September 27, 2020
Dear Calvary family and friends,
Throughout the month of October, we are receiving the American Baptist International Ministries’ World Mission Offering (WMO). Through the WMO, we join with other congregations to come together for a time of awareness, advocacy, and action for global mission as we celebrate and support the ministries that God is using to transform the world. For the 2020 World Mission Offering, International Ministries (IM) is highlighting the Ministry Priorities of Discipleship, Theological Education, Peace and Justice, Education, Health and Wellness, and Economic Development. While these represent only a fraction of IM’s ministries, they provide a window into what God is doing worldwide through our 125 global servants, 900+ volunteers, home staff, and 250+ international partners.
This year’s World Mission Offering theme is “I once was blind, but now I see,” (Mark 8:22-26). Executive Director of IM, Sharon Koh, writes,
“We are living through very uncertain times. As followers of Christ, sometimes the best response we can give in the face of overwhelming unknowns is to remember how each of us has experienced and known God’s faithfulness in the past.
International Ministries’ 206 years of continued participation in the mission of God has only been possible because of God’s faithfulness to us. God has been faithful in allowing us to serve him through two world wars, the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, 9/11, the 2008 recession, and so many other times of distress, upheaval, and loss around the world. In each of these crises, it was not always obvious what God was up to or where God’s hand was at work.
When confronted with uncertainty, we as Christians have the opportunity to respond with faith in Jesus. I urge you to consider how your faithful giving and prayers could be used by God at this moment to impact the lives of many in need around the world today…until it is on earth as it is in heaven. Your participation now more than ever will help global servants and partners rebuild and re-establish ministries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and crisis.”
IM’s vision is “on earth as in heaven,” which reminds us of God’s invitation to participate in his work in the world. And that’s just what IM is doing—through your support of the WMO—by praying, equipping, serving, proclaiming, teaching, inviting, healing and encouraging in the name of Jesus. Your gifts to the WMO help:
- Raise up, place, and send new global servants and volunteers around the world. They also help to fill gaps for those workers who haven’t yet reached their support goals, enabling crucial ministries to continue.
- Support IM’s more than 250+ global partners who are actively sharing God’s message of hope, love, and healing with a suffering and hurting world.
- Recruit and train new global workers and respond to global disasters with relief and development funds through One Great Hour of Sharing and much more.
Please join me in giving generously to the World Mission Offering throughout October as, together, we enable IM global servants to experience and share God’s love all over the world.
With gratitude for all of our IM global servants and with gratitude for your generosity Calvary,
Rev. Anne J. Scalfaro, Senior Pastor