Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

When you give to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, what are you actually giving to?

Charlotte Digges “Lottie” Moon was a real person.  She was born in 1840 in Virginia, one of seven children.  Despite being born into a time and culture when women were not encouraged to become educated, Lottie achieved a master’s degree in languages by the time she was 21.  She committed her life to Christ while attending college and in 1873 was accepted by the Foreign Mission Board (now the International Mission Board, or IMB) to be a missionary to China, even as an unmarried lady.

Within a few years, Lottie had sounded the trumpet back to the United States for the need of more missionaries, and especially more women missionaries.  At her strong urging and sponsorship, in 1888 the Southern Baptist Convention began the first Christmas offering dedicated specifically for international mission efforts.  That year, enough money was raised to send three new missionaries into the mission field.

Lottie Moon died the day before Christmas in 1912.  In 1918 the SBC titled the Christmas offering in honor of the lady who inspired it, and in the process awakened the church to the great need for Christian missionaries around the world.  When you give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, 100% of your gift goes to fund Southern Baptist missionary efforts.  Not one penny of your Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is used for salaries or administrative purposes (all of which is covered by other designated donations to the IMB).  The goal for Lakewood Baptist Church is $1500, and you can be sure that every cent will be used for gospel work in a country outside of the US.

Not every person is able to “go,” and not every person is even called to “go.”  However, all of us can give something.  And we must all pray.  As you pray about an amount which the Lord will have you give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this year, and as you place your gift in the offering basket, I ask that you also pause and pray for the workers on the receiving end of your offering.  Pray that the Lord will strengthen and encourage them, and that the gospel will continue to go forth unto all the nations.

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce