MOORE—The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is an important part of the Christmas season for Oklahoma Baptists and Southern Baptists all over the world. It not only allows the Church to honor Moon’s legacy of mission work and give to International Missions, but also gives them opportunity to inspire the next generation of missionaries.
At Moore, First, Paulia Box Merrell wanted to motivate kids in a more visual fashion. Due to the efforts of her and the missions team, 13 different displays can be found around the Moore, First facility. Each exhibit features items and clothing from countries all over the world, including a special recreation of what Moon’s house looked like when she was in China. They also have a sign explaining what is on display and specific ways people can be praying for the country.
“There are so many people who aren’t going to be able to go on mission trips, but if they see these and they read and they learn about what the need is for the country, that is really our purpose for this,” said Merrell. “It’s to give them some encouragement and some insight to what’s out there.”
From Left: Paulia Merrell; James Merrell; Charlie Blount, Lead Pastor at Moore, First; Tyler Kelley, Executive Pastor
Before moving to Moore, First, Merrell and her husband, James, attended a church in Kansas City, Kan. The idea for a display began with a Prayer Parade at that church. The congregation would place out flags representing the different countries that needed prayer during the Christmas season. When Merrell moved to Oklahoma and started attending Moore, First in 2017, she wanted to continue the tradition. Merrell got inspiration for the displays seen today at Moore, First from a Lottie Moon house display she saw in Fort Worth, Texas.
“I want to have a Lottie Moon House in our displays,” she said.
Each year, the number of displays has grown, representing the many countries missionaries serve in. Typically, they begin as drawings and sketches that Merrell creates. From there, her husband and the missions team work to bring Merrell’s vision to life. They work to get authentic items from the countries tied to the displays, but also use a bit of creativity to fulfill Merrell’s vision when in need.
One of the newer displays is of the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, in Israel. It depicts a man, woman and child wearing clothing from the region standing in front of a partial recreation of the wall. Like in real life, pieces of paper are stuck in the crevices of the wall which represent the papers that visitors write down prayers on and stick in the wall.
Merrell comes from a family of missionaries, herself serving in Asia for eight years. She has a passion not only for the displays, but also for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering as it played a key role in her family’s work.
“If our family hadn’t received the offering, we wouldn’t have been able to survive,” she said. “I have an aunt and uncle who were missionaries for 30 years, and if they hadn’t received the offering, they wouldn’t have been able to do much. It’s really important to us.”
The world needs new missionaries every day. An exhibit like the one at Moore, First is one of the many ways churches can inspire the next generation.
“Our world is in such a need right now,” Merrell said. “We are told to go and give. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of missionaries.
For more information about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering or to give, visit imb.org/generosity/lottie-moon-christmas-offering.
