Missions & Love Gift Ministries … Spring 2020

by Vicky Shaw

Love Gift

Love Gift Giving – NYS was a total of $8,253 for the year 2019 and as of February 2020 $844 has been given.

The Central Area Retreat 2019 Love Gift Offering was $165.50. and Fall Board Meeting $99.05

How can you support Love Gift TODAY? 

Receive a Love Gift offering at every women’s ministry event or meeting in your church or region.

• Set Love Gift goals for giving.
• Place Love Gift boxes on tables at conferences, board meetings, and association events.
• Keep a large jar near the back of the church for “Pennies from Heaven for Love Gift.” (Congregations have collected $40 to $50 monthly this way!)
• Give each family in your church a Love Gift Box
• Every fifth Sunday of a month receive a Love Gift offering during worship.
• Offer incentives for achieving the Love Gift goal your church sets. 

If your church does not have organized women’s ministries, you can still participate in Love Gift.

To order free Love Gift boxes visit: www.abwministries.org

Missions:

Noted from our ABWM National website: – American Baptist Women’s Ministries announces its mission focus theme for 2019-2021, Addiction. The mission focus provides American Baptist women and girls the opportunity to explore this critical issue, especially its impact upon women and girls, and how our faith calls us to respond. 

Did you know?

• Over 20 million Americans over the age of 12 have an addiction (excluding tobacco).
• 100 people die every day from drug overdoses. This rate has tripled in the past 20 years.
• 6.8 million people with an addiction have a mental illness.
• Over 90% of those with an addiction began drinking, smoking, or using illicit drugs before the age of 18.

Addictive behaviors are used to help us manage stress, negative emotions, and difficult social or relational experiences. For women, the challenges of multiple demands, role stress, body image, or trauma may also lead to addictive behaviors as coping strategies. With this theme, we could explore the dynamics of addiction as a progressive condition that begins as a solution and ends as our biggest problem. But even in the midst of this problem, we are not separated from God. Jesus knows why we started these behaviors and will walk with us into newness of life.  

Please let me know in what ways God has you or your church assisting in a resolution to addiction.

How do you display His Love to others in your local community, workplace and church?