September is almost here, and for most Oklahomans that means school is back in session and the football season is in full swing. For Oklahoma Baptists, September marks an important time of promoting and supporting the Edna McMillan State Missions Offering (SMO).
To kick off the month, there will be a week of prayer from Sept. 1– 8. This year’s giving goal is $1.2 million. Downloadable resources, church materials, mission education activities for children and Sunday School classes are available and offered on the website oklahomabaptists.org/smo.
Ministries supported by the SMO include Affinity Ministries, Camp Perfect Wings and Hunger Funds. Edna McMillan, who the SMO is named after, was an effective communicator and consistently challenged Oklahoma Baptists to give generously to state missions. In 1932, she said, “A rich man is one who has enough for himself and enough left over to help others. Though he be possessed of millions, a man is poor, who has only enough for himself.”
McMillan held many positions in the Oklahoma Woman’s Missionary Union, even serving as state WMU president for 11 years from 1927 to 1938. The board met in 1939 in Muskogee and unanimously voted to name the State Mission Offering in McMillan’s honor.
Oklahoma Baptists Executive Director-Treasurer Todd Fisher emphasizes the importance of the SMO and how it is used to advance the Gospel.
“The SMO enables us as churches and individuals to be part of something much bigger than ourselves. When you give to the SMO, you are making a deep and wide-ranging impact for the advancement of the Gospel here in our state and across the globe.”
On the website, more information about the SMO and the ministries it funds is available. This includes four videos which detail Affinity Ministry, Camp Perfect Wings, Hunger Funds and the SMO as a whole. These videos are available for download in various lengths to be shown during a worship service or gather time. To view or download these videos, visit oklahomabaptists.org/smo.
AFFINITY MINISTRY
Every church is unique, and every church has its own unique needs. In this video, four different churches explain what needs they have and how Affinity Ministries assisted them.
To advance the Gospel, regional evangelism conferences and training events are hosted for African American, Native American and Hispanic communities. These events are designed to equip, encourage and inspire evangelism within these groups. By addressing their unique cultural contexts and spiritual needs, the goal is to foster confident and passionate evangelists who can effectively share their faith and strengthen the Gospel’s impact throughout the state.
CAMP PERFECT WINGS
Every kid should have the opportunity to enjoy summer camp. Camp Perfect Wings gives both children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities that opportunity with activities and sermons designed with them in mind.
This weekend camp for children and adults, ages 8 and up, includes tailored games, activities, worship and Bible teachings. Each camper is paired with a buddy to help them fully participate. Camp Perfect Wings creates an environment where campers experience the love of Christ. Funds are used to keep the camp affordable for campers and their families and to cover the camp fees for the buddies who make the camp possible.
HUNGER FUNDS
Funded by the State Missions Offering, Haskell, First prepares hot meals for families in its community who see the church as a place they can go to in times of need.
All across Oklahoma, struggling families and hungry people are in need of help with food supplies. Hunger Funds provides resources for local churches to establish a ministry for those in need. Through this ministry, churches can meet physical needs, creating an opportunity to address spiritual needs and advance the Gospel in their communities. This initiative helps to support and develop opportunities to minister to those facing food insecurity. Oklahoma Baptists partner together to fight hunger and share the Gospel through food pantries and food serving lines across Oklahoma.
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