Partners in the Mission: Ten Reasons to Support EBO 09/02/2008 a message from Dr. Bill Mackey, executive director The 2008 Season of Prayer for State Missions and promotion of the Eliza Broadus Offering is coming up Sept. 7-14. One million fifty-two thousand eight in 2008! The theme is “Celebrate God’s Love” so I thought I’d use this column to share what I consider to be the top 10 reasons we can celebrate and support this vital offering. 10. More than 69 percent of the Eliza Broadus Offering for State Missions goes to the Kentucky Baptist Mission Board for direct state missions. The rest of the offering helps to support missions education, camping, and special mission projects across Kentucky. All efforts to strengthen churches and carry out missions work across Kentucky serve to build a strong spiritual foundation for world evangelization. 9. The offering helps to fund state missionaries who serve associations. Twenty-five associations are able to have stronger programs due to the support of the offering. 8. The offering provides significant support for ethnic work and church planting. Much support is provided for the Hispanic Bible Institute and training for emerging Hispanic leaders and pastors. Six Hispanic regional missionaries are supported in partnership with the North American Mission Board. 7. The offering funds the budget for witness and ministry to 8,000 international students studying with student visas on Kentucky college campuses. 6. One of the new items this year will be reaching children for Christ through mission Vacation Bible schools. 5. Interfaith witness training is provided through the offering. With the growth of world religions in the United States and Kentucky, there is a growing concern to understand these religions and to relate the distinctives of the Christian faith in a meaningful way. 4. One of the ways to relate the Gospel to persons with needs is through missions ministries. The offering provides funds for training and to help launch ministries. 3. Church planting is one of the best ways to reach Kentucky for Christ and discipleship through churches. The offering supports training and start-up funds for church planting. 2. Kentucky has 150 self-funded, NAMB-endorsed Mission Service Corps missionaries who receive training and special project support through EBO. 1. The offering helps to reduce lostness in Kentucky. According to the Glenmary Research Center, 41 counties in Kentucky are 70 percent unreached for Christ and His church. My wife, Kay, and I make the Eliza Broadus Offering one of our most significant gifts of the year, and the KBC staff has made commitments to pray for, and to financially support, state missions. It is my prayer that you will join us in praying for Kentuckians to be reached for Christ and in financially supporting state missions efforts through the Eliza Broadus Offering! Dr. Mackey's column appears weekly in the Western Recorder. To subscribe to the Western Recorder, call (502) 489-3535.