Ideas for Promoting Global Missions In Your Church
Dee Kronor

Have an idea for promoting the Offering? Maybe something you did has really worked, boosting giving as well as your congregation’s interest in missions. If so, share it with others.

Pantano Baptist Church in Tucson, Ariz., used eight different languages in its Christmas musical, “Embrace the World.” The three choirs that practice in the church building – the church’s choir, a Spanish church’s choir and the local Chinese choir combined for a special presentation Dec. 9. Nearly 75 people participated. “Everybody loved the program because it was extremely diverse,” said Glen Foster, the church’s pastor. “They really like that we included different cultures and languages.”

First Baptist Church in Danville, Va., promotes the Offering during December. Prior to collecting the offering each week, they use mission spotlights that integrate the worship service theme with particular
mission needs their offering will support. During worship each week they extinguish a candle on the candel wreath (similar to the one used during Advent) and have a reading. Pastor Stephen Cook shares the reading used while the second candle is extinguished:

Ideas for Seasonal, Combined and Yearlong Promotion

Churches that promote the Offering for Global Missions typically promote during Christmas/Easter seasons or at other times during the year. Some churches also combine their missions offerings with another missions organization. Here is a quick look at how to promote the Offering for each type of campaign. A more detailed sample step-by-step promotional plan is available at www.thefellowship.info/ogm.

Seasonal

Baptists have traditionally focused on international missions in the fall or at Christmas and domestic or North America-based missions in the spring or at Easter. Here is a brief outline for a five-week campaign you can do during fall/Christmas and spring/Easter:
1. Schedule a missions speaker through face2face, CBF’s speaker’s bureau.
2. Order resources such as Offering envelopes, prayer guides and DVDs. Be sure to order international focus bulletin inserts and posters in the fall and North American focus bulletin inserts and posters in the spring. There are two bulletin inserts for each season.
3. Set a realistic yet challenging goal for your church.
4. Promote the Offering in the church newsletter, bulletins and bulletin boards.
5. Kickoff the campaign with a special emphasis during worship or a special event such as a missions banquet.
6. Recruit church members to give weekly testimonies and reminders during worship. Be sure to collaborate with church staff and worship planners. Suggested weekly “Missions Moments” are available at www.thefellowship.info/ogm.
7. Each week announce the progress toward the goal.
8. Follow up with your church’s key individual contributors and known CBF Global Missions advocates to ensure they’ve had the opportunity to give.
9. Conclude the campaign by announcing and celebrating reaching the goal. If you have not reached your goal within the specified period, still conclude the campaign by announcing the amount reached and making a final appeal for contributions.
10. Repeat this process during your next Offering promotion time. If you need to order additional bulletin inserts, posters, Offering envelopes or other resources, call The CBF Store at 1-888-801-4223 or order online at www.thefellowship.info/thecbfstore.

Throughout the Year

Using this approach, international and North America-based ministries are highlighted simultaneously. The same steps as the seasonal appeal apply with the following variations:

1. Be sure to order bulletin inserts and posters for both international and North American emphases. There are four inserts – two highlighting international ministry and to highlighting North-American ministry.
2. Display posters reflecting international and North America-based ministries at the same time. There is also an overall “Embrace the World” campaign poster, which focuses on CBF’s ministries worldwide.
3. Use the international bulletin insert one week in worship and the North America bulletin insert the next.
4. Using online resources at www.thefellowship.info/ogm, select an appropriate drama, children’s sermon, litany, missions moment, etc., based on the time of year (Advent, Lent, other).
5. Show both the international and North America video segments from the DVD. If time is limited, show the 5-minute video that combines both focus stories.

Combined

Because many of the churches affiliated with CBF are aligned with multiple Baptist bodies, many churches promote the CBF Offering along with other agencies’ missions offerings. Here are some suggestions on using this material in a combined appeal:

1. In a multi-week campaign, assign each missions agency a week. Invite a speaker from that agency and utilize that agency’s bulletin insert, Offering envelopes and video materials that week.
2. Have a Sunday missions fair and worship service dedicated to your church’s commitment to missions. Each agency could have a display in the missions fair and a speaker during worship.
3. Use an approach similar to the seasonal appeal, but promote one agency during one season and the other agency at another time.
4. Utilize the promotional materials from each agency, distribute each agency’s offering envelopes, and let church members decide how to designate their gifts.
5. Designate specific bulletin boards or display areas in the church for each missions agency and promote their ministries year round.
6. Use the customizable bulletin insert available online. This insert features the theme “Embrace the World” and a missions story. It asks church members to “Give to Missions” but does not include a CBF logo or other CBF reference. There is space for your church to include information related to the Offering. Collect for missions and divide the total offering between CBF Global Missions and other missions agencies.

For CBF Offering promotion consultations, contact Lance Wallace at lwallace@thefellowship.info or (770) 220-1641.

Sample Promotion Presentations

When you promote the Offering to a group of people, the length of the presentation often determines what you are able to tell them about the Offering. Here are some suggested ways to promote the CBF Offering in 5 minutes, 15 minutes or 30 minutes.

5-minute presentations

1. Announce that the church will be collecting an offering to support global missions and that the funds will go to the CBF Offering for Global Missions. Tell your audience that the CBF Offering supports field
personnel around the world and that without the CBF Offering, ministries like those would not exist.
2. Read a “Missions Moment” available online.
3. If possible, choose one of the video segments to play. The shorter testimony videos or Offering reflection video are ideal choices.
4. Ask people to consider contributing toward these life-changing ministries. Tell them your church’s Offering goal. If appropriate, collect an offering.

15-minute presentations

1. Announce that the church will be collecting an offering to support global missions and that the funds will go to the CBF Offering for Global Missions. Tell your audience that the CBF Offering supports field
personnel around the world and that without the Offering, some ministries would not exist.
2. Tell them about the ministries the CBF Offering supports. If you promote the CBF Offering twice a year, consider talking about the international focus in the fall/Christmas and North America focus in the spring/Easter. If you promote only once a year, consider briefly introducing both ministries.
3. If possible, play the international focus video, the North America focus video, or the international and North America video, which focuses on both ministries.
4. Tell the audience that lives have been touched and changed by these ministries. Read them a “Missions Moment” available online.
5. Ask people to consider contributing toward these life-changing ministries. Tell them your church’s Offering goal. If appropriate, collect an offering.

30-minute presentations

For presentations of this length, consider scheduling a CBF missions speaker to come to your church. This speaker will talk about CBF Global Missions, share powerful ministry stories, and challenge your church to give generously to the CBF Offering. Schedule a speaker well in advance through face2face, CBF’s speaker’s bureau by calling 1-800352-8741 ext. 1630 or e-mailing face2face@thefellowship.info.

1. Begin the presentation by announcing that the church will be collecting an offering to support global missions and that the funds will go to the CBF Offering for Global Missions. Tell your audience that
the CBF Offering supports field personnel around the world and that without the Offering, some ministries would not exist.
2. Introduce the CBF missions speaker and allow them 15-20 minutes to share about how God is moving around the world.
3. If possible, play one of the Offering videos. For a music-based reflection on ministries, use the Offering reflection video. For a more in-depth look at ministries, play the international focus video, the
North America focus video, or the international and North America video, which focuses on both ministries.
4. Ask people to consider contributing toward these life-changing ministries. Tell them your church’s Offering goal. If appropriate, collect an offering.

The above article, “Ideas For Promoting Global Missions in Your Church,” is written by Dee Kronor. The article was excerpted from www.globalmission.com website, where it was posted in July of 2012.

The material is most likely copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.