As I prepare the report for the November issue of the paper I am reminded of all the things for which I am thankful as I try to serve as your Missions Director. I am thankful that I can still serve the Lord even though I cannot be as active as I would like to be. I am thankful for the churches that support missions and have a desire to see more churches planted
in Missouri and for the faithful pastors who are working hard to grow the churches with which they are working.
I am thankful for the fellowship we enjoy in the Lord as we work our various fields seeking to do His will each day and encouraging one another to be faithful. I am thankful for the fnancial support of many churches who continue to give to Missions and have provided funds that are available when we start a new work and that enable us to help in areas of our work
when needs arise while we look for a missionary.
We should all be thankful for the opportunity to work together in the most important work of carrying out the Great Commission. Thank you for our cooperation and involvement in Missions. As you look at the fnancial report above I hope you
will stop and thank God for His blessings as He has enabled us to be an encouragement to various areas of His work.
We had a great annual association meeting this past month and as revealed in the report on page 1 God led us to help financially in a few important areas of our associational work.
Here is an explanation of expenses in the financial report above and how these expenses are helping in Missions:
1. We support BMAA Associate Missionary Matt Baker in Nixa, MO in the amount of $200 a month. This is a mission project of the BMA of America.
2. We had committed up to $2,500 to help the Abundant Life in Christ Baptist Church in Charleston, MO for their parking lot. They only needed part of that amount for their parking lot, so the messengers voted to go ahead and send them the balance for their building fund. This church was started as a mission project of some of our local associations a few years ago.
3. Camp Garwood added several improvements at camp before this years state camp and needed to borrow funds from the Revolving
Loan Fund. The messengers voted to send $ 5,000 to the RLF to be applied to that loan in honor of Camp Director Chris Polk and his family for their continuing dedication to the camp ministry. The camp ministry is a mission outreach of our churches where many souls are saved each year.
4. We also voted to send $3,000 to the BMAA Seminary to be applied to the project of putting new roofs on their buildings, The seminary trains pastors and missionaries who serve in the United States and around the world leading many people to
Christ each year and planting churches in new areas.
5. The messengers approved a raise in salary for the Missions Director which is now $650 a month and our by-laws provide that Department ofcers and committee members shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in performance of their duties. In this report the Special Missions Committee meeting expenses in preparation for the annual association and the Director’s expenses are combined. The Special Missions Committee meets a minimum of two times a year. The Director is involved in all aspects of our mission endeavors with the Special Missions Committee acting as advisors and assistants as needed and as directed by the Association.
If you have any questions about the above or any other work of this department contact me or any member of our committee. We are THANKFUL to serve.
James Hoffman, Missions Director
