Christmas is the time we especially celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. It’s a time to spend time with friends and family. And it’s a time for giving. One of the joys of my work at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship is signing the letters of appreciation to those who support the ministries of the Fellowship. I signed 14 today; folks who gave generously, even sacrificially, to ministries highlighted in our recent Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Gift Catalog.
No doubt, money is tight everywhere for everyone. And, no doubt, the needs of the marginalized and neglected continue to increase around the globe. You think you don’t have much to offer? You’d be amazed at what a difference a few dollars can make:
- In Southeast Asia, $6 buys one sack of cement needed in building a water filter foundation ($2,550 provides the total cost for one water filter).
- Thousands of Africans migrate northward each year in hopes of finding a better life in Europe. Five dollars provides for a 30-minute phone call to family in Africa to let love ones know that the traveler arrived safely, usually after a treacherous journey. Fifty dollars provides the funding needed to enroll in a job training course.
- More than 130 women in the Middle East work tirelessly each day to plant churches in local villages, often at the risk of government persecution. Fifteen dollars will support one of these Women of Courage for one day.
- In India $75 can mean the difference between a teenage girl learning sewing as an income generating skill or being trapped in a life of prostitution.
Click below to check out other ways your dollar WILL help change lives, and may you and your family have a truly blessed Christmas season.