"Astounding Generosity" reported by Russell Board, OMC for Asia.
Global Outreach (GO) is the annual IPHC offering to reach the nations. In 2009 the International Global Outreach program was instituted, in which IPHC churches around the world were given the opportunity to participate in giving to mission efforts in other nations.
The churches of India responded to this opportunity in an astounding way. Having benefited from mission work financed by GO offerings in the US, they understood very well the importance of Global Outreach. And they wanted to experience the blessing of giving as well as receiving. Two Indian conferences made plans to take a special GO offering on Easter in all of their churches.On my visit to India in January of this year, I was stunned when the Central India Conference Superintendent and Treasurer presented me with an offering of 37,700 rupees – over $800! The North India leadership followed that up with an offering of over 28,000 rupees, making a total of $1,475 from two conferences! This is rural India, where the average wage is barely $2 a day! One pastor told me proudly that every family in his church had given a day’s wage to the offering!
The sacrificial generosity of our Indian brothers and sisters is a challenge to our US churches, and a challenge to us as individuals. Do we share their devotion to the cause of missions? Will we follow their example?
[Editor's note: You may go to this website: http://russellboard.typepad.com/asiapacific_updates/2010/03/astounding-generosity.html, and read the story and see the photo.]
Posted on
Sun, March 21, 2010
by Hugh Morgan