Several years ago, Southern Baptists (the nation’s largest protestant group and largest missionary sending organization) announced that we had more people who wanted to serve as missionaries than the funds to sent them.

That had never before happened with Southern Baptists.

Late last summer, the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention called 600 missionaries home because of lack of funding.

You can do something about this.

Each year we receive an offering at Christmas for global missions. Along with 45,000 other Southern Baptist churches, we will give $175 million to support the work of missions around the world. Those of you who have been Southern Baptists for the long term know this as the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions.

Charlotte (Lottie) Moon left Virginia in the 1800s to go to China. She gave her life to make Christ known in China. On the way home because of illness, she died of starvation. She died not because she didn’t have food but because she could not eat when Chinese children were starving.

Lottie Moon has long been the face of missions in Southern Baptist churches.

I pray you will join me in giving generously to support missionaries.

You can give using your regular offering envelope and writing “Missions” under the “Other” section, using the special offering envelope you received in the mail, or with the offering envelope in “The Vision” today.

All the money you give will go to support missionaries around the world.

Let us give as Christ has given to us.