VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 9/30/14)—On Sunday, October 5, churches around the globe will celebrate their unity in the Christian faith on World Communion Sunday. On that day, millions of brothers and sisters in cities and on hillsides, in farms and refugee camps and in orphanages, clinics, seminaries and schools in every country will symbolically come together to remember that we are one in faith and love through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

World Communion Sunday is an appropriate time for churches to share with their members the inspiring stories of how God works through the global mission of American Baptist International Ministries (IM). The World Mission Offering materials bring these stories to life and energize congregations to “make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)

If your church has not already received its free World Mission Offering materials from IM, please call 1-800-4JUDSON to request them today. Or download the materials from the World Mission Offering website.

The 2014 World Mission Offering packet includes a 6-video DVD, a full-color poster, bulletin inserts and a leader’s guide, all of which focus on the Macedonian Vision in Acts 16—and how this vision is alive even today through IM in Macau, China, and all around the world.

Over the course of four weeks, these materials can provide a framework to help energize congregations for mission and to encourage them to Rise to the Challenge to support IM’s mission to recruit and sustain global servants for important ministries around the world.

The 2014 materials tell the the compelling story of how IM worked with partners in Macau to establish a new ministry to teenagers on this Chinese island, in which only 1% of the population is Christian. Congregations will learn about Macau and the social impact of its glittering casino gambling industry—the largest in the world. They will see how the teenagers cried out for hope and encouragement in an environment of addictions, crime, prostitution and broken families.

“Thanks to gifts to the World Mission Offering, IM and the U.S. and Puerto Rican churches were able to respond to recruit, train and send IM development workers Emerson and Ivy Wu,” explains IM Area Director, Dr. Benjamin Chan. “The Wus are in Macau now, learning the language, building relationships and working with the teenagers. Changing hearts is beginning, but real transformation takes time.” Gifts to the World Mission Offering will continue to support and strengthen the Wus’ ministry in Macau, as well as all of IM’s other ministries around the world.

“Gifts to the World Mission Offering help IM respond to urgent needs all over the world—from reaching people with the gospel and training pastors, to anti-human trafficking efforts and helping people climb out of poverty,” adds IM Executive Director, Dr. Reid Trulson. “Through gifts to the World Mission Offering, IM is able to establish new ministries like the one in Macau, grow those that are already established in more than 70 countries around the world and sustain the vital infrastructure that makes these ministries possible.”

Congregations may give to the entirety of IM’s mission, or they may direct a portion of their gift towards the support of individual IM global workers.

The home staff at IM would like to know how churches use their World Mission Offering materials for World Communion Sunday. Please send stories and suggestions to catherine.nold@internationalministries.org.

American Baptist International Ministries is celebrating 200 years of ministry in 2014. Organized in 1814 as the first Baptist international mission agency in America, IM began its pioneer mission work in Burma and today works in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas serving more than 1,800 long-term and short-term missionaries. Its central mission is to help people come to faith in Jesus, grow in their relationships with God and change their worlds through the power of the Holy Spirit. IM works with respected partners in over 70 countries in ministries that meet human need.

American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with over 5,200 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.