HOUSTON—Messengers to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting are gathering Nov. 16-17 with an eye toward Easter.

During the two-day meeting, Texas Baptists will focus on how they can accomplish the three pillars of the Texas Hope 2010 initiative—pray for neighbors, care for people in need and share the gospel with every Texan by Easter 2010.

The gathering—themed Texas Hope 2010—not only will feature ways Texas Baptists already are engaging their communities with the hope of Christ, but also will seek to inspire believers to continue sharing the gospel in creative and effective ways, BGCT Executive Director Randel Everett said.

Near the end of October, Texas Baptist churches, groups and individuals had requested roughly 400,000 multimedia Texas Hope 2010 gospel compact discs. Leaders anticipate CD distribution will increase drastically in the first quarter of 2010 as Texas Baptists seek to put one in each of Texas’ 8.8 million homes.

In business matters, messengers will consider a $44.029 million 2010 proposed BGCT budget. Of that proposal, $37.615 million is budgeted to be given through the BGCT Cooperative Program. An additional $2.35 million is to come from investment income and $1.25 million is to be used from reserves, although BGCT Treasurer Jill Larsen hopes all those reserve funds will not be needed.

Messengers also will hear a report from the Future Focus Committee, a group appointed to look at the convention’s ministries and resources and make long-term suggestions.

Decisions made during the convention’s annual meeting guide, shape and direct how Texas Baptists will use their collective resources to make an impact for God’s kingdom, making the meeting particularly important, Everett said.

“A special effort has been made to encourage messengers who are ages 35 and younger to attend and share their insights and dreams for Texas Baptists,” he noted. “I pray that when we leave Houston, the local residents will know that God loves them and offers the hope of Christ to all of us.”

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