Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

Some 2000 years ago, Jesus came on a mission to bring salvation to all who would receive Him, to everyone who would believe in His name. He completed His mission as He was obedient to the Father in all things, even death on a cross.

One of His commands we are to obey is to be His witnesses, literally around the world. Whether it is right next door or somewhere across the seas, we are to be about the business of telling people about Jesus. As born again believers God uses us in many different ways to accomplish the task He has given us. Some give, some pray, some go, and some do a little or a lot of each.

Fortunately, in America we also have the opportunity to join together and form mission organizations that focus on taking the gospel to the lost people of the earth. The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention is an organization of over 5,000 missionaries that is dedicated to planting churches and making disciples to all the people groups of the world. It is supported by the tithes and offerings given by Southern Baptists through the very unique Cooperative Program. However, the funds needed to support these missionaries are considerably more than the Cooperative Program provides.

It is during the Christmas season that Southern Baptist Churches around the world take a special offering for international missions. 100% of the amount collected goes to funding Southern Baptist missionaries around the world. It is called the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

Lottie Moon—the namesake this offering—has become something of a legend. But in her time Lottie was anything but an untouchable hero. In fact, she was like today’s missionaries. She was a hard-working, deep-loving Southern Baptist who labored tirelessly so her people group could know Jesus.

When she set sail for China, Lottie was 32 years old. She had turned down a marriage proposal and left her job, home and family to follow God’s lead. Her path wasn’t typical for an educated woman from a wealthy Southern family. But Lottie did not serve a typical God. He had gripped her with the Chinese peoples’ need for a Savior.

Throughout her career, Lottie Moon wrote numerous letters home, urging Southern Baptists to greater missions involvement and support. One of those letters triggered Southern Baptists' first Christmas offering for international missions. The success of the first Christmas-season mission offering among Southern Baptists, in 1888, resulted chiefly from Lottie’s suggestion. It had been designated in advance to send women missionaries to help Lottie in China. The goal: $2,000. The result: $3,315.26, enough to send three single missionaries.

Christmas is chosen for this special offering because it is the festive season, when families and friends exchange gifts in memory of The Gift laid on the altar of the world for the redemption of the human race. This is the most appropriate time to consecrate a portion from abounding riches and scant poverty to send forth the good tidings of great joy into all the earth.

It has been said that our greatest gift should be given to Jesus through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Whether you are a member of a Southern Baptist church or another like-minded evangelical denomination, you can give to support missionaries working overseas. For more information about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, visit the International Mission Board on the World Wide Web at imb.org.