This is a quite pedestrian article about the SBC's most important organization and offering.
Year........Goal........Received
2004 150,000,000 133,886,222
2005 150,000,000 137,939,678
2006 150,000,000 150,178,098
2007 165,000,000 150,409,654
2008 170,000,000 141,315,110
2009 175,000,000 148,984,819
2010 175,000,000 145,662,925
2011 175,000,000
The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions is the SBC's most important offering. It is the envy of missions organizations everywhere. The IMB has a page of "Fast Facts" about personnel, missions, and Lottie Moon.
A few of Plodder's Fast Facts:
1. LMCO money is the best money a local church can spend.
2. The LMCO is a powerhouse of financial support and that in spite of the recent years of declining totals.
3. The last year a goal was met was 2006.
4. LMCO goals have become meaningless figures. Last year's goal was missed by almost $30 million dollars.
5. With respect to international missions, a dollar given to the LMCO is worth about five times a dollar that is given to the Cooperative Program. [Which may account for the trend to give directly to the IMB and by-pass state conventions and Executive Committee.]
2 comments:
do you think this is a vision ("what is LMCO again?") or a promotion ("There's an offering for international missions in December?") problem?
My opinion: the first, more than the second, except in new/young churches
Good questions. Established SBC churches should have no problem finding sufficient vision or enthusiasm for promotion of the LMCO. The lack of strong WMU and concomitant missions education components may have led to a dearth of knowledge in such churches on the IMB and the offering.
If so, it's the fault of the pastor (or a series of pastors).
In a newer church without much institutional SBC history or background there may be much more groundwork that needs to be done.
Regardless, the LMCO is a powerhouse offering, year-after-year. The failure to achieve goals is partly a function of unrealistic goals, the economy, and insufficient commitment to taking the Gospel where it is most needed and most seldom heard.
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