November 4, 2002
TOGETHER:
Waco meeting will focus on missions
___Our meeting in Waco next week will mark the 117th time the Baptist General Convention of Texas has gathered to conduct kingdom business. We will strengthen the bonds of fellowship, celebrate the glory of God and his goodness, and rededicate ourselves to helping a lost world know the love of God in Jesus. Please join us for one of the most historic conventions in Texas Baptist memory.
___Texas Baptists will consider a challenging $50.8 million Cooperative Program budget for 2003. The only way we can reach that goal is for cooperating churches to give generously through the adopted budget plan. We are taking steps to make the budget clearer. The proposed giving plan removes us from a posture of redirecting or putting a "cap" on funds for Southern Baptist Convention programs. And it moves funds for River Ministry, Texas Partnerships and the Minnesota-Wisconsin Convention from the worldwide portion into the BGCT portion of the Cooperative Program budget.
CHARLES WADE
Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
___Please remember that the 259 churches we will help start this year and those we will help start next year depend on the cooperative giving of our churches. Consider the enormous blessing our hospitals, child-care ministries, aged-care programs, universities and seminaries bring to Texas. Remember that Baptist Student Ministries, support for associational missions efforts, help for churches and ministers to be more effective in their local communities, strategic efforts in evangelism and ethnic ministries all depend on the Texas portion of the Cooperative Program budget. I encourage you to be fully informed. Help your church understand the challenge God has placed before us.
___Another key event at this convention will be the recommendation that we form a world missions network. In my judgment, this holds the most exciting promise for missions advance in recent years. Texas Baptists long have been at the forefront of missions innovation. And now a new vision rises up out of Texas Baptist churches and the hearts of Texas Baptist people.
___Some have asked why a world missions network is needed. As clearly as I can, let me say: This is not to compete with the Southern Baptist Convention International Mission Board or Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Global Missions. The world missions network will help our churches, institutions and associations connect with one another and with national Baptist conventions and leaders around the world. Where there are IMB or CBF missionaries already at work, we will work with them and with the national Baptist leaders as well. The world missions network will provide information, access mission resources and opportunities, and connect churches and institutions for creative and expanded service.
___One of our pastors said, "I want every member of our church to go on at least one mission trip in their lifetime." I want every Texas Baptist church to go on at least one mission trip in the next five years. The world missions network can help make that happen. I predict more dollars will be given to missions causes, and more people and churches will be involved in hands-on missions work locally, around the state and throughout the world than ever before in Texas Baptist history.
___That is good news for everyone in this world who needs Jesus and for everyone, anywhere, who believes in the importance of missions and Christ's call to obey the Great Commission.
___We are loved--and so are they.
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