HOW WILL YOU RESPOND TO LOTTIE’S CHALLENGE?

December 4, 2018

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

Time passes, transitions happen, and generations come and go, but I pray we as Southern Baptists never lose the missionary spirit of Charlotte Digges “Lottie” Moon.

Lottie Moon stood no taller than 4 feet 6 inches tall, but she cast a shadow that’s stretched for more than 100 years. Lottie left for China in the early 1880’s and gave 39 years and her life – literally – to the Chinese people as a teacher and evangelist. Among her monumental Kingdom contributions was the foundation she laid for support of international missions among Southern Baptists through a special offering. [Read more…]

AS IMPORTANT AS EVER

November 6, 2018

Camp-O-Ree a reminder of the need for RAs

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector
lwilkey@tnbaptist.org

Juliana Wilson, communications and childhood missions specialist for Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union, shares information about the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions with this RA group from Faith Baptist Church, Bartlett.
— Photos by Stephanie Johnson

LINDEN — Though the number of boys in Royal Ambassadors, a Southern Baptist missions education program for boys in grades one-six, has declined in recent decades, it is still as relevant as ever, agree missions leaders in Tennessee.

“Royal Ambassadors is 110 years old this year and the mission today is just as important as it was all those years ago,” said Brian Holt, state Royal Ambassadors and Challengers (missions education program for boys in grades 7-12) coordinator for Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union.

“We have unreached peoples all over the world. That includes places here in the United States. How will we understand the importance of reaching these groups if we do not start teaching missions at an early age? Would you know that Salt Lake City is an unreached people group? RAs do,” Holt said.

He added that RAs teach “what it means to be a missionary, what our missionaries do and provides them with the most basic skills they need to be a missionary themselves.”

RAs, however, is not alone in the decline. Missions organizations as a whole have experienced a decline in membership, observed Juliana Wilson, communications and childhood missions specialist for Tennessee WMU. [Read more…]

JAM CHALLENGES KIDS TO MAKE CHRIST KNOWN

October 17, 2018

Baptist and Reflector

Children and leaders gather for a time of exciting worship and learning during Middle Tennessee JAM 2018.

MOUNT JULIET — Middle Tennessee JAM (Journey Adventures in Missions) 2018, a missions event for boys and girls in grades 1-6, including Girls in Action, Royal Ambassadors and Children in Action, took place Sept. 29 at Victory Baptist Church in Mount Juliet.

JAM allows children from across the state to come together to learn more about what it means to know God and make him known, said Juliana Wilson, communications/childhood missions specialist for Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union. The Middle Tennessee event was the first of three JAM events which will take place in each grand division of the state, she added.

The group of 275 children, leaders and volunteers attending JAM learned fun new ways they could make Christ known to their families, communities, country and world.
[Read more…]

TWO SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL WORDS: THANK YOU

October 10, 2018

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

It’s just two words but they are incredibly powerful when flowing from a heart genuinely filled with gratitude. They can be delivered a number of ways; a text, an e-mail, or better yet, a handwritten note. Think what it means if you receive a call and the person on the other end simply says, “I wanted to call and just say thank you.”

And then there is the ultimate. Someone who gives you a hug or a handshake, looks you in the eyes and sincerely says, “thanks” for something you’ve done.

You know the Bible instructs us to “Devote [our]selves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2). Simple. Straightforward. Impactful: “Thank You.” [Read more…]

BLESSINGS IN BACKPACKS

September 25, 2018

Christmas backpack ministry brings gospel, toys to children

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

FRANKLIN — This Christmas, hundreds of underprivileged children in Tennessee will be receiving Barbie dolls and board games, matchbox cars and model planes.

More importantly, they will be receiving hope through the good news of Jesus.

All across the state, Tennessee Baptists are participating in “Christmas Backpacks for Children and Teens” — a ministry that originally started in 2001 with a group of GAs (Girls in Action) in Georgia. The ministry, which has grown dramatically since its inception, provides children with brand-new backpacks, filled with toys, card games, hygiene products and more. [Read more…]

GOTM REACHES SECOND HIGHEST TOTAL IN 2017-18

September 13, 2018

Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — In 2016-17, Tennessee Baptists gave a record $1,843,511.03 through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions.

A year later, Tennessee Baptists followed that record amount with the second highest total ever given — $1,797,423.72

“While falling short of our goal of $1,925,000, Tennessee Baptists still have a lot to celebrate with the 2017-18 Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions,” said Vickie Anderson, executive director of Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union. [Read more…]

GOLDEN OFFERING HELPS ‘PURSUE THE ONE’

August 30, 2018

Vickie Anderson
TN WMU Executive Director-Treasurer

Vickie Anderson

Tennessee Missions Emphasis month is set to kick off on Sept. 1 For Tennessee Baptists, September brings the opportunity to observe and participate in the Week of Prayer for State Missions and the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions. And while the offering is taken year-round, and the ministries happen throughout the year, September is the month we spotlight how together we support missions and ministries in Tennessee.

In 1902 W.C. and Mildred Golden challenged Tennessee Baptists to pray for and give to missions within the state and initiated the offering. The offering was named after them in 1943. Today, churches are still encouraged to learn about, pray for, give to and serve in missions and ministries in Tennessee.

[Read more…]

GIRLS CHALLENGED TO STAND FIRM AT CONNECTION

April 5, 2018

By Juliana Wilson
TN WMU Communications & Childhood Missions Specialist, TBMB

Teenage girls and their leaders worship together during Connection which was held during the annual Woman’s Missionary Union Get-Together held March 16-18 in Gatlinburg.

GATLINBURG — Connection 2018, a missions event for girls in grades 7 through 12, took place March 16-18 at the Gatlinburg Convention Center in conjunction with Missions Get-Together.

The group of 272 girls and leaders were among 1,495 total event attendees, including volunteers, exhibitors, personnel and staff who attended Connection and Missions Get-Together. The event centered around the theme “Stand Firm” and key Scripture from Galatians 5:1. Through worship, breakout sessions and hands-on experiences, the young women were challenged to stand firm on the gospel, in their faith and in their walk with Christ. [Read more…]

WMU EVENT LASTS BEYOND CONFERENCE

April 5, 2018

Attendees encouraged to stay engaged all year

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector

GATLINBURG — From Vickie Anderson’s perspective, the most important piece of WMU’s annual Missions Get-Together and Connection conference doesn’t occur during the weekend of the event.

Rather, it is the days, weeks and months after the conference that are the most significant, and the most satisfying, to Anderson, the executive director of Tennessee WMU.

“For me, the most exciting part is to see how individuals and churches respond to the way the Lord nudged them during the conference,” Anderson said. “To see churches getting involved with a ministry or getting deeper in Bible study or mentoring and ministering to someone — those are the stories that excite us.” [Read more…]

REFUGEE EXHIBIT CREATES PERSPECTIVE

April 5, 2018

By David Dawson
Baptist and Reflector

Upon entering the refugee simulation, the women were given a number and instructed to put all personal belongings in a trash bag.

GATLINBURG — According to recent data released by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, there are 65.6 million displaced individuals, or refugees, in the world today. It is the highest number in recorded history and is growing by hundreds of thousands each year.

Sadly, when hearing numbers like that, there is a tendency to forget that there are faces behind the figures. It almost becomes lost that these are real people, with real emotions and real families. And many of them are hurting.

In hopes of shining a light on these dark developments, national WMU has worked with several other organizations to create the “Refugee Simulation Experience” — an interactive, walk-through exhibit that enables participants to better grasp the hardships that many refugees are facing. [Read more…]

Camp-O-Ree a reminder of the need for RAs

Christmas backpack ministry brings gospel, toys to children

Attendees encouraged to stay engaged all year

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