ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)–Southern Baptists will have an opportunity to interact personally with North American Mission Board missionaries from their homes and churches March 8 during a special “Live On-Mission Chat.”
The event — accessible through the Internet at www.anniearmstrong.com — is directly related to the March 5-12 Week of Prayer for North American Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.
Its scheduling on a Wednesday evening from 7-11 p.m. Eastern will allow mission groups and other midweek gatherings in all time zones to participate, said Carmon Keith, promotion specialist for NAMB. Several of the missionaries featured during the Week of Prayer will take part, as well as agency President Robert E. Reccord and other NAMB staff. Anyone with an Internet connection and web browser will be able to join the discussion.
“The live chat is an opportunity to allow Southern Baptist laypeople to ask questions about what it’s like to be a missionary,” Keith said. Many individuals, she added, will be interested in learning more about the missionaries they have seen featured in the Week of Prayer promotional video and feature articles in state Baptist newspapers and magazines.
“It will be an interactive mission experience for churches,” she said.
The Live Chat is part of a broader use of the Internet this year in promotion of the Week of Prayer and the related Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. Appropriately, the theme for the emphasis in 2000 is “By ALL Means!” — relating to the use of varied methodology, including the Internet, in reaching the United States and Canada with the gospel.
The anniearmstrong.com website provides comprehensive materials and information about NAMB, Annie Armstrong and the work of the missionaries, Keith said. Much of the information has previously been provided to pastors and mission leaders, but she said the Internet allows easy access to everyone.
Included are all of the written materials in promotion packets sent to pastors and missions leaders, as well as video clips from the Week of Prayer video, another short video segment describing the life and work of Annie Armstrong, and downloadable clip art.
“It’s much more extensive than what we had last year,” Keith said. “It’s also more user-friendly. … The clip art, for instance, you can see what you are about to download.”
Keith suggested churches include links to the site from their own church webpages as a part of their mission education and involvement plans.
For more information, visit the site at www.anniearmstrong.com.
