BAPTIST RESOURCE NETWORK OF PENNSYLVANIA/SOUTH JERSEY
2020 WEEK OF PRAYER AND STATE MISSIONS OFFERING

Prayer Guides (8.5×11)

Download the two-sided Prayer Guide Bulletin Insert (2 per page), or the one-page version, in full color or grayscale.

Click on the image to preview the video and on the button to download it

Kingdom Vision logos in multiple languages and colors

Slides in multiple languages and sizes (16:9 and 4:3)

Facebook graphics in multiple languages

Instagram graphics in multiple languages

Twitter graphics in multiple languages

Poster (11×17)

Order more State Mission Offering envelopes

Letter from Paul Chitwood, President of the International Mission Board

Your state convention helps churches reach your state and our world for Christ

My first international mission trip took place on a farm in central Kentucky.

As a new pastor in the community, I found myself interacting often with migrant workers from Central and South America. And I soon realized that most were spiritually lost. From conversations with farmers, I learned many of them were as concerned as I was about the eternal state of the souls of these (mostly) men who were so far away from their homes and families. As we began to pull together churches in our association and piece together a plan to begin a migrant ministry, we found an organization ready and eager to help us: our Baptist state convention. With the assistance of our state convention staff, we were soon seeing people from all over Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua come to Christ — though we never left Kentucky.

Ministries in our 41 Southern Baptist state conventions vary from state to state, but their mission is the same: help churches reach their state and our world for Christ. As we enter the fall of the year, most of our state conventions are promoting their annual state mission offering to support these vital ministries. My family will be giving to support the work in our state. As grateful and enthusiastic as I am for Southern Baptists’ support of international missions, I’m also thankful for and supportive of the ministry and mission work of our state conventions.

From my past experience as a pastor and state mission leader, I have seen firsthand the missional impact of state convention ministries. Where I served in Kentucky, more than 100 missionaries in the state receive varying levels of support for their work. Ministries to refugees, migrants, and ethnic minorities are often led or assisted by state convention team members and resources. State conventions help facilitate church planting, church strengthening and revitalization efforts, as well as provide evangelism training and coordinate Disaster Relief ministry. In many states, collegiate work is led by the state convention and support is also provided for the ministry of local Baptist associations.

One of our adopted daughters was rescued and kept safe by our state convention’s orphan and foster care ministry before she came into our family. The lives of unborn children are being saved by crisis pregnancy centers that are often funded, in part, by the state convention. Several state conventions are actively involved in lobbying efforts for legislation that will protect unborn children from the horror of abortion.

Many state conventions provide training and funding for prison ministries, through which inmates are hearing the gospel, trusting Christ, and being baptized by local churches. Women in the adult entertainment industry are being shown pathways to freedom and salvation, and churches are equipped for ministry to the homeless and those suffering addiction.

Across America, people are finding new life in Christ as churches work together through their state convention ministries. In addition to your church’s Cooperative Program support, your annual state mission offering is an opportunity for Great Commission and Great Commandment giving. Will you join my family and be a part of what God is doing through these ministries by giving through your state mission offering this year?

Dr. Paul Chitwood
President, International Mission Board

Letter from Barry Whitworth, Executive Director of the Baptist Resource Network

Dear Pastors and Church Members,

With great joy, I write to introduce to you the 2020 State Missions Offering theme, which is Kingdom Vision, based off of Revelation 7:9, “After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (CSB).

Did you know, according to statistics, 14 million people across Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Unless something changes, they will not be among the vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before Jesus Christ’s eternal throne!

This realization is the urgency behind the vision and work of the Baptist Resource Network and its churches. In fact, our Kingdom Vision is to see every church in every people group within our Pennsylvania-South Jersey geography become a healthy, multiplying church.

We desire to see every disciple make new disciples, every ministry birth new ministries, and every church multiply new churches.

To that end, every year, Baptists across the BRN pray for and give toward missions endeavors right here in our own backyards. This annual emphasis allows us to have a continued focus on our neighbors across Pennsylvania and South Jersey, especially in the areas of collegiate ministry, compassion care, and disaster and crisis relief.

Accordingly, we have designed a full campaign with materials to assist you in promoting this vital offering, including the enclosed poster to hang where it will be visible in your church, giving envelopes, and more.

You can order more envelopes and/or posters, while supplies last, or download presentation slides, social media graphics, bulletin inserts/prayer guides, videos and more, directly from our website at www.brnunited.org/offering. If your church is bilingual, be sure to check out the website for materials that meet your needs.

We heartily thank you in advance for committing one week to join with your fellow Baptists across the BRN to earnestly pray for requests and give to help support ministry right here in our region. Thank you!

Dr. Barry Whitworth
Executive Director-Treasurer