[1]Dear Fellow Pastor,
Jesus stood over Jerusalem and wept because of the spiritual blindness prevalent in that religious city. We stand gazing over a nation and a planet that is full of religion, but devoid of the truth of salvation. Has that glaring fact ever brought tears to your eyes? The things that made Jesus weep ought to break our hearts as well.
Southern Baptists have joined together to take the message of Jesus to the world. The ingenious method that we use to deliver this glorious message is called the Cooperative Program. This method of funding missions was surely born in the heart of God and was developed 75 years ago by visionary Baptists whose hearts were broken for the lost.
The church I serve in Tyler, Texas has a $6 Million budget. We gladly give 15% of our budget to the Cooperative Program. Sure, we could spend that money on our own needs here, but the world is lost and if we don't tell them about Jesus, who will? God is giving us an amazing harvest in East Texas because we are actively planting the seeds of our Cooperative Program funds in His field of service.
I encourage you to lead your church to increase the amount and the percentage that you are giving to the Cooperative Program. God will honor you as you honor Him by being a PARTNER IN THE HARVEST.
[2]Gal. 6:9,
David O. Dykes
Green Acres at a Glance
Pastor: Dr. David Dykes
Membership: 9,295*
Sunday School Attendance: 3,200+
Baptisms: 198*
Percent of Budget to CP: 15%
Total Dollars given to CP: $754,597*
Gifts to Association Missions: $12,000*
Total missions expenditures: $879,597*
Last year over 1,300 members participated in mission activities.
Church conducts Missions Month each November with a church-wide banquet and mission kaleidoscope fair to highlight all the different mission ministries of the SBC, The Texas Baptist Convention, and church mission opportunities.
Committed to participate in Partners in the Harvest.
*Figures taken from 1998 Texas Annual
Cooperative Program 75th Anniversary Goals
Baptize 1 million people next year.
Record numbers of people volunteering for mission projects.
$750 million in combined Cooperative Program and other missions gifts.
Are You a Partner?
Become one today by:
Praying. Pray for our missionaries and missions efforts. Pray for laborers for the harvest.
Going. Conduct the Partners in the Harvest campaign in your church next spring and lead your people on a short-term or long-term missions trip through the Cooperative Program next year.
Giving. Encourage your church to consider increasing their giving to the Cooperative Program by at least 1% for the 2001 budget year.
Call your state Cooperative Program Office or 1-800-722-9407 and join other churches and Baptists from every state in the celebration of the world's most effective and efficient denominational missions effort, the Cooperative Program. Be a Partner in the Harvest.