April 25, 2007 — Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth. (3 John 5-8)

At FBC, we are a Southern Baptist Cooperative church that takes seriously the notion of cooperating together with other churches of like faith in order to advance the cause of Christ to the utmost parts of the earth through evangelism resulting in new church planting.

During the Easter season at FBC we have an opportunity to act upon that desire by giving to support the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. This special offering is one of two main offerings that we receive each year apart from our budget that goes directly to our Southern Baptist Missionary agencies and supports missionaries in the field.

On Easter morning, we kicked off this year’s North American Mission’s offering by collecting coins in a special way. Every member was encouraged ahead of time to bring “30 pieces of silver” to commemorate the betrayal of our Lord Jesus (Matthew 26:15-16). It really is amazing to think that our perfect and loving Lord was betrayed by a friend and turned over to be punished and crucified for such a meager price, the price of a slave.

This however, was all in the plan of God, that Christ be humiliated and abased in the place of sinners so that He could ultimately be exalted over all of creation!

Our special offering was taken very seriously by the members of our congregation and it allowed us to attach certain visual and participatory elements to a missionary offering. As the coins fell in the bucket on Easter morning, we were all reminded that by our sinfulness, we too betray our Lord.

Needless to say, the emphasis was a success and our Easter offering was launched with an initial collection of almost $850. We will continue to collect throughout April with a goal of at least $2000.

Will the money be used wisely? The North American Missions Board tells us that at present, 3 out of every 4 Americans are “unchurched” (www.namb.net). Most of these are not professing Christians and a growing percentage have never heard the gospel explained with any clarity and never attended a Christian worship service! We can no longer take for granted that America is a “Christian” nation! Indeed, with the exploding population, the rising influx of immigrants, the growing influence of cults and false religions and the increasing apathy of the Christian church in this new era, missionaries are needed in North America now more than ever!

Even if you do not attend our church and cannot give, would you consider praying with us this month for the expansion of the gospel right here at home as well as abroad? Pray for North American Missionaries and for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering that Southern Baptists will be collecting this Easter season.

Pastor Terry Leap II

FBC Grayson, KY

pastorleap@yahoo.com

606-474-5641

The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (I Jn. 2:17)