January 25 - Are Mission Offerings Still a Thing?

Have you ever felt as if
you're putting your money

into a black hole

when you give
your weekly Mission offerings?

Maybe you should think about it more

as dumping your offerings into the river,

not to get rid of them

but to help Mission
flourish around the world.

Mission offerings don't seem to get
as much attention anymore,

yet they're still vitally important
to supporting work around the world.

Think of your Mission offerings as a river

flowing through the entire world,

providing life-giving water
to help sustain the mission fields.

You probably know countries and projects

that are supported
by part of your 13th Sabbath offering.

But what about
the regular Mission offerings

you give each week?

Where do they go?
What do they support?

And what do they achieve?

You may be surprised to learn
that your weekly Mission offerings

help support the work of about
400 missionary families around the world.

In fact, 70% of the weekly
Mission offerings each quarter

helps to support overseas missionaries

and the international work of the church.

Appropriations from
the General Conference to World Divisions,

the Middle East-North Africa
Union Mission,

and the Israel Field help these regions

build and sustain mission activities
in their territories,

like water irrigating fields
when there's not enough rain.

The remaining money
helps various institutions and agencies

that serve the World Church.

For example, it helps
the compassionate medical mission work

of Loma Linda University,

the outreach of Adventist World Radio,

and the humanitarian ministry of ADRA,

the Adventist Development
and Relief Agency.

In recent years, millions of people
from challenging areas of the world

have found salvation in Jesus

and have joined
the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

In 2018, every 22 seconds,

someone became an Adventist,

and every four hours,
a new church was organized.

Thanks to your offerings
and the global mission focus,

thousands of new congregations
have been established in unreached areas

and among new people groups.

But after these new believers
have been baptized,

how are they nurtured?

How do we make sure
that their new faith is strengthened

and they grow as disciples?

Your River of Mission offerings

helps grow and sustain new work
throughout the world.

Please, keep this
live-giving river flowing.

Thank you for your faithful
weekly Mission offerings

and your continuing prayers
for Adventist Mission.