The late summer and early fall months in Oklahoma are home to many special occasions. Football season, “Back to School,” and for many churches, Sunday School promotion time.
Across the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), another special time has emerged each fall. The month of October has become known as “Cooperative Program Month.”
This calendar year marks the 100th anniversary of the Cooperative Program, on Sunday, Oct. 5 will be recognized as “Cooperative Program Sunday” for many churches.
Just what is the Cooperative Program (CP)? The “CP is Southern Baptists’ unified plan of giving to support missions and ministries.” Since its inception in 1925, the CP is how we have funded missions and ministry across the SBC—together.
You personally give to your church through your tithe. Your church then sends a portion of those gifts through the Cooperative Program, propelling missions and ministry in Oklahoma, the United States and around the world.
Did you know that CP helps support the International Mission Board’s 3,500-plus overseas missionaries that are reaching more than 3,000 unreached people groups around the world? And through the North American Mission Board, church planting is taking root and thriving in some of the hardest to reach, challenging places.
Did you know that the CP in our state supports Falls Creek youth camp and CrossTimbers children’s camp, where thousands of students gather each summer to hear the Gospel shared?
Did you know that the CP is providing vital funding to Baptist Collegiate Ministries, which is reaching students with the Gospel on 39 college campuses across our state?
Did you also know the CP supports Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief? In 2024 alone, Southern Baptist DR volunteers across the nation shared the Gospel more than 32,000 times and saw 8,561 professions of faith.
Did you know the CP supports Oklahoma Baptists’ four affiliates—Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, WatersEdge, Baptist Village Communities and Oklahoma Baptist University—which continue to make a Gospel impact every day through their vital missions?
These are only a few examples of CP-supported missions and ministries that truly are changing people’s lives for eternity with the Gospel.
To help equip churches to recognize Cooperative Program Month and CP Sunday on Oct. 5, Oklahoma Baptists have prepared some outstanding resources for churches—now available online at oklahomabaptists.org/cp.
