Press Toward the Mark

Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year.  Decorations, movies, music, greetings and other media transmit messages of joy, family, life, love, and celebration.  Disciples of Jesus know that He is the eternal source of real celebration during Christmas as well as the remainder of the year.

Mission Ohio is the united missionary work of Southern Baptists to make disciples of Jesus in Ohio.  The 2020 Vision is to reach at least 1,000,000 believers in 2,020 congregations by the end of 2020.  Ohio Southern Baptists can celebrate God’s blessings upon Mission Ohio this last year. 

Based upon the last Annual Church Profile, Ohio Southern Baptist churches reported an 18% increase in baptisms.  The Annual Church Profile is the only source available for baptism data.  Thus, it is critical for all Ohio Southern Baptist churches to complete their Annual Church Profile now.

Associational Missionaries reported 27 new church starts and 3 new affiliations for this past year.  These additions bring the total number of congregations to 702: 613 constituted and 89 yet to be constituted.  Survival rate for funded starts has reached the 75% ratio.  Since 1996, Mission Ohio has added 225 congregations: 202 being new starts.  For the last available baptism statistics, these 202 new church starts contributed 24% of the total number of baptisms.

Many features of Mission Ohio have contributed to these baptisms and church starts:  Appalachian Regional Missions, Associational Missionaries, Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Buckeye Builders, Chaplaincy, Children’s Ministries, Church and Community Ministries, Church Planters, Disaster Relief, Evangelism Ministries, IMPACT, Leadership Ministries, Literacy Ministries, Men’s Ministries, Mission Education, Mission Participation Mercy Ministries, ReFocusing and Alignment Ministries, Seneca Lake, Small Groups and Sunday School Outreach, Vacation Bible School, Women’s Ministries, Worship, Youth Ministries and more.  The Cooperative Mission Program has provided the base support for these and more ministries including the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board.

Even though the economic challenges faced by Ohio Southern Baptist churches has affected mission giving, our churches remain faithful in their support of worldwide missions through the Cooperative Mission Program.  Penetrating the Lostness of our world remains our heartbeat, because it is the heartbeat of our Lord.  This is the message of Christmas, and this is why we celebrate it. 

Cooperating with Southern Baptists across the United States and Canada, we are taking the Gospel, the true message of Christmas (from the manger to the empty tomb) to the world.  Through the Cooperative Mission Program, Southern Baptists are helping us to Penetrate the Lostness in Ohio: 1,000,000 believers in 2,020 congregations by the end of 2020.  Let’s press toward that mark.

Your Mission Ohio Team wishes each one of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.