On July 7, 1873, Charlotte “Lottie” Moon was appointed as a missionary to China. She dedicated her life to sharing the Gospel with the people of China, serving faithfully until her passing on Dec. 24, 1912. In letters home, Moon encouraged churches to support missions through their prayers and giving. Today, Southern Baptists across the nation honor Moon’s wishes through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
Growing up in Virginia, Moon and her siblings first chose to rebel against Christianity. However, at 18, Moon’s life turned around and put her faith in Christ, being baptized soon after. When she was 33, she sailed to China as a Southern Baptist missionary and saw firsthand the world’s greatest problem—lostness.
In letters to Southern Baptists in America, Moon asked for an increase in prayer and giving. Her letters resonated with churches who began to send more missionaries to China. To continue Moon’s wishes, the Christmas Offering is held where 100 percent of donations go directly to missionaries and every dollar given helps take the Gospel to those who have never heard it before.
Churches and pastors should first pray about their involvement then set a goal to give to the offering. The 2025 national goal for the offering is $210 million, and every penny donated during the Christmas Offering will go directly to that goal.
Another way churches can support the offering is by participating in the annual Week of Prayer. Between Nov. 30 – Dec. 7, churches can participate in prayer for specific mission areas. This year’s countries of focus are Spain, Korea, West Africa, Chile, Central Asia, Japan, Brazil and the Horn of Africa.
Resources available online include everything churches need to help promote the Christmas Offering including videos, bulletin inserts, posters, social media posts and more. These are available in numerous languages.
To access these resources and to learn more about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, visit lottiemoon.com, or contact Oklahoma Baptists at (405) 942-3000.
Photos courtesy of IMB.
