Week of Prayer and Focus
September 11-18, 2016

Ministering to the most vulnerable

Preparing Iowa Baptists’ future leaders

The Iowa Missions Offering fulfills these two visions by:

Supporting ministries that offer God’s mercy, love, and truth to those who are hurting across our state;
Awarding seminary tuition scholarships to Iowans who are preparing for full-time ministry;
Provided funding for staff interns to help start new ministries on college campuses across the state.

We invite you to join with other churches across the state to participate in the annual Iowa Missions Offering (IMO) through the Baptist Convention of Iowa. The emphasis dates for the offering are September 11-18, 2016, and most churches collect for the offering during the month of September, but giving can take place any time during the year.

This year the funds donated from BCI churches will be split between two categories. The first category is the Iowa Ministry Fund that supports ministries that offer God’s mercy, love, and truth to those who are hurting across our state.

For more information about the Iowa Ministry Fund click here. For a list of the 2016-2017 Fund recipients, click here.

The other half of the Iowa Mission Offering will go toward developing leaders to reach the next generation of Iowans. The Iowa Mission Offering supports this vision in two ways. The first is to award seminary tuition scholarships to Iowans who are preparing for full-time ministry. In the last two years we have awarded scholarships to twenty students; we are pleased to report that seventeen of them now serve in ministry positions in BCI affiliated churches in Iowa. These scholarship funds enable us to increase the number of highly trained pastors, church planters, and other leaders in our churches.

In addition to developing leaders, we also are provided funding for staff interns to help start new ministries on college campuses across the state. In the last two years we have funded interns to work with our churches in Creston, Indianola, Ankeny, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs and Cedar Falls. These ministries proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to college students, disciple them, and train them for a life of ministry in our churches.

Please consider giving generously to the Iowa Missions Offering and know that your contributions will go toward proclaiming the love and mercy of Jesus to our neighbors and friends across our state who are hurting, toward developing future leaders who serve in our churches, and toward reaching this year’s college students with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Participating churches can send their Iowa Missions Offering donation along with their monthly Cooperative Program giving with a note that says “Iowa Missions Offering.” If you would like to make a donation online you can do it here.