Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions Archives

ACTEENS HELP RURAL CHURCH EXCEED GOLDEN OFFERING GOAL

October 27, 2021

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

Pastor Eric Atkins of New Friendship Baptist Church, Cleveland, holds the GOTM promotion display the church used with the help of his daughter, Anna, center, and wife, Cindy.

CLEVELAND — New Friendship Baptist Church in rural Bradley County has always been a strong supporter of missions, said pastor Eric Atkins.

Not only does the church give 12.5 percent of its undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program and 5 percent to CrossNet Baptist Association, the church sets lofty goals for the annual missions offerings — Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions.

“Like any other church coming out of the pandemic, we saw a greater need to support these offerings,” Atkins said.

This year, the church set a goal of $2,500 for GOTM, a challenging goal for a congregation that has averaged about 50 people weekly since the onset of the pandemic a year ago. [Read more…]

GOLDEN JOURNEY

October 15, 2021

Pastor rides across state to raise GOTM funds

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

Frank Webb, pastor of First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, recently logged more than 1,000 miles on his motorcycle in an effort to raise money for the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions.

MOUNT PLEASANT — For a small congregation, First Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant has always given generously to missions.

Pastor Frank Webb, who also is a F.A.I.T.H. Rider, recently completed a motorcycle ride across Tennessee from Memphis to Mountain City to raise money for the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions. Several church members pledged an amount per mile for the 1,000-plus mile ride. About $1,600 was pledged for the GOTM.

F.A.I.T.H. Riders is a national ministry developed in 2002 at First Baptist Church at the Mall in Lakeland, Fla. According to the F.A.I.T.H. Riders website, what began “as a four-person step of faith has grown into a team of many dedicated believers committed to the cause of Christ and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ on and with their motorcycles to anyone who will listen.”

The ministry has expanded to more than 350 churches in 29 states, including Tennessee. [Read more…]

2021 GOTM GIFTS EXCEED $1.7 MILLION

September 14, 2021

Baptist and Reflector

FRANKLIN — Tennessee Baptists gave $1,721,190 through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions in 2020-21.

Though the total was the lowest total since 2014-15, it was still “an amazing amount given by Tennessee Baptists during a pandemic year when many churches weren’t meeting in the fall of 2020, the time of year most churches give to the offering,” said Vickie Anderson, executive director of Tennessee Woman’s Missionary Union.

“While the amount received for the state missions offering may be less, Tennessee Baptists were very active in prayer and doing hands-on missions and ministry in their community, association and across the state,” Anderson added.

“It is exciting that more than $1.7 million was given through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions in a year of COVID 19-created challenges,” agreed Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. [Read more…]

FOOD PANTRY HELPS CHURCH REACH COMMUNITY, SHARE GOSPEL

September 7, 2021

By Ashley Perham
Baptist and Reflector

Riverview Baptist Church pastor Mike Parker puts up a sign to welcome guests to the church’s food pantry.

KNOXVILLE — Mike Parker had never pastored before coming to Riverview Baptist Church, Knoxville, in January 2020 to help with church revitalization.

“You hired a missionary, and so we’re going to do missions,” he told the congregation of around 20. “That’s how we’re going to get this thing going.”

Six weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Parker knew the church needed to start doing outreach so he started a food pantry as an opportunity to help the community.

Parker, who is bivocational, has run a food pantry in Guatemala since 2008. Clubhouse Guatemala is still his full-time job.

Parker described East Knoxville as a working class community that doesn’t have a lot of money. In April 2020, he applied for a Compassion Ministries grant for $2,000 to start the pantry. The grant money came from the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions. [Read more…]

21 REASONS FOR $2.1 MILLION IN ’21

September 6, 2021

Editor’s note: The suggested dates for the Week of Prayer for the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions are Sept. 12-19. The 2021-22 GOTM goal is $2.1 million.

By Matt Tullos
Special Assistant to the Executive Director, TBMB

As we begin the journey to 2.1 million dollars raised through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions, here are 21 reasons why we are asking all our churches to give generously.

1. We are planting new churches. Through this season of the pandemic, we’ve seen new churches begin. There are pockets of Tennessee with no evangelical churches. Planting new churches is difficult, but amazing things are happening!

2. We have over one million people in Tennessee who are immigrants or refugees. What an opportunity to reach people with different languages, cultures, and faiths! The world is coming to Tennessee!

3. This is an opportunity for your church to widen her impact on Tennessee. When we work together, we can do so much more!

4. The floods of ’21. Did you know that our state has been impacted more than any other state in the flooding disasters? The numbers are growing. People have lost property, valuables, and even family members. We have an opportunity to be with them through the long haul of recovery and share the love of Jesus. [Read more…]

BAPTIST CENTER SERVES AS ‘CORNERSTONE’ FOR COMMUNITY

September 2, 2021

Editor’s note: The suggested dates for the Week of Prayer for the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions is Sept. 12-19. The 2021-22 GOTM goal is $2.1 million.

By Ashley Perham
Baptist and Reflector

KNOXVILLE — There’s never a typical day at the Montgomery Village Baptist Center in South Knoxville.

From a clothing room to food giveaways to help with housing applica

Sunny Ikojoh, left, serves a plate of food at the Village Baptist Center. Ikojoh is the center’s Facilitator of Community Engagement.

tions, the building has a plethora of ways to connect with and meet the needs of the community. Along with weekly meals and scheduled events for kids, people needing help or fellowship drop into the Baptist Center every day.

“We provide physical commodities — food, clothing, household items, things of that nature — and also after-school programs for children, (and it’s) all as an opportunity to share Christ with this community,” said Tom Hodges, who has worked at the Baptist Center for 16 years.

“It’s the cornerstone of the whole neighborhood,” said Sandi Williamson, a community resident. “We know that there’s a food pantry there; there’s where we can go and socialize amongst each other. Everybody appreciates it.” [Read more…]

THE ANSWER FOR AN UNSETTLED WORLD

August 13, 2021

By Randy C. Davis
President and executive director, Tennessee Baptist Mission Board

Our world is an unsettled place.

Just look across our state, our country and around the world. We live in days of constant change, high anxiety and rampant fear. In fact, a recent Lifeway Research study found that the feeling people most wanted to avoid, and are most concerned with, is fear. That’s the first time fear has topped the list of the ongoing study.

People feel everything they looked to for life stability is unsettled and spinning out of control. They seek answers but find responses with no substance. What passes for truth is often relative and where they seek peace is often destructive.

There is only one source for the truth that brings hope, stability and peace, and that source is Jesus Christ, “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). [Read more…]

TENNESSEE BAPTISTS PROVIDE ULTRASOUND MACHINE TO CLINIC

May 7, 2021

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

Guinda Flippin, RN, nurse manager at the Gibson County office of Birth Choice, uses a new ultrasound machine, paid for by gifts through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions. Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, said the TBMB’s goal is to “see an ultrasound machine placed in every crisis pregnancy center supported by local Baptist churches across our state.”

TRENTON — Thanks to gifts through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions, Tennessee Baptists have given their first ultrasound machine to a crisis pregnancy center in the state.

“I am so proud of how a few years ago, Tennessee Baptists stood up for life against abortion, but being pro-life is a lot more than being anti-abortion,” observed Randy C. Davis, president and executive director of the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

“We were able to supply our first ultrasound machine to Birth Choice in Trenton because Tennessee Baptists from all across the state gave so generously through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions.”

Davis said the TBMB’s goal is to “see an ultrasound machine placed in every crisis pregnancy center supported by local Baptist churches across our state.” [Read more…]

CHURCH DISPLAYS TRUE ‘GIVING SPIRIT’

February 12, 2021

Despite pandemic, Hilldale Baptist surpasses budget, mission goals

By David Dawson
ddawson@tnbaptist.org

CLARKSVILLE — “In good times and in bad; in sickness and in health.”

Those words, commonly heard at weddings, also describe the commitment displayed by the members of Hilldale Baptist Church, Clarksville, in 2020.

Amid all the devastating details of last year, including economic hardships brought on by the pandemic, Hilldale had a record setting year in giving. The church not only surpassed its overall budget, but also reached its goals for the Cooperative Program and the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions.

“It’s easy to see that God did a miracle in our midst,” said pastor Larry Robertson. “I’m so proud of our church family for a job well done, and for their willingness to let God use them in this way.”

The church exceeded its $3.1 million budget by more than $73,000, in addition to designated giving. This display of generosity would be noteworthy for any year, but it was especially impressive during a year that featured so many adjustments. [Read more…]

WE DID IT TOGETHER! NOW LET’S AIM EVEN HIGHER

September 1, 2020

By Randy C. Davis
TBMB President & Executive Director

Posterity will probably remember 2020 as the “Year of COVID-19.” The negative global impact of the coronavirus pandemic has certainly left its mark on Tennessee, the United States and the rest of the world.

However, I will remember 2020 as the year Tennessee Baptists set a record for generously giving through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions. We broke the previous giving record last week, and as of this writing, total giving for this year was $1,922,235 with five days remaining in the GOTM year (Sept.-Aug). Everything added to the total in these last few days only extends that historical threshold.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you, Tennessee Baptists, for your faithfulness and sacrificial giving. [Read more…]

Pastor rides across state to raise GOTM funds

Despite pandemic, Hilldale Baptist surpasses budget, mission goals

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