COOPERATIVE PROGRAM OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION

At First Baptist Church we proudly support the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention. This means that we choose to affiliate ourselves cooperatively with the Southern Baptist Convention.

• The Lawrence County Baptist Association of Churches – includes 28 churches that fellowship together and work together to reach Lawrence County for Christ.
• The Missouri Baptist Convention of Churches – includes 63 Baptist associations (+1900 churches) state wide that fellowship together with the goal of evangelizing our state.
• The Southern Baptist Convention of Churches – includes 42,000 churches that cooperate together in a world-wide effort of missions.

Our involvement in the SBC affords our church participation in the largest missionary organization in the world. Through the SBC “Cooperative Program” we help support over 10,000 missionaries in 104 countries around the world.

Two special opportunities to give to missions:

• Annie Armstrong Easter Offering – North American Missions supports 5,081 missionaries.
• Lottie Moon Christmas Offering – International Missions supports 5,444 missionaries all over the world.
• Cooperative Program: www.cpmissions.net
  

GRACE & PEACE GALS - CAMBODIA

At First our desire is to support individual missionaries as well as the Cooperative Program. In October of 2010 the people of First chose to support “The Grace & Peace Gals”. These ladies work through the Mission called The Hard Places Community which deals with Sex Trafficking in Cambodia. The people of First are very excited about this new opportunity of supporting “The Grace & Peace Gals.” If you would like to keep up or even contact “The Gals” there are three ways listed below:

• Facebook: Grace and Peace Gals
• Blog: www.graceandpeacegals.blogspot.com
• Email: graceandpeacegals@gmail.com

For monetary donations, checks may be made out to First Baptist Church with "Grace & Peace Gals" written in the memo.

To better understand the mission, below is a letter from the Executive Director of Hard Places.

Our mission in Cambodia is to see children, both girls and boys, set free from the evils of the commercial sex trade. We believe that this freedom comes through Christ and Christ alone. We introduce the children to Christ through many different ministries. I will list some of them here, but this list is not exclusive, as we have many new visions birthed each month!

• Village School. This school is located in a village that is infamous for selling young children, as young as five and six years old, for sex.
• Kids Club. This club is run in the park that is know for selling kids of all ages for sex.
• Boys Center. This center will help meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of sexually exploited boys.
• MST Project. This project reaches out on Friday nights to male sex tourists.
• Boy Brothel project-we are going into three newly identified boy brothels in attempts to reach boys who are selling themselves there.

All of these projects in Cambodia deal directly with the prevention, rescue and restoration of children trapped in sexual slavery. Our end goal, with each project, is to introduce these children to the love and hope of Christ. Each of our projects is 100% evangelical in nature-we have no goal other than that these children would come to truly know Him who can set them free. We do devotions with the children, and Kids Club is a VBS model where we teach the Bible, front to back, and use object lessons from it to show the kids who Christ is. All of our school curriculum is Christ-centered, and thus far we have only hired staff who are committed, evangelical Christians.

Alli Mellon
Executive Director, The Hard Places Community
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

TRI-COUNTY PREGNANCY CENTER

The pregnancy care center is located at 316 South Madison Avenue in Aurora, MO. The services are free for women in an unplanned, untimely or unwanted pregnancy. The center is funded through donations of churches, individuals and businesses and doesn’t receive funds from the state or government.

To monetarily donate, mail your gift to P.O. Box 107, Aurora, MO 65605. To donate items such as baby clothes, maternity clothes or baby items, call the center at 417.678.0090 or drop the donations by between noon and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To volunteer time as a mentor, receptionist, etc., visit the center for an application. To have client contact, volunteers will have a required background check.

• Website: www.tcprc.com
• Email: tricountyprcswmo@gmail.com
• Phone: 417.678.0090
• Mailing Address: PO Box 107, Aurora, MO 65605
  

BAPTIST HILL ASSEMBLY

The purpose of Baptist hill is to provide a suitable setting to win hearts for Jesus, disciple believers and train servants. Baptist Hill sets back in the rich timber setting of the Ozark Hills. We are located 30 miles west of Springfield, MO, outside the small community of Mt. Vernon. Big Spring, a huge attraction for many, runs around the entire perimeter of the camp. Its flowing water makes for a great day of canoeing or hiking. Rebel's Bluff, another historical site, is adjoined to the acres of wildlife-filled hills and bluffs that encompass the camp facility. Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter, there is no time of the year that you will not find Baptist Hill a peaceful and captivating place. A hidden treasure of simplicity and character, this camp has drawn many, near and far, to be embraced by its spiritual aura felt upon entering its gates.

• Website: www.baptisthillcamp.com
• E-mail: baptisthill1@aol.com
• Phone: 417.466.3034
• Mailing Address: PO Box 491 - Mt. Vernon, MO 65712