We The Women, Telling His Story, the 125th history of South Carolina Woman's Missionary Union is now available for purchase. The history, which is written by Mary B. Foster speaks to women today in a call to faithfulness to God. It also stands as a repository of hope for future generations yet to be born. 
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What Do I Do?
You may be saying, “my church family is small, we don’t have five people to enlist.” That’s fine. Have one missions leader as you have been doing or combine the positions with two people doing the work, i.e., put missions prayer, mission support, and missions awareness together. Then have one person lead in the areas of mission action and witnessing. Remember too, you can enlist men as missions leaders.
The reason for adding five leaders is three-fold: (1) to involve more church members who are not involved in a WMU organization, (2) to enable churches to do more to establish God’s Kingdom in their community, and (3) five leaders focusing on their specific missions passion will accomplish far more than one person trying to do everything.
The suggestions given below, by position, are designed to assist you in getting started for the Fall Quarter, September through November. After that, look for help in MISSIONS LEADER and WMU Yearbook 2007-2008.
WMU MISSIONS PRAYER LEADER
- This is a busy quarter for you. Your responsibilities include planning ways to involve the church in observing the Season of Prayer for State Missions, September 9-16, 2007. The theme is Called. Each age level will plan for their organization. You will need to plan for the prayer times for the emphasis. Work closely with your pastor and minister of music. Materials for this emphasis have been mailed to WMU leaders in your church. If your name has been sent to us, you should have received a packet. The material also is on line at www.scwmu.org. The DVD has been sent to the WMU director. It may be viewed on line as well.
- Since this is the beginning of the school year, this is an ideal time to organize groups of your church family to prayer walk the schools. This could occur before school actually starts or on the first day of school. Be sure that you notify the school administrator before doing this. For help in prayerwalking, order a prayerwalking booklet,“A Guide to Prayerwalking” from the Office of Prayer and Spiritual Awakening, SCBC, 190 Stoneridge Drive, Columbia, SC 29210 or call 1-800-723-7242. You also may download the booklet at www.scbaptist.org.
- Work with the WMU director to lead the prayer plan each quarter in Missions Leader. For the fall, the focus is on live the call of God to pray.
- Develop plans for praying for the critical issue: poverty. A poverty prayer experience is available in the Christ Followers: Prayer Path Kit, available from Woman’s Missionary Union, SBC, www.wmustore.com or (800) 968-7301. The cost is $14.99 plus shipping.
- November 5, 2007 is the Baptist Women World Day of Prayer. Contact your associational WMU director to learn about plans to observe this day. Publicize this in your church. Arrange for cars or church van to transport women to participate. If there are no association plans, lead an observance in your church. For assistance, see the fall issue of Missions Leader or go to www.bwanet.org and click on women.
- Ask your pastor to include the Missionary Prayer Calendar in the printed bulletin and in the mid-week service bulletin.
- Work with the WMU director to order and distribute the prayer guides during the International Missions Emphasis. These are free from your state WMU office.
- Talk with your pastor or worship leader about including a missions prayer time in the various services of the church, i.e. Sunday morning and evening worship, Wednesday night prayer meeting. Use information from the various WMU curriculum pieces about sharing Christ in the world for the missions prayer focus.
WMU MISSION ACTION LEADER
- Plan for your church to participate in the day of mission action, We’re Here for You, on Saturday, November 10, 2007. This is the Saturday preceding the South Carolina Baptist Convention meeting. This is a day when all South Carolina Baptist churches may reach out to their community. Check with your associational WMU director or a member of the associational staff to see if the association has suggested projects for churches to do in which you can lead your church to be involved. If none are planned, work with your Leadership team to determine at least one Mission Action project in which your church can be involved. Helps for this are in Missions Link and on the SC WMU web page. The best projects are those that meet the needs of the people in your church community.
- Project HELP: Poverty is the critical issue this year. Work with your WMU missions awareness leader to plan ways to educate your church family about poverty in your community. Then plan at least one mission action project each month to help meet these needs. There are many resources from WMU, SBC to assist you with this.
- Since schools are starting, it is the ideal time to talk with school administrators to see if they have a lunch buddy program. If not, ask if one could be started. This is a program where adults eat lunch with at risk kids giving them a good role model. It is a wonderful way to involve retirees in missions. It is a good way for working people to spend their lunch hour.
- Devise a list of families that need to be remembered at Thanksgiving. Ask every Sunday school class and WMU group to adopt one of the families for whom they will provide Thanksgiving dinner.
- America and the world are included in mission action. Get information on partnership opportunities in Jamaica, Appalachia Regional Missions, and South Asia. It only takes one person for your church to become involved. But, they can not go if they do not know. Also, many associations have partnerships with other countries, states, and associations, for which you can enlist people. In addition, the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board have volunteer needs.
- Minister to families of military who are left at home when spouses are deployed overseas. Two excellent resources for this are: Hopefor the Home Front and Hope for the Home Front Bible Study by Marshele Carter Waddell. Both are available from WMU.
- Remember; always plan how you will witness in every mission action project.
- Remember some mission action requires training.
WMU WITNESSING LEADER
- Order a training packet of A Story to Tell training guide, free from the Evangelism and Missions Team, South Carolina Baptist Convention. This packet includes a teaching guide and 50 leaflets (Additional leaflets may be ordered). Schedule a training session for your church family. The beginning of witnessing is to equip the people to do so.
- Schedule a study of Journey to Confidence: Becoming Women Who Witness for all of the women in the church from WMU, SBC.
- After equipping people, schedule a day of witnessing at the mall or a shopping center. Be sure to get permission from management.
- Encourage those trained to witness AS THEY GO. Then, have a get together for sharing witnessing experiences.
WMU MISSIONS AWARENESS LEADER
- Plan now to have the International Mission Study for the whole church family. Coordinate this with age-level organization leaders. The theme for this year is: That All Peoples May Know Him. The focus area is Moldova. Resources are available through LifeWay Christian Stores. Helps will be in Missions Leader and the WMU Yearbook 2007-2008.
- Schedule a study of the WMU emphasis book, Directionally Challenged: How to Find and Follow God’s Course for Your Life by Travis Collins.
- Make bulletin boards or have posters throughout the church on missions needs in your community. Do this in conjunction with the Season of Prayer for State Missions. Coordinate this with the mission prayer leader.
- Do the same thing for international missions prior to and during the International Missions Emphasis. Changing facts/information/pictures every week will create interest.
- During November and December, print an international missions paragraph in the church newsletter and bulletin. Coordinate this with the WMU missions prayer leader and WMU mission support leader.
- Order extra copies of WMU curriculum pieces and put them around the church in appropriate areas for children, youth, and women to pick up, i.e. in the children’s area, put copies of GA World.
WMU MISSION SUPPORT LEADER
- Plan ways to promote the Janie Chapman Offering for State Missions, Missions Education, and Empowering Kingdom Growth. Work with the WMU director, the missions awareness leader, and the missions prayer leader. Resources are in the State Missions Packet, in Missions Link, and on the SC WMU webpage.
- Plan ways to promote the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Again, do this in conjunction with the appropriate WMU leadership.
- October is Cooperative Program month. Order resources to insert in bulletins or hand out as people come into the sanctuary or during Sunday School. These materials are free. All kinds of materials are available from bulletin inserts to children’s activity booklets. Contact the Cooperative Program Office, South Carolina Baptist Convention. The contact is Jackie Wenzel. Call her at 800-723-7242 or email her at jackiewenzel@scbaptist.org.
- Again, displays on the Cooperative Program in key areas of the church will stimulate interest.
- Borrow The Lifetime Stewardship Video Series from your association office. A set was given to each association in SC by the WMU Foundation. Topics include: Wills and Estate Planning, A Woman and Her Money, and other financial helps. Use these to enable individuals to know how their money can keep on supporting missions and WMU.
- If missionary kids (MKs) attend college/university near you, urge church members to invite them into their homes for a meal or at Thanksgiving. Encourage church members to adopt them and give them a home away from home.
- Sponsor an early Christmas party for collegiate MKs. Provide wrapping paper and shipping materials for MKs to use to send Christmas gifts to family members who are on their mission field. These may be international and North American missionaries.
- Help aging parents of missionaries that need assistance who live near you or attend your church.
- Lead the church to give to the World Hunger Offering in October.
- Lead the church to collect Prisoner Packets. See Missions Link mail out for information.
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July 25-26
Camp La Vida
Winnsboro, S.C.
July 28 - Aug. 1
Camp La Vida
Winnsboro, S.C.
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The Missions Link
June 2008 - August 2008
Have you received the latest issue of the South Carolina WMU newsletter, The Missions Link? If not, please click below to download the latest information. You will find the latest issue of the church and association Missions Link.
Need Assistance With WMU Leadership Training?
Click here to view WMU leadership training videos that can assist with beginning or strengthening WMU and all age-level videos.
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Need WMU Products? Order On-Line!
All WMU products are available for purchase from WMU, SBC and can be ordered on-line from the WMU Bookstore. Click below for direct access to the bookstore.
WMU Store
2008-2009 WMU Leadership List
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