VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 4/18/11)—The Penny Project of American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS)—which seeks to raise 14 million pennies to represent and benefit children living in poverty or affected by poverty-related issues in the United States and Puerto Rico—has surpassed 5 million pennies.

Launched nationally by ABHMS in 2009, The Penny Project was inspired by the youth of First Baptist Church, New London, N.H., who collected 60,000 pennies to represent and aid the children living in poverty in their state.

Now churches and other ministries across the country and Puerto Rico are encouraged to allow youth to lead penny collecting efforts and to donate collected funds to an organization that aids children in need locally or regionally. Participants report to ABHMS’ Web site, which displays a frequently updated national total.

By recently donating 300,000 pennies, New Creation Baptist Church, Wheaton, Md., was instrumental in taking the project to its latest milestone. The church’s collection of 40,000 pennies was stolen during the weekend of Jan. 8, 2011. Since that time, a variety of churches, organizations and individuals from across the United States have re-started and increased New Creation’s collection by contributing pennies, other coins, and checks.

“We can’t lose anything because God has a way of not only replacing but replacing it 10-fold,” says New Creation’s pastor, Rev. Ella Redfield.

The Volume 1, 2011, issue of The Christian Citizen—slated to publish in May—will focus on The Penny Project, including its origin, progress to date and participating churches.

For more information or to get your church started on a penny collection that will make a difference in children’s lives, visit ABHMS’ Web site at www.abhms.org > The Penny Project or contact Rev. Lisa Harris, ABHMS’ national coordinator of the Justice for Children Initiative and Christian Center Relations, at lisa.harris@abhms.org or 800-222-3872, x2158.

ABHMS—the domestic mission arm of American Baptist Churches USA—ministers as the caring heart and serving hands of Jesus Christ across the United States and Puerto Rico through a multitude of initiatives that focus on discipleship, community and justice.

American Baptist Churches is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with 5,500 local congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.