Here’s a bold, yet certain resolution.
Resolved: Tennessee Baptists are pro-life from conception to the grave (and we are certainly pro-life beyond that).
The two greatest gifts God offers us are life itself and Jesus as the only way to reconciliation and eternal life. Why would He do that? Love. The Heavenly Father does it because He loves each of the eight billion individuals He created who currently populate the planet He created. And as believers, He calls us to love them too.
Being pro-life means we embrace the flourishing of life at all points. Unfortunately, some lives aren’t flourishing, which is why support for the Mother’s Day Offering for Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes (TBCH) and the Father’s Day Offering for Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes (TBAH) is so important. Both offer opportunities to express our love for God and for people through generosity.
For instance, news outlets for more than a decade have reported Tennessee has nearly 9,000 children living in the state foster care system, which struggles with staffing shortages and overwhelmed caseworkers unable to provide individualized attention. Many children experience instability, with frequent moves between homes and placements.
This doesn’t even account for those who “age out” of the system and face high rates of homelessness, addiction and incarceration.
Randy C. Davis
Tennessee Baptists, we’ve got to step up. First, give through the Mother’s Day Offering. The TBCH has done great work for more than 100 years through residential and foster care programs but needs more funding to help children who desperately need loving homes. Surely among 3,000 Tennessee Baptist churches and thousands more evangelical churches, Great Commission-pursuing and Great Commandment-believing Christians can have a profound positive impact on this crisis.
A second great giving opportunity is TBAH’s Father’s Day Offering. For more than 50 years, TBAH has provided safe residential care for senior adults and adults with special needs.
This is important work. A report from Tennessee’s Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities cites that about 2.3% of the population has developmental disabilities. Tennessee has a population of approximately seven million, meaning about 160,000 people have developmental disabilities. Around 100,000 of those are adults, according to the applied national ratio.
So often these people are overlooked or simply not noticed. Every single one of them is a precious soul created by God and has the same worth and value as anyone else. Your Tennessee Baptist Adult Homes compassionately cares for these special friends.
Last year, Tennessee Baptists gave with exceptional generosity through the Father’s Day Offering, surpassing the $500,000 mark for the first time in its 50-plus-year history and finishing with $547,000. The goal this year is $575,000.
For more than 150 years, Tennessee Baptists have generously given their time and money to serve others in need. The service rendered by TBCH and TBAH is akin to handing a cup of cool, clean water to a parched man. Your continued faithfulness through Cooperative Program giving and these special offerings ensures the love and gospel of Christ are expressed to many who may not hear it otherwise.
The included QR codes go to the respective donation pages of the two organizations. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
