“But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem,
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”
ACTS 1:8 (HCSB).
In a typical county in the U.S., more
than 40% of the population is
unclaimed by any religious group —
Christian or otherwise. (RESEARCH SERVICES AT NAMB)
In the U.S. there is an average of one Southern Baptist church for every 6,800 people. In Canada there is an average of one church for every 150,000 (and for some Canadian provinces, there are no Southern Baptist Churches). (RESEARCH SERVICES AT NAMB)
With a total of 293 million people, the U.S. has
a larger population than all other countries exept China and India. Canada adds another
32 million to the population of North America. (RESEARCH SERVICES AT NAMB)
There are 6.4 billion people in the world. Only 2 billion claim to be Christian. (RESEARCH SERVICES AT IMB)
About Acts 1:8
Your Church - A Worldwide Missions Center
Today’s cutting-edge churches are discovering passion for missions and unprecedented involvement from members of all ages. They are embracing God’s heart for the world and transforming their church into a worldwide mission center. The Acts 1:8 Challenge -
A Comprehensive Missions Strategy
Jesus commanded the church to take the gospel to the ends of the earth and gave us a powerful model in Acts 1:8 that is local, regional, continental, and global. With this model, any local church can be a worldwide mission center.
Today’s churches are uniquely positioned to fulfill their worldwide mission through an Acts 1:8 vision. Understanding that the local church is at the very center of God’s plan for reaching the world, these churches are mapping out their Jerusalem, their Judea, their Samaria, and their ends of the earth. And they are discovering that they can literally change their world. Has your church mapped out its stategy for global impact?
There are people in your community who need the gospel, but may never set foot in your church building. They are your “Jerusalem” mission field. Your local Baptist association may be able to help you understand the opportunities for ministry and service to reach your “Jerusalem.” It could be a new community ministry, a new church start or a new strategy to reach one of the many people groups living in Texas.
For more information contact your local Baptist association, the SBTC, or visit ActsOne8.com.
Though Southern Baptists have been in existence for more than 150 years, today there are millions of lost people all around us in every state or region. They are our “Judea” mission field. And while one church might touch its “Jerusalem” with a big outreach event, the only way to reach an entire state or region with the gospel is through partnership with other churches in your state.
Your church’s gifts through the Cooperative Program have helped establish your state convention to assist your church in reaching its “Judea” and beyond. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) offers your church an array of resources, services, and opportunities to reach your region for Christ.
For more information about how the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention can help you to partner with a network of churches to reach your “Judea”, call the toll free number 877-953-7282 or visit the SBTC Web site at sbtexas.com.
While we often think of North America as “Christian,” the reality is that an estimated 235 million people in our “Samaria” have no personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That is seven of every 10 people! The lostness of North America runs deep and the gospel often meets a calloused response in this modern-day “Samaria.”
Your mission dollars, flowing through channels like the Cooperative Program and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering®, provide another “Acts 1:8 partner” in the North American Mission Board (NAMB). Wherever your church’s interests and strategies focus in North America, NAMB can help you channel your energies there.
The SBTC works closely with NAMB to help churches reach the North American Mission Field. Contact us at www.sbtexas.com or call 877-953-SBTC (7282) if we can assist you.
For more information on how NAMB can help you reach your “Samaria,” call 770-410-6000, e-mail ActsOne8@namb.net, visit the NAMB website at namb.net, or find out more at ActsOne8.com.
Thousands of people around the world are coming to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Yet the stark reality remains: 1.7 billion people still have little or no access to the gospel message. And while Southern Baptists
are going to international mission fields in unprecedented numbers, many more are needed.
Your church can have global impact through a partnership with the International Mission Board (IMB). Gifts to the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® enable Southern Baptists to support more than 5,300 missionaries in more 150 countries. The challenge is in reaching the more than 6,500 unreached people groups throughout the world.
The IMB is poised to help you understand the needs, overcome the barriers of culture and language and connect you to opportunities that coincide with your church’s vision. The ends of the earth are within our grasp, and the SBTC works closely with the IMB to help churches mobilize globally. Contact us at www.sbtexas.com or toll free (877)953-7282 if we can assist you.
For more information on how the IMB can help you reach your ends of the earth, call 1-877-462-4721, email ActsOne8@imb.org, visit the IMB website at imb.org or find out more at ActsOne8.com.