Texas' Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas missions, the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger directed by the BGCT Christian Life Commission.
___Texas Baptists support a worldwide missions effort. Due to recent world events, we are freshly aware of the courage it takes to serve God in dangero
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CHARLES WADE
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
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us places. Our gifts and our prayers help us to connect with our missionaries' hearts as they share the good news.
___Closer to home, you could look for ways to be involved in local ministries that help the hungry, the homeless and others in need. You could find a family in need of special attention from your family. I always pray that others will be believers at Christmas next year because of something my church, my family or I do this year.
___In our state, two of the ministries supported by the Mary Hill Davis Offering are care for the victims of crime and support for the families of prisoners. This time of year is especially difficult for families in both circumstances. The volunteers who give so generously of their time and prayers throughout the year are encouraged by your parti-cipation in the ministry God has given them to do.
___When it comes to giving help through organizations, some very important issues are responsibility, accountability, overhead costs, long-term benefits, fairness and spiritual benefits.
___I joyfully inform you the overhead costs for all BGCT ministries are covered by your gifts through the Cooperative Program. Because of those gifts, lives are being forever changed by the grace of God and the power of the gospel. I can confidently report to you that the BGCT is accountable to all the churches and to you for how the dollars you give are spent. We have received unblemished, absolutely clean audits for the past 18 years.
___This responsibility to be forthright in how gifts are handled was recognized by the Apostle Paul. He received generous gifts to alleviate the suffering of the Christians in Jerusalem, and then he noted that the brother who had been appointed by the churches to travel with them was "taking precaution that no one should discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; for we have regard to what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men" (2 Corinthians 8:20-21).
___The ministries and institutions of the BGCT are highly effective instruments of God's saving grace and the development of maturing disciples. Thank you for your support through the year and for all you will do as this year draws to a close to help us fulfill our responsibilities for 2001.
___We are loved.
The Baptist Standard
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