“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9

One Great Hour of Sharing began seventy-four years ago in response to the devastation of World War II. There was an overwhelming response to a nationally broadcasted address by then President Harry S. Truman, in which he asked listeners to give generously the following morning in their churches. More than 75,000 churches responded!

Today, One Great Hour of Sharing serves people in over 80 countries around the world. Sponsored by eight Christian U.S. Denominations and Church World Service. One Great Hour of Sharing makes sure that we can respond to needs as soon as they happen, through Emergency Relief Grants and Grants for Development and Ministry to Displaced Persons. It’s wonderful to think that our church can take part in that response to the needs of tens of thousands of people.  In Massachusetts, in 2022, grants were given to Christ the King Deaf Church in Groton, to Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministries (MBMM) in Lowell, advocating for New Americans; and to the Refugee Immigration Ministries of Malden.

“It’s time to share” – this year’s theme – reminds us that once again we have an opportunity to do good around the world – and in our own communities.  In doing so, “At the right time we will harvest a good crop.”

Sincerely,

Marilyn E. Glover, for the Board of Christian Mission

Note: This letter was sent also by mail with enclosed envelope for your gift. Please send envelope with check to First Baptist Church, Malden 493 Main St., Malden, MA. 02148 or drop it in the offering plate on Sunday worship service. Thank you.

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This month of March, 2023 our church promotes America for Christ Offering. Our gifts can work as agents for Grace upon Grace in helping share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Learn More >

Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO) 2023

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” – Philippians 1:3

Dear Friends,

Not all of us have the same pastoral history, but we all remember the pastor or missionary who made a difference in our lives… The ones who were with us in the big moments and small … With leadership, listening, wisdom, condolence or just the right prayer when needed most …Their selfless service has a lasting effect.  The Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO) is a way to give back

We’ll have a chance to do this during the month of January 2023.  The offering supports those who have dedicated their lives to God’s service by providing emergency assistance in times of need and a thank you check at the end of each year.

Our most recently retired Pastor, Rev. Martha Dominy, is now included among those who have committed their lives to God’s service.

For all they’ve done for you: Pray. Listen. Baptize. Marry. Direct. Lead. Bury. Celebrate. Counsel. Mourn. Welcome. Enlighten. – Give to RMMO.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

The FBC Board of Christian Mission

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WORLD MISSION OFFERING 2022

“God is doing a new thing.” – Isaiah 43:19

October 3, 2022

Dear Friends,

Each year through Intenational Ministries’ World Mission Offering, thousands of churches and individuals come together to promote and support ministries that God is using to transform the world. Our Board of Christian Mission is encouraging us to join in this ministry.

Through the 2022 World Mission Offering theme “God is doing a new thing”, inspired by Isaiah 43:19, we are reminded that God is at work in so many hopeful and encouraging ways through our global servants and partners. International Ministries global Servant Katherine Niles, who helps a growing network of fourteen mission hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo obtain the equipment and supplies they need, has said: “When people are sick it’s a vulnerable time – fear, anger, hopelessness. It’s an opportunity to reach into people’s lives with the good news of Christ as healer, and of eternal life. Anyone can build a hospital and dispense medicines, but what transforms life is bringing the salt and light of Christ. Christ is in everything we do.

By giving to the World Mission Offering, we support God’s healing of lives.

Sincerely,

Marily E. Glover, for the Board of Christian Mission

p.s.  You can mail your check to First Baptist Church, 493 Main Street, Malden, MA. 02148 or bring your gift to church. 

 

Two videos showing the World Mission Offering ministries in 2022:

 

 

A new video to share from IM Executive Director Sharon Koh highlights International Ministries’ ministry priority areas and the unique way which approaches cross-cultural mission—through partnerships.

 

International Ministries: Who we are from International Ministries on Vimeo.

 

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING 2022

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

July 5, 2022

Dear Friends,

Did you know?  One Great our of Sharing began seventy-three years ago in response to the devastation of World War II.  On Saturday evening, March 26, 1949, a national broadcast entitled “One Great Hour” featured a remarkable assembly of national leaders and celebrities, including the 33rd President, Harry S. Truman.  The broadcast concluded by asking Americans to give generously the next morning in their churches.  More than 75,000 churches responded!

Today, Love Remains.  One Great Hour of Sharing serves people in over 80 countries around the world.  Sponsored by eight U.S. Christian denominations, and Church World Service, One Great Hour of Sharing makes sure that we can respond to needs as soon as they happen and that tens of thousands of people receive support for ongoing relief, rehabilitation and development.  In Massachusetts, grants were given to TABCOM for the Greater Boston International Student Ministry; to Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministries (MBMM) for the ACE Center in Lowell, advocating for New Americans; and to the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain, a grant for Food and Shelter.

Around the world – and in our own communities – gifts given to One Great Hour of Sharing weave together a tapestry of faith, hope, and love in action.  We are grateful for the opportunity to change the world through our acts of a kindness, large and small. 

Please send your gifts as expression of love in action to First Baptist Church, 493 Main Street, Malden, MA. 02148.

I recommend viewing the video “Love Remains-OGHS 2022” 

Sincerely,

Marilyn Glover, for the Board of Christian Mission

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AMERICA FOR CHRIST OFFERING 2022

“I will praise you and testify about what you have done”   Psalm 22:22

“TESTIMONY”

Dear Friends,

In the above verse, the psalmist tells of God’s many acts of deliverance and rescue in tumultuous times.  We praise God for all the wonders that He is performing in our lives.

It’s up to us to answer God’s call to help and to heal.  COVID -19 has devastated communities across the United States and Puerto Rico.  We hear about wildfires raging in the West, floods rising in the East, hurricane Ida leaving destruction from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast, unemployment, homelessness, children living in poverty.  It would be a bleak picture indeed if it weren’t for God’s love in its fullest expression in American Baptist congregations and communities.

American Baptist partners are faithfully serving with helping ministries and creative responses to the diverse needs, whether helping innocent children living in conditions of poverty, assisting a family that is being evicted, providing food and shelter to the homeless man pushing all his belongings in a shopping cart, and so many others hurting and lost.

Through our financial partnership with the American Baptist Home Mission Societies, we can together work to bring more hope into our broken world with leaders and disciples who are the hands and feet of Jesus.

Our gifts to the America for Christ Offering can help bring God’s healing touch to so many.

Sincerely,

Marilyn E. Glover

For the Board of Christian Mission


Watch Video >

 

 


Mission Moment   Mission Moment (Full Width)  

Message from International Ministries Executive Director Sharon Koh

 

WMO 2021 Sharon Koh CEO Message from International Ministries

 

World Mission Offering 2021   “I once was blind, but now I see”  – Mark 8:22-26

Dear Friends,

International Ministries has had a continued participation in the mission of God for 206 years, beginning with the service of Malden-born Adoniram Judson in 1815, as our first foreign missionary. Such a long duration could not be possible without God’s faithfulness to us…through two world wars, the Spanish flu, the great depression, 9/11, the 2008 recession, and many more periods of distress and loss around the world. In such times of crisis it’s difficult to know God’s purpose, but it helps to reflect on God’s faithfulness to us in the past.

The 2021 World Mission Offering theme “I was blind, but now I see” inspired by Mark 8:22-26 shows how a trust in Jesus can make clear in God’s time the things that puzzle us. We “see” God at work in so many hopeful and encouraging ways through our global servants and partners.

Our congregation now has an opportunity to come alongside International Ministries’ global servants and partners worldwide as we give to the World Mission Offering. In God’s hands, our gift impacts communities around the world. Please join me in praying for our global servants and in giving generously to the World Mission Offering.

Sincerely,

Marilyn E. Glover, for the Board of Christian Mission

“International Ministries works cross-culturally to invite people to become disciples of Jesus Christ and to proclaim, through both word and deed, God’s reign of justice, peace and abundant life for all creation.”

Watch more videos:

 

 

 

Our church supports America for Christ Offering 2020 this month of March. The scripture theme this year is “You shall Love your Neighbor as yourself”. Matthew 22:39. With this we follow the teaching of Jesus to love our neighbor as ourselves. Ms. Marilyn E. Glover writes >


 

 

Our church will once again support the Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO) this month of January, 2020. Marilyn E. Glover, FBC Christian Mission Board Chair writes to members and friends to participate in this worthy endeavor. Please read here. 


WMO 2019 Theme: Let Living Water Flow

Together with other churches across the country, our church will focus on supporting World Mission Offering (WMO) the ministry that God uses to help and transform countries around the world. The theme for 2019 is Let Living Water Flow (John 4:14).  Learn more >

Dear Friends,

This year the World Mission Offering is themed around Jesus’ words to the woman at the well, “Whoever drinks of the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14).  Like water, the most essential ingredient for life, Christ is working in the world through International Ministries’ global servants (that is, our missionaries) and partners worldwide to share the life-changing love of Christ, satisfying the thirst of those who seek him.

Our congregation now has an opportunity to come alongside International Ministries’ global servants and partners worldwide as we give to the World Mission Offering. In God’s hands, our gift impacts communities around the world.  Please join me in praying for our global servants and in giving generously to the world Mission Offering.

As we pray “Thy Kingdom come…” I believe that each of us has an essential role in bringing this petition to fruition, and none can be considered insignificant.  It is amazing how much is accomplished when we work together in God’s mission.

Sincerely,

Marilyn E. Glover, for the Board of Christian Mission
October 2, 2019



One Great Hour Of Sharing Offering 2019 theme is “More than we can imagine” based on Ephesians 3:20. Ms. Marilyn Glover writes > 

Dear Friends,

The Lord Jesus Christ intends every member of the church to do the work of the ministry.  The intention of ministry is to build up each other’s faith and love and to lighten the burdens of others in the service of love for the community.

The American Baptist Home Mission Societies’ (ABHMS) America for Christ (AFC) 2019 theme “Healing Communities,” based on Galatians 6:9-10: “Let us not become weary in doing good…” is a reminder to join with diverse communities to encourage mutual transformation.  Last year, the following ministries were supported by AFC gifts, including ours:

  • “Rebuilding, Restoring, Renewing Puerto Rico” – rebuilding the island one church and one building at a time.
  • Scholarships for Emerging Leaders – providing scholarships to students to help ease the debilitating effects of excessive student-loan debt.
  • Immigration and Refugee Resettlement – partnering with organizations that have resettled more than 100,000 displaced persons from across the globe.
  • Rizpah’s Children – partnering with agencies that provide support to children living in poverty.

Additional supported ministries include Disaster Response, Volunteer Mobilization, Prisoner Re-entry, and Community Outreach Ministries.

AFC 2019 encourages us to engage in service to the church and the community.  For many, that may be the way they experience the love of Christ in us.   Please join me in giving to this year’s AFC offering and help us reach our goal of $800, as we partner with ABHMS in healing communities.

Sincerely,

Marilyn E. Glover, for the Board of Christian Mission

It’s Korean Cuisine once again being served by our faithful Habitat for Humanity Volunteers during the 35th Annual International Food Fair in First Church, Swampscott on February 2, 2019. Take a look >

 

January 2, 2019

Dear Friends,

The roots of the Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO) originated in the mid-1930’s, when American Baptist congregations received a Communion Fellowship Offering on the first Sunday of each month to support retired ministers, missionaries, their widowed spouses and elderly clergy within their churches.  In 1977, American Baptist churches USA launched RMMO to continue this appreciation of God’s servants.

The offering is rooted in thankfulness and honors the individual acts of support and faith that recipients have shown to their congregations and communities.  This year’s theme, Extending Our Hands to Our Neighbors, illustrates the importance of being there for one another and remembering we are stronger together than on our own is central to the Christian faith.

We hope you will participate in honoring God’s committed servants.

Sincerely,

Marilyn E. Glover, for the Board of Christian Mission


“You are the Salt of the earth…” Matthew 5:13. For the 2018 World Mission Offering (WMO), we are highlighting the Ministry Priorities of Health and Wellness, Abolishing Global Slavery and Economic and Community Development. While these represent only a fraction of IM’s ministries, they provide a window into what God is doing worldwide through our 120 global servants, 900+ volunteers, 43 home staff and 240+ global partners.
Why Give to the World Mission Offering? Gifts to WMO, like all gifts to the International Ministries General Fund, are used 84% for mission program, 10% for administrative support, and 6% for development costs.

World Mission Offering 2018 – Message from Executive Director CEO Sharon Koh from International Ministries on Vimeo.

 

 

Dear Church Family Members,
 
The American Baptist Women’s Ministries of our church invites you to support our American Baptist mission work in Bulgaria through a White Cross International Ministries fundraiser.   Please take a few moments and read the attached letter from Marilyn Glover, President of our local ABWM and Chair of our Board of Christian Missions. 
 
This financial appeal is a little different than most that we make – the American Baptist Women’s Ministries will match our combined contributions up to $250!  
 
To make donations:  Checks may be made payable to the First Baptist Church of Malden, with a note in the memo line ‘ABWM Myers Challenge’.  They may be placed in the offering plate on a Sunday or mailed to the church office, 493 Main St., Malden, MA 02148.  Offering envelopes for cash may be found in the Parlor, and noted for ‘ABWM Myers Challenge’.
 
Thank you for prayerfully considering how you may support the ministry of the Tom and Terry Myers in Bulgaria.
 
Pastor Martha

Dear Friends,

The One Great Hour of Sharing Offering began sixty-nine years ago in response to the devastation of World War II. In March, 1949, a national broadcast on a Saturday evening asked Americans to give generously the next morning in their churches. A remarkable assembly of national leaders and celebrities gave their efforts to the broadcast, and more than 75,000 churches responded the next day.

Today, One Great Hour of Sharing serves people in over 80 countries around the world. Sponsored by eight Christian U.S. Denominations and Church World Service, One Great Hour of Sharing makes sure that we can respond to needs as soon as they happen and that tens of thousands of people receive support for ongoing disaster relief, rehabilitation, development projects, and refugee ministries of the American Baptist Churches and its partners.

2017 was a year of many natural disasters – extraordinary hurricanes, fires, mudslides, etc. Many man-made disasters – think Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Nigeria, and South Sudan – continue unresolved, claiming new victims every day. Yes, our gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing brought relief in many of these situations.

Sincerely,

Marilyn E. Glover, for the Board of Christian Mission


America For Christ Offering 2018. This month of March, our church is promoting AFC 2018 to support American Baptist mission and ministry across the United States and Puerto Rico. The theme for the AFC Offering 2018 is “Equipping Disciples” based on this Scripture: “The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13, NRSV).

 

Letter From The Board of Christian Mission Chair on March 1, 2018

Dear Friends,

We know that the origin of Christian ministry is in Christ, who gives spiritual gifts and gifted people to the church. Its goal is the building of the body of Christ in knowledge, faith, and love. One stands amazed at the living, dynamic, God-appointed process that moves from origin to goal. God gives spiritual leaders to the church whose role it is to equip saints for ministry, a truth which the Apostle Paul echoes in Ephesians 4:11-13:

“the gifts He gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the full stature of Christ.”

God’s pattern for producing people with powerful faith and genuine love is not to have the pastor-teachers do all the work of the ministry. They are to equip the saints to do the ministry – the ministry of the laity. That’s who we are! The Lord Jesus Christ intends every member of the church to do the work of the ministry, to build up each other’s faith and love.

This year’s theme for the America for Christ Offering is: Leaders Equipping Disciples Healing Communities encourages coming alongside people and building them up. May we be generous in our giving, as we enable the American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) to provide high quality Christian resources and encouragement to our American Baptist network of disciple-makers, thereby improving their effectiveness in equipping other Christians. It is in our service to the church and the community that many experience the Christ in us.

Sincerely,

Marilyn E. Glover


Sunday, February 4 is Souper Bowl of Caring Offering for Bread of Life. A simple prayer: “Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat”. Learn more >

 


Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO). This year’s theme is Generous Congregation.

Dear Friends,

Helping those in need is one of the major themes of the Bible and of Jesus’ ministry. The prophet Isaiah reminds us: “But generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.” (Isaiah 32:8 NLT). Generosity is central to our faith, and is emphasized in this year’s theme – Generous Congregations. As Christians, we are called to serve and care for others, and the Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO) inspires us to honor the devotion of ministers and their families for their service to the church. It is with much pride that I noted the First Baptist Church of Malden, MA, as one of the top 25 giving churches in 2016 of the American Baptist Churches, USA.
Since RMMO began in 1977, it has helped provide much needed thank you checks to retire ministers, missionaries, and their widowed spouses and families – those who have dedicated their lives to God’s service. We at First Baptist, Malden, remember with love those who have been of service in our own church and association: Rev. Dr. George Sinclair, Mrs. George Tooze (Connie), and Rev. Doreen Parker Freeman.
We are urged to share God’s abundance and do all we can to support this worthy cause, remembering that giving is both a gift to the recipient as well as the one who gives.

Sincerely,

Marilyn E. Glover, for the Board of Christian Mission


World Mission Offering 2017 theme is Discipleship: Come, Follow Me (Mark 1:17). This year, we are highlighting our ministries in the areas of Conflict transformation, Abolishing slavery and Economic and Community Development. Together, we are mobilizing local communities in the name of Jesus Christ to lighten the burden of poverty, encourage peaceful ways to live in diverse cultural contexts and offer hope and dignity to the marginalized. You can join in this ministry by giving through our church or online at http://www.worldmissionoffering.org.

 

Dear Church Family,

Jesus’s invitation to discipleship requires prayerful commitment to the cause of Christ, fulfilling God’s mission on earth as it is in heaven. Our American Baptist Churches’ International Ministries (IM) has given us a means to take and live out that invitation to discipleship internationally. IM global servants work in cross-cultural settings to extend Jesus’s invitation in many creative ways. Among the critical issues being worked on worldwide are

  • Peace and Justice
  • Abolishing Global Slavery
  • Economic and Community Development

The World Mission Offering makes it possible to train new global servants, care for the ones in the field, and provide the services and resources that they need for such critical issues. Our Malden First Baptist’s goal this year is $800.00. Please join me as we gain a deeper understanding of discipleship and are blessed through our giving to the World Mission Offering.

Serving Christ with you,

Marilyn Glover, for the Board of Christian Mission


One Great Hour of Sharing supports projects that break the cycles of poverty, hunger and thirst, as well as providing aid during times of crisis. One Great Hour of Sharing changes lives and gives people a future filled with hope.

Dear Friends,
“I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink…” Matthew 25:35

This year our offering theme is “You are here”. It reminds us of our call to be here for one another, loving one another as God has loved us. Christ is uniquely present in those whom we serve. One Great Hour of Sharing is present for people near and far in moments of crisis and calm because of our partnership and generosity.

You are here – in Nicaragua, where women are given the training and tools to cultivate home gardens to provide nutritious food for their families.

You are here – in West Virginia, where communities build after floods claim lives and livelihoods.

You are here – in Lebanon, Hungary, Mexico, the United States, and elsewhere around the world, where refugees are receiving food, water, and medicine with dignity, as our partners offer aid and accompaniment.

One Great Hour of Sharing is present where and when needed, so we also are present.

Sincerely,
Marilyn Glover, for the Board of Christian Mission

The bulk of the One Great Hour of Sharing offering goes to support water, hunger, disaster relief and empowerment programs. Focusing on these four areas allows One Great Hour of Sharing to address some of the root causes of suffering in our world.

Your gifts make hope possible.

 

Our church promotes Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO) this month of January, 2017. Learn more >

 

The month of October, we are launching a campaign to support World Mission Offering 2016.  Theme is Celebrating New Life in Christ “On Earth As  In Heaven”. Country in focus – Cuba
world-mission-offering-2016

More from FBC, Malden Mission Board >
One Great Hour Of Sharing >
America For Christ Offering >

 

 

 

 

October 3, 2016

Dear Friends,

A great and surprising spiritual awakening is happening in Baptist churches of Cuba right now! Since 1990, the number of churches in Cuba has grown by 450%.  The number of baptism has risen by over 500%. And the number of prayer groups and total church membership have climbed in equally high numbers.

After decades of harsh restrictions, “the church of God has risen from the ashes,” says a retired Cuban church leader who witnessed the remarkable change firsthand. “In God’s time, the hearts of so many people have been opened up to the goodness of the gospel.”

The good news is that our church’s support of the World Mission Offering (WMO) is helping to fuel the growth of the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention through financial and global worker support and through International Ministries (IM) – sponsored pastoral conferences. The better news is that there is a lot that we can learn from Cuba’s spiritual revival.

For example: Youth ministry is thriving through camping and sports ministries, concerts, and youth rallies in the streets of Cuba’s cities and towns. Spirit-filled outreach is yielding abundant fruit through evangelistic campaigns, supported with fervent prayer and fasting. Discipleship is spreading through numerous house churches and cell groups of prayer. A new generation of leaders is growing through faithful teaching at seminaries and lay training centers.

And perhaps the best news of all is that Cuba’s spiritual awakening is but one of many thriving ministries run by IM partners and more than 1,800 long and short term global workers in more than 70 countries around the world. IM’s vision is “on earth as in heaven,” which reminds us of God’s invitation to participate in His work in the world.

Our gifts to the WMO help to raise up, place and send new global servants and volunteers to reach and touch lives for Jesus around the world.  They also help to fill gaps for those workers who haven’t yet reach their support goals, enabling crucial ministries to continue.

Our gifts help support IM’s more than 240 global partners who are actively sharing God’s message of hope, love, and healing with a lost and hurting world. Our gifts help recruit and train new global workers, open up new global mission fields, respond to global disasters with relief and development funds through One Great Hour Of Sharing and much more.

Our 2016 World Mission Offering will be received through October, culminating in a dedication on October 30th. Please give generously and expectantly to the WMO as together we help people everywhere come to Christ, grow in their relationship with God and change their worlds through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Glover April 2005
Marilyn E. Glover

Marilyn E. Glover, for the Board Of Christian Mission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Great Hour Of Sharing 2016

May 5, 2016

Dear Friends,

It’s time again for the One Great Hour of Sharing special offering.  By the grace of God we are given the opportunity to share our gifts and resources with our brothers and sisters in need around the world.  We all have the power to give back to God from that which God has given us and create a more just world for all of God’s children.  Through our gifts, we participate in the many ministries that serve the hungry, the poor, the distressed, the refugee.

The Hebrew Bible models this offering in the story of Ruth and Naomi, portrayed in the Book of Ruth.  When faced with forced relocation, due to famine and political strife, Ruth said to Naomi, “Where you go I will go”.

Like Ruth and Naomi, refugees are confronted with dire situations in their homes, and are forced by the necessity of survival to leave behind their communities in order to seek safety and security.  Currently, the United Nations estimates over 60 million of our brothers and sisters across the world are refugees or displaced persons.  The number is higher than it has been since World War II, and is expected to increase as violence continue in the Middle East and parts of Africa.  Through One Great Hour of Sharing we embrace refugees around the world as our own.  We say “Where you go, we will go”.

The One Great Hour of Sharing Offering places us side by side with those in need.  Whether it’s disasters in our own communities or distress across the globe, with our gifts we answer God’s call for us to bring wholeness to a fragmented world.

Sincerely,

Marilyn E. Glover
For the Board of Christian Mission
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Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering
December 29, 2014
Dear members and friends,
Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Paul is encouraged by the faith and strong sense of community of the new converts and urges them to show appreciation of those who provide leadership for their faith journey.

The roots of the Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO) go back to the mid 1930’s.  In 1977, American Baptist Churches USA launched the RMMO to continue this appreciation.  This offering sends a “Thank You” in the form of a check at the end of the year for the commitment and services and spiritual guidance of those who have devoted their lives to God’s service.

RMMO provides financial support for the retired ministers, missionaries, and widowed spouses who have help build our churches.  The assistance provided by RMMO restores the lifeline and ongoing connection to the ABC family.

We hope that RMMO will continue to serve as a rich tradition for our congregation and help be an inspiration for so many who have served with gladness.  The focus of this year’s offering is Inspiration + Community as we acknowledge that those who have served in ministry have inspired our faith walk and helped to foster a strong sense of Christian community.  Please help us reach our goal for this year of $500.00.

Yours in the faith,

Mae B. Upperman
Mission Board Chair

 

World Mission Offering 2014

Come Over…and Help Us!  Acts 16: 9b

Dear Members and Friends,

Almost 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul saw a vision of a man saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  Today, that same call is being echoed all over the world – from Myanmar and Brazil to South Africa and Macau.  People are crying out for the hope and light of the Gospel in a world darkened by sin.

How would we respond to a call for help?  If we knew that some people were facing difficult situations and asked us to help them, what would we do?  At First Baptist Church of Malden we’re committed to Jesus’ Great Commission to “make disciples of all the nations…” (Matthew 28: 19).   One of the practical ways we can do this is by supporting our annual World Mission Offering whose theme this year is to Rise To The Challenge.

During worship though out the month of October, we’ll learn about the World Mission Offering.  Together, we’ll find out about the spiritual needs around the world and how International Ministries is working to place and sustain missionaries internationally.  And together, we’ll celebrate how our World Mission Offering gifts make possible the ministries of 114 long term IM missionaries and more than 1,800 short-term missionaries and volunteers working with more than 200 partner organizations in more than 70 countries.

I believe that when we Rise To The Challenge, God will lead us to meet our goal of $800.00.  Please join me as we gain deeper understanding of International Ministries and how others (and we ourselves) will be blessed through our World Mission Offering giving.

Your servant in Christ,

Mae B. Upperman
For the FBC Malden Mission Board

abiding-radio

 

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