Texas Baptists seek to raise $1 million on Mother’s Day to help hungry

DALLAS—Texas Baptists plan to take a significant step on Mother’s Day to provide meals to children in need.

David Hardage, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, has challenged churches to raise $1 million on Mother’s Day for the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering, which provides relief and aid to hungry people throughout the state and around the globe.

“In the heart of mothers throughout Texas and beyond is a deep desire to meet the needs of their children,” Hardage said. “We want to honor them as Texas Baptists in a meaningful and tangible way that carries forth that desire. Together, we can help struggling mothers put food on their respective families’ tables.”

If the convention reaches its goal, it would be a considerable increase in the amount given to the offering. In each of the past two years, Texas Baptists have given about $750,000 to the offering.

Such an increase may seem audacious, Hardage acknowledged, but he believes it is possible if God is in it and Texas Baptists heed the Lord’s call to care for the hungry.

The one-day emphasis offers an easy entry point for Texas Baptist churches that haven’t contributed to the offering to get involved, he added.

Ferrell Foster, who coordinates the offering, believes this is precisely the type of biblically based call to which Texas Baptists respond best.

“Texas Baptists are a generous people,” he said. “Our hearts are as big as our land. We’ve always opened our pockets to do missions and evangelism. I’m equally confident we will open our pockets in caring for people’s needs. When we understand that Jesus requires compassion for those in poverty and when they know we have a way to help deal with that poverty, then I believe we will give and give big. We have the means with the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering. We need more of the compassion.”

For people in poverty, their lives may depend on whether Texas Baptists step forward generously this Mother’s Day, Foster noted. More than one-fourth of Texas children do not know where they will find their next meal. Families are struggling to survive, and parents are facing tough decisions, including how to feed their children.

By giving to the hunger offering, Texas Baptists are celebrating their mothers, as well as mothers worldwide, he added.

“There is nothing more important to hungry people than to gain nutritious food,” he said. “Their lives depend on it. For people in the midst of a food crisis, they must eat now. For people caught in a cycle of chronic poverty, they must be helped to break that cycle. Either way, Jesus depends on his followers to bring hurting people the abundant life he spoke about, and that life involves both physical and spiritual well-being. It’s up to us. It’s our responsibility. Jesus said so.”

God loves every person, Hardage said. God cares deeply about them—their struggles and their triumphs—and wants Texas Baptists to be right there with him.

“God wants every mother’s child to have a meal. This Mother’s Day, Texas Baptists, we can take a major step forward in making that happen for people throughout this state.”

For more information about Texas Baptists’ Mother’s Day offering, click here or call (888) 244-9400.