BAPTIST RESOURCE NETWORK OF PENNSYLVANIA/SOUTH JERSEY
2019 STATE MISSIONS OFFERING AND WEEK OF PRAYER

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Poster (11×17)

Prayer Guide (8.5×14)

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Letter from Paul Chitwood, President of the International Mission Board

Your state convention helps churches reach your state and our world for Christ

My first international mission trip took place on a farm in central Kentucky.

As a new pastor in the community, I found myself interacting often with migrant workers from Central and South America. And I soon realized that most were spiritually lost. From conversations with farmers, I learned many of them were as concerned as I was about the eternal state of the souls of these (mostly) men who were so far away from their homes and families. As we began to pull together churches in our association and piece together a plan to begin a migrant ministry, we found an organization ready and eager to help us: our Baptist state convention. With the assistance of our state convention staff, we were soon seeing people from all over Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua come to Christ — though we never left Kentucky.

Ministries in our 41 Southern Baptist state conventions vary from state to state, but their mission is the same: help churches reach their state and our world for Christ. As we enter the fall of the year, most of our state conventions are promoting their annual state mission offering to support these vital ministries. My family will be giving to support the work in our state. As grateful and enthusiastic as I am for Southern Baptists’ support of international missions, I’m also thankful for and supportive of the ministry and mission work of our state conventions.

From my past experience as a pastor and state mission leader, I have seen firsthand the missional impact of state convention ministries. Where I served in Kentucky, more than 100 missionaries in the state receive varying levels of support for their work. Ministries to refugees, migrants, and ethnic minorities are often led or assisted by state convention team members and resources. State conventions help facilitate church planting, church strengthening and revitalization efforts, as well as provide evangelism training and coordinate Disaster Relief ministry. In many states, collegiate work is led by the state convention and support is also provided for the ministry of local Baptist associations.

One of our adopted daughters was rescued and kept safe by our state convention’s orphan and foster care ministry before she came into our family. The lives of unborn children are being saved by crisis pregnancy centers that are often funded, in part, by the state convention. Several state conventions are actively involved in lobbying efforts for legislation that will protect unborn children from the horror of abortion.

Many state conventions provide training and funding for prison ministries, through which inmates are hearing the gospel, trusting Christ, and being baptized by local churches. Women in the adult entertainment industry are being shown pathways to freedom and salvation, and churches are equipped for ministry to the homeless and those suffering addiction.

Across America, people are finding new life in Christ as churches work together through their state convention ministries. In addition to your church’s Cooperative Program support, your annual state mission offering is an opportunity for Great Commission and Great Commandment giving. Will you join my family and be a part of what God is doing through these ministries by giving through your state mission offering this year?

Dr. Paul Chitwood
President, International Mission Board

Letter from Barry Whitworth, Executive Director of the Baptist Resource Network

Dear Pastors and Church Members,

With great joy I write to introduce to you the 2019 State Missions Offering materials. By now you should have received a poster to hang where it will be visible in your church, prayer guides that give specific leads on how to pray for the ministries supported by the State Missions Offering, giving envelopes, as well as a postcard for this website, where you’ll find all the materials in downloadable format. If your church is bilingual, be sure to check out the website for materials that meet your needs.

This year’s theme is Kingdom Expansion. Kingdom Expansion is more than church growth – it is a movement of God spreading from the hearts of individuals to our homes, towns, cities, and the ends of the earth.

Jesus said to “Seek first the Kingdom of God.” He also said to “Pray… thy Kingdom come.”

Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

With every decision, healthy churches do not ask, “What would we like?” but rather, “What will most effectively build the Kingdom of God in our place?” Our job is not to build the Church – Jesus will do that – but to seek first the Kingdom and in so doing, strive for healthy behaviors that drive consistent growth and expansion.

Healthy churches focus on MISSIONAL ENGAGEMENT, which is living out the Kingdom of God in their particular cultural context. Our Disaster and Crisis Relief Ministry does just that!

Healthy churches have an INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP process in place to move people from spiritual infancy to spiritual parenthood. Our BRN NEXT Collegiate Ministry does just that – during one of the most vital times in a person’s life!

Healthy churches invest in ongoing LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT so that they have a strong farm team for new ministries and church starts. Our Compassion Care Ministry helps make that happen.

It is true: a healthy mission is focused on multiplication—EXPANSION—at every level.

Do you desire to see every disciple make new disciples, every ministry birth new ministries, and every church multiply new churches? At the BRN, we have a clear vision of seeing every church within our Pennsylvania-South Jersey geography become a healthy, multiplying church. Please commit one week to join with your fellow Baptists across the BRN to earnestly pray for requests and give to help support these three areas. We trust God hears our prayers and moves to expand His influence—and His Kingdom—accordingly.

Thank you!

Dr. Barry Whitworth
Executive Director-Treasurer