LMCO 2011

The theme for this year's Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is...

His Heart, His Hands, His Voice

The focus scripture is Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I thought I'd give you some "fast facts" from the LMCO resources available at http://www.imb.org/

World evangelization

• 11,659 people groups worldwide; 6.8 billion people

• 6,744 unreached people groups (less than 2 percent evangelical but active church planting)

• 3,789 unreached, unengaged people groups (among whom no one is spreading the Gospel)

• 817 people groups directly or indirectly engaged by IMB personnel

(as reported in April 2011 Global Status of Evangelical Christianity)

Missionaries

• 5,013 missionaries

• 4,246 long-term missionaries

• 767 short-term missionaries)

(as of March 16, 2011)

Church growth

• 29,237 new churches

• 360,876 baptisms

(as reported in 2010 Annual Statistical Report)

The average cost to support an individual missionary:

• $46,700 a year

• $3,890 a month

• $900 a week

• $128 a day

• $5.30 an hour

• $.09 a minute

Reported April 2011. Support includes housing, salary, children's education, medical expenses, retirement and more.

So...what can you do?  Exactly what He has called you to do. 

Pray.  Give.  Go.

Be His Heart, His Hands, His Voice