The Open Door: Giving, Going, and Growing through Mission Georgia

The tent ministry offered to Georgia Baptists has proven to be a difference-maker in churches wanting to reach their communities. GBMB/Special

By now you should have received your Mission Georgia Season of Prayer and Offering materials. If you have not received them, please contact your Georgia Baptist Mission Board staff and allow us to assist you. I encourage you to go to the missiongeorgia.org website where you will see a lot of helpful information.

Our theme is GENEROSITY: GIVING, GOING, GROWING, with the Scripture text being 2 Corinthians 9:11. In this passage, the Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthian believers that God is the One Who provides seed for the sower and bread for food, and He is the One Who will multiply your seed and increase your harvest (verse 10).

In verse 11, Paul points out that our response to God’s faithful provision and multiplied blessings is to be one of generosity. He declares, “As you are enriched in every way for all generosity,” the result is to be thanksgiving to God through us.

Do not miss the fact stated here: We are enriched for the purpose of generosity. As God pours out His blessings upon your life and the life of your family, He expects you to be generous!

Our Father in heaven must be terribly disappointed in our stingy attitudes in the face of His remarkable generosity.

Scott Preissler joined our staff from a teaching position at Southwestern Seminary. He has devoted his life and ministry to gathering information and artifacts related to Christian stewardship and generosity. As he joined our staff, he brought with him his one-of-a-kind generosity collection with some of the collection dating back to the 14th and 15th Centuries.

Georgia Baptist state missionaries Juli Holtzclaw, left, and Lonnette Godwin, right, view some of the antiquities on display in the Kingdom Generosity Collection on display at the Georgia Baptist Missions and Ministry Center in Duluth. JOE WESTBURY/Index

The first time I viewed the collection, I was impressed as never before with the reality that God made us for the purpose of generosity. In fact, to view the world’s most complete collection of stewardship memorabilia is to realize it is natural for us to be generous and quite unnatural to withhold our possessions. The Generosity Collection is now in the final stages of placement in the Georgia Baptist Missions and Ministry Center. Every Georgia Baptist church ought to make arrangements to come and see it. You will be inspired.

Since God has blessed us beyond any measure we deserve, and since His generosity is expected to lead to our being generous, and since generosity is to be the natural reaction of every person, I encourage you to get engaged with the mission needs of your own state. Every year, when I review the Mission Georgia materials, I am completely amazed at the remarkable way God is blessing our ministries.

For instance, we have been involved in a tent ministry for many years now. Churches and associations use the tents for revivals and special events through which the Gospel is proclaimed. Did you know that during the past year 29,022 people attended events under these tents?

Here is the exciting part.

While attending events under our tents, 691 people were saved and 260 rededicated their lives. Consider Vacation Bible Schools among Georgia Baptists. Our mission board staff is fully engaged with our churches in providing helpful materials and training for VBS. In fact, 3,207 VBS leaders were trained. These leaders then impacted 1,459 of our churches, and saw 5,836 salvations through Vacation Bible Schools in Georgia.

There is no question about it. When you are generous with all God has given you, and you support our ministry in Georgia, people are going to be saved. I am thankful to be a part of proclaiming the Gospel in Georgia through my Mission Georgia Offering.