Buck Run Baptist Church, the church I serve, is not a big church. We average just below 600 in worship attendance. Nor are we a wealthy church. The majority of our members work for the state of Kentucky or in some business that serves state government. We are as middle as middle class can get.
But Buck Run is a giving church that loves the Lord and desires to see His name proclaimed among all people. We have an exciting and effective ministry to single women through our oil-change ministry. By giving away free oil changes and servicing their cars, our Womens' Ministry builds relationships with single moms so we can help them with food, clothing, heating their homes, and getting them established in a relationship with Christ. We also meet lots of other needs. Just this fall we completely remodeled a home for a family of five that was living in the woods without any plumbing or even an outhouse. Thanks to the generosity and hard work of Buck Run members, that family now has reliable shelter, indoor plumbing, and a warm home. Additionally, Buck Run went on five mission trips on four continents last year, as well as several mission trips to Slidell, Louisiana, and one to Eastern Kentucky.
Missions is the heartbeat of Buck Run. In 2007 the Lottie Moon Offering was over $24,000, and when our Missions Committee set a goal of $25,000 this year, I knew it would be challenging in this economy. Still, we felt that God is most willing to do extraordinary things when He takes us beyond our own abilities, and for our congregation to give $25,000 over our regular budget offering would truly be the Lord's doing.
In the two weeks prior to our offering, I challenged everyone to give more to the Lottie Moon offering than they would spend on anyone. After all, if it's the Lord's birth we celebrate, it makes no sense to spend more on others than we do on him. In my own family, we chose not to swap gifts this year so we could give more to missions. On the Sunday before Christmas, each family walked to a manger in the front of our sanctuary and put their offering in it. I was moved to see senior saints as well as children, working adults and retirees, bank presidents and ex-cons, all recipients of God's grace, make their way to the manger and lay their offerings there.
When our church treasurer called me on Monday and gave me the news, I was stunned. Our Lottie Moon offering on Sunday alone was $33,737.57. All told, I believe our missions offering will surpass $35,000. Perhaps the best news is that there were not any extremely large checks, just lots of them. Nearly everyone gave something significant. Furthermore, when churches have special offerings, the regular budget offering usually suffers. Our budget requires about $23,000 a week, but the same week we received that great Lottie Moon offering, our budget offering was over $30,000. All told, God moved in the dear saints of Buck Run to give over $67,000 on that Sunday.
To God be the glory! What a blessing to serve with people who desire that God's name be great among the nations.
