By John Kyle, Louisiana Baptists communication director
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, Louisiana Baptists are convinced this is “The Right Time” to reach the state.
“When the Lord led us to the theme ‘The Right Time’ for our 2020 Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering emphasis, little did we know what 2020 would bring,” said John Kyle, director of communications for Louisiana Baptists. “Obviously, God knew the fear and uncertainty that would accompany COVID-19 thus making this ‘The Right Time’ to share the assurance and hope found in a relationship with Christ.”
Kyle noted the theme for this year’s state missions offering was taken from Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth in which he challenged the early believers to realize “Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation” (2 Cor.6:2, NLT).
“These words speak to the current condition of our culture,” said Louisiana Baptists Executive Director Steve Horn. “We’ve been reminded how quickly things can change. How quickly our health can turn. How quickly our finances can evaporate. People are looking for what Jesus has to offer and Louisiana Baptists have the opportunity to share His promise of peace and provision to the state.”
Named after Georgia Barnette, the first fulltime executive director of the Women’s Missionary Union in Louisiana, the offering is used exclusively for missions and ministry across the state.
The goal is $1.7 million for this year’s offering, and the Week of Prayer for State Missions will take place Sept. 13-20.
“It’s truly been a tough year,” said Janie Wise, women’s missions and ministries strategist for Louisiana Baptists. “Every day we pray for a vaccine to cure COVID-19. But even in a pandemic, each of us has a responsibility to share the Gospel whether it’s through a church being planted, a compassion ministry, a children’s mission camp, or the emergency response of Disaster Relief.”
Missions and ministries featured this year show how God’s Spirit is at work in Ruston to Rayville all the way to Kenner.
“God is using Backyard Bible Clubs, prison ministries and the planting of new congregations who are engaging Vietnamese and Hispanic people groups living in south Louisiana,” Kyle continued. “It’s humbling and exciting to witness the hand of God at work. It’s even more humbling to realize how much more needs to accomplished to reach the people we all agree need to be reached,“ he concluded.
John Hebert, director of the missions and ministries team for Louisiana Baptists, believes this is a crucial year to pray hard and dig deep.
“Most of us have never witnessed or lived through a pandemic,” Herbert noted, “However, this pandemic is opening the doors to people’s hearts, even in their isolation. This is a huge opportunity for
Louisiana Baptists to flood God’s throne with prayers and sacrificially give what He’s provided to share His good news with those who have become receptive to hearing it.”
Resources supporting this year’s state missions offering have been mailed to every church.
Pastors and mission leaders are encouraged to utilize online and social media resources to promote prayer and participation in the offering due to COVID restrictions relating to onsite attendance. The website is georgiabarnette.org.
