EBA WMU COMMITTEES 2008-2009

WMU VISION STATEMENT

WMU challenges Christian believers to understand and be radically involved in the mission of God.

• AREAS OF WMU MISSION FOCUS

• Pray for Missions
• Support Missions
• Learn about Missions
• Develop Spiritually Towards a Mission Lifestyle
• Engage in Mission Action and Witnessing
• Participate in the work of the church and denomination

WMU HISTORY

WMU was founded in 1888 as an auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention for the purpose of “stimulating the missionary spirit” and “collecting funds” for the mission boards.  These were the two original stated jobs for which women organized.  This many years later, our singular focus remains on missions.

WMU seeks to equip preschoolers, children, youth, and adults with an understanding of the mission of God in our world, and then enable them to find ways to personally embrace a missions lifestyle.

WMU provides resources for missions education and opportunities for missions involvement.  WMU offers curriculum for age-level organizations in churches, volunteer opportunities, conferences, leadership training, ministry ideas and models, books and much more.  WMU actively promotes giving to the Cooperative Program, the unified budget of the Southern Baptist Convention.  WMU is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.

WMU AGE LEVEL ORGANIZATIONS

Preschool                        

Missions Friends is the missions organization for preschool boys and girls from birth through kindergarten.  The teaching materials include Start, The WMU Teaching Guide for Mission Friends Teachers.  Books such as I Can Pray; I Can Give; I Can Be More Like Jesus; I Can Do It!; I’m a part of god’s Plan; The Lottie ad Annie Upside-Down Book; and, what Does It Mean to Be Poor? give this age group a better concept and understanding of God’s love and the importance of demonstrating this compassion to others.

Children           

Girls in Action (girls only) and Children in Action (boys and girls) are the missions organization for boys and girls grades 1 thru 6.  The teaching materials include GA Leader and GA Leader Kit (for leader resources), GA World (for girls grades 1-6), and Children in Action Leader (for boys and girls grades 1-6).

Youth               

Acteens (girls only) and Youth on Mission (boys and girls) are the missions organizations for boys and girls ages 7 thru 12.  The teaching materials include The Mag (student monthly magazine with devotions, stories about missionaries and missions facts); Acteens Leader; How to Involve Students in Missions: Includes Guides for Acteens, Youth on Mission; and Missions Interchange.

Collegiate

Missions Interchange is the on-line missions link for young adults.  Each month, different topics and articles are posted to help students relate to missions in their hometown to learning about needs around the world.  The link also includes devotions and personal articles about the lives of missionaries.

Adults               

Women on Mission (women) and Adults on Mission (men and women) are the missions organizations for adults.  The teaching materials include Missions Mosaic and Missions Leader.

Spanish

Women on Mission for Spanish women.  An annual celebration for Kentucky Spanish women takes place in the spring of each year.  Nuestra Tarea: revista de misiones y ministerios translated as Our Task: magazine of missions and ministries was first published in 1955.

WMU MINISTRIES

WMU Foundation created in 1995 to support the purpose and ministries of WMU.  It holds over 100 funds and endowments that let you literally put your treasure where your heart is.

Volunteer Connection is a network that connects missions volunteers to needs nationally and internationally through FamilyFEST and MissionsFEST (pre-planned on-site missions opportunities).

Project HELP: Poverty is a way for WMU to focus on critical social issues by providing churches with education, resources, and ministry ideas.

Christian Women’s Job Corps/Christian Men’s Job Corps, since its creation in March 1997, has provided a Christian context in which men and women in need are equipped for life and employment and a missions environment where men help men and women help women.

Pure Water, Pure Love supplies water filters and purifiers to missionaries and the people they serve; and, has further begun to drill wells in villages and communities without clean water systems.

International Initiatives connects missionaries in other countries with volunteers who go to those fields to assist in missions opportunities.

World Crafts seeks and partners with groups around the world that have adopted Fair Trade Federation guidelines and business practices to afford livable wages to the local artisans thus moving these people from poverty to self-sufficiency giving them a new sense of worth.

Baptist Nursing Fellowship was organized nationally in 1983 for the purpose of encouraging health-care service evolving from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to link health-care professionals with missions involvement opportunities requiring a person with medical skills.
Dates:
June of each year is the BNF Summer Luncheon in Kentucky.

Missionary Housing is assistance provided by the National WMU or a state WMU to search for a home for missionaries who are on stateside assignment.

New Hope Publishers is the publishing arm of WMU and is committed to provide books that challenge Christian believers to understand and be radically involved in the mission of God.  New Hope partners with other publishing companies to provide books on best seller lists and other-language (Braille) translations.

WMU WEB RESOURCES

Web Resources includes multiple websites that provide missions information and unlimited ideas for missions opportunities.  There are 19 websites maintained by National WMU:

www.wmu.com
www.wmustore.com
www.acteens.com
www.adultsonmission.com
www.childrensmissions.com
www.directorofmissions.com
www.gapassport.com
www.missionfriends.com
www.missionsinterchange.com
www.missionleader.com
www.missionsmart.net
www.mymissionfulfilled.com
www.newhopepublishers.com
www.sisterswhocare.com
www.wmucultures.com
www.wmufoundation.com
www.womenonmission.com
www.youthonmission.com
www.worldcraftsvillage.com

MAGAZINES published by WMU:

Missions Leader for pastors, WMU directors, or other church staff.
Missions Leader, Associational Edition – for associational WMU directors.
Missions Mosaic – for Women on Mission, age 18 and older.
The Mag – for Acteens, grades 7-12.
Acteens Leader – for leaders of Acteens.
Aware – for leaders of Girls in Action, grades 1-6.
GA World – for Girls in Action, grades 4-6.
Discovery – for Girls in Action, grades 1-3.
Start – for leaders of Mission friends.
Share – take-home activity leaflets for 3 to 5-year-old Mission Friends.
Missions MatchFile – for Children in Action.
Nuestra Tarea – Spanish publication for adults.

WMU TRAINING

Leadership training is regularly provided to any person willing to commit to WMU work whether it is an age-level organization or a specific program.  This training ranges from training that may be offered by the WMU Director of a local church, to the association providing training for local churches, to state WMU training opportunities for both associational-level and church-level leaders, to national WMU training opportunities ranging from individual church leaders to state leaders.

Dates:  
May of each year for associational leadership training (SALT).
July of each year for associational and church leadership training (World Missions Unlimited), two sessions/ two sites.
August of each year the Elkhorn WMU provides Leadership Training for Churches.
August of each year the Kentucky WMU provides leadership training in conjunction with Super Saturday, sponsored by the KBC.

WMU EVENTS

January, a retreat for women all over the state at the Women on Mission Regional Retreat, Laurel Lake, Corbin.

February, highlights the work of WMU organizations in each church through WMU Focus Week.

February or March, the Hispanic WMU Event at any church throughout the state.

March, celebrates the Annual Meeting of Kentucky WMU.

June, in conjunction with the SBC Annual Meeting is the National WMU Annual Meeting.

July, the EBA Family Missions picnic at varying churches in Elkhorn Association.

September, WMU Fall Retreat at Jonathan Creek Baptist Assembly.

September, Children in Action Day Camp.

October, WMU Fall Retreat at Cedarmore Baptist Assembly.

November, Elkhorn WMU Annual Women on Mission Meeting.

November, 1^st Monday, Baptist Women’s World Day of Prayer.

November, GA JAM, girls in grades 1-6.

WMU MISSION OFFERINGS

WMU promotes the financial support for international missions through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  This offering was first initiated in 1888. 
Date:    December each year.
 

WMU promotes the financial support for home missions through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.  This offering was first initiated in 1907.
Date:  Easter season each year.
 

WMU promotes the financial support for state missions through the Eliza Broaddus State Missions Offering.  This offering was first initiated in 1913.
Date:  September each year.
 

WMU promotes the financial support for associational missions through the Julia Woodward Associational Mission Offering.  This offering was first initiated in 1961.
Date:    May of each year.

TEAM MEETINGS

August - 1st Monday, 6:00 pm- Old and New team members
October - 4th Monday, 6:00 pm
February - 2nd Monday, 6:00 pm
May - 3rd Monday, 6:00 pm

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EBA WMU MEETINGS

March - Elkhorn WMU Prayer Breakfast (2nd or 3rd Saturday morning)
July - Elkhorn WMU Family Mission Picnic (3rd Monday evening)
November - Elkhorn WMU Annual Meeting (1st Saturday morning)