Ideas of how you can give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

Early this morning I woke up thinking about this years Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Goal and what it was going to take for this goal to be met.  The goal this year is 175 million dollars!  That sure sounds like a lot to me and I'm sure it does to you too.

Below are some ideas of things you and your church can do to contribute to this offering:

-Consider praying and asking God how much you should give and then be obedient.

-Give what you would spend in one month on entertainment and eating out.
-Give again what you normally tithe.  Still give your tithe to your church but then give the same amount to the LMCO.

-Cut out soft drinks for one month and give that money towards the offering.

-Save loose change throughout the year and give that during Lottie Moon season.

-Have a missionary come to your church and tell about what they do and how you can be involved by going, praying, and giving.

-Have a yard sale and give the money collected towards missions.

-Challenge parents to give as much to missions as they spend on their children for Christmas. Another challenge is to give as much as they spend on their most expensive Christmas present.
-Start a Lottie Moon Post Office; church members "mail" one another Christmas cards which are hand-delivered by students. Money that would have been spent on postage is given to Lottie Moon.
-Keep a globe or world map close to your dinner table. Let children take turns pointing to a country. Pray that the people in that country will know Jesus. Pray for missionaries serving in those areas.
-Have a prayer walk:  Members of all ages can be sponsored per mile they complete. Proceeds go to Lottie Moon.
-Challenge church members to save a quarter each day of the year to give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Each church member could then give more than $90 toward the church's goal. Multiply $90 times the number of church members to set your goal.
-How tall are you?  Measure the children during the children’s sermon one Sunday and ask if they knew how tall Lottie Moon was. Then show how tall Lottie Moon was and tell the children that no matter how small they are, they can still make a big contribution.
-Arrange a phone call to a missionary you know during a worship service and broadcast the conversation through the sound system. If you have the technology and people who can set it up, consider a video conference or a Skype conference. Ask the missionary to explain to the congregation how giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering will affect their work and the spread of the Gospel around the world.
-Hold a worship service in the dark or with only minimal light. Use blindfolds for an even greater impact. Have a worship leader explain that millions live in spiritual darkness everyday, without an opportunity to hear about Jesus. Emphasize that our gifts to missions increase the chances that the true Light will come into their world.

I know that these are hard times in the US and all over the world.  However, we found these statistics that showed us that people are still spending money on themselves just not as much on others.
While Americans gave $300 Billion to charity(includes all giving, not just missions) this year only 2% of that or 6 Billion went to overseas ministries.  However, we spent 45 Billion on our pets, 13 Billion on cosmetic surgery, 65 Billion on jewelry, 59 Billion on lottery tickets, and 705 billion on entertainment.

Please pray about how God would have you spend your money not only in church but just in everyday life as well.  It looks like from the statistics above that we are wasting a lot of money.
Also, please pray about how much God wants you to give towards the Lottie Moon Offering this year.

We are so thankful for all those who do give to this offering.  This offering goes to support Southern Baptist Missionaries and their work all over the world.  It pays for their salary, home, vehicle, insurance, health benefits, and education for their children.  Because you give, we do not have to go out and raise financial support and can stay on the field longer.  It is such a blessing to be able to concentrate on our work which God called us to and not having to raise support.  Thank you once again for your sacrificial giving.
As you consider what you will give this year just think about all those in this world who may be saying, "Is anyone coming to tell us the message of Hope?"  Don't let these people down.....they are counting on you.