God is working through Northwest Baptists. Consider these encouraging numbers. College campus ministries have increased from 13 to 17 in one year and two new college churches have been launched. The number of NWBC churches grew from 466 to 492 and baptisms increased to 2,039 from 2,006. Worship attendance grew by over 600 persons to an average of 30,190 weekly worshipers. Vacation Bible Schools (VBS) are strong this summer, led by 402 workers trained in NWBC training events. Nothing is more important than reaching children and 25 percent of all baptisms are related to VBS in our churches.
Other encouraging information includes 23 new churches launching, 12 of which are non-English. Forty-three of our churches worship in Korean and 30 more in Spanish. Russian, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Romanian, Bhutanese and Zomi are growing language groups in our churches. These join Japanese, Cantonese, Tagalog, Chin, and a dozen other languages spoken in our NWBC churches. Such diversity is evidence of cooperation and collaboration by our churches and partners, and the universality of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In August, 27 young people and sponsors will do an NWBC mission trip in Cuba. Also, 20 pastors will participate in their first-ever East Asia mission trip this year, joining dozens of other pastors and churches serving there.
This growth is not happening by chance. God blesses the cooperation of our churches. We train together. We do missions together. We believe in each other and enjoy a high level of trust and respect.
In addition to the Cooperative Program mission giving of our churches, many support Northwest missions through the Northwest Impact Offering (formerly Sylvia Wilson offering). This offering is important to NW missions and I want to encourage you to participate.
This year the offering will fund five areas of work – church planting, collegiate ministry, VBS training, Disaster Relief, and the Oasis Pastor/Spouse retreat. Every dollar given through the NW Impact Offering helps reach people where we live. Only four percent of our Northwest neighbors attend church weekly. The great majority don’t know Jesus. Can you imagine the hopelessness of not knowing Jesus and believing that what you get in this world is all you’ll ever have!? That’s the condition in which most of our neighbors live. The good news is that the majority is open to learning about Jesus. Surveys conducted in Portland, OR suggest more than 90 percent are open to learning about Jesus!
Every NWBC church will receive information as to how they can participate in the NW Impact Offering by early August. Please inquire and participate in this vital offering. Also, you can contribute directly through our website, http://www.nwbaptist.org. Click on the “Give Now” tab to give to missions through NW Impact.
Ministry has never been easy. Churches are like sand castles. Sand castles are always eroding, crumbling each moment, but through persistent, hands-on attention a beautiful sand castle can be built and maintained. Together, this is what we are doing. Of course, the sand castle illustration is terribly incomplete because the church is not built by human hands, but by God’s hand. The church is Christ’s body, purchased by His blood, inhabited and enlivened by His Spirit. Crossing oceans and centuries and innumerable barriers, God has built His church. And He is doing so today, through you, through us, together, for His glory. It is a good day to serve our God in the Pacific Northwest!