Have you heard the story of the little boy who said, “When will we ever pay off these ladies?” You have to love the mind of a child.
Sometimes, when we write a check to the Week of Prayer missions offerings, it can feel like we are making an annual payment towards missions.
If this is you, don’t worry, I used to feel that way too. I remember when the offerings would roll around, my grandmother would make the announcement about the offerings and encourage our church to give. Sometimes, giving felt like a habit. We give because we are encouraged to do so — but we forget the ‘why’ behind it.
Giving to missions is more than giving your financial resources. A missionary couple once said, “Never forget that bold going and bold preaching must be preceded by bold praying and bold giving.”
A vital part of giving to missions is intercessory prayer and sacrificial giving. Missions leader Bobbie Sorrill opined that, “Giving money to missions grows out of our commitment to God, a personal and corporate missions zeal and the desire to be part of God’s work around the world.” I might add that it also grows out of a love for the world to know true hope through the gospel.
Every February, WMU recognizes a week called “Focus on WMU.” It is a week of celebration and recognition of how the Lord uses His people to do extraordinary things for His glory.
For generations, WMU has sought to support missions through its various ministries. Today, we continue to champion gospel urgency through missions in the local church. Whether it’s through giving opportunities, missions training events, missions education or missions action, our goal is to encourage all people to know their role in missions support.
During this month, please consider showing love to others by making an additional gift to support missions. Whether it is to one of the three missions offerings (our favorite is Eliza Broadus) or to support missions for generations to come through the Heritage Fund, we pray for boldness in your giving. Go to www.kywmu.org/ givingoptions to learn more about opportunities for giving.
Liz Encinia is executive director-treasurer of Kentucky Woman’s Missionary Union.
Liz Encinia