April 28, 2024
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. — It was an easy decision for First Baptist Church of Peachtree City to financially support Mission Georgia, the statewide outreach to orphaned children, human trafficking victims, and others in need.
“We believe the causes that Mission Georgia engages are critically important to God,” said Pastor Joey Rodgers. “They are also causes our church has traditionally prioritized.”
First Baptist of Peachtree City led the state in giving to the Mission Georgia offering over the past year, contributing $23,623.50 to help the Georgia Baptist Mission Board bring hope and healing to the hurting while compassionately sharing the gospel.
The Mission Georgia offering is one of three major offerings recognized by the Georgia Baptist Convention. The others are the Lottie Moon Christmas offering to support international missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter offering to support North American missions.
Mission Georgia funds a multi-faceted approach to reaching Georgia with the gospel. That includes helping to rescue teenage girls from human traffickers, finding forever homes for foster care children, providing prenatal care and counseling for mothers-to-be to ensure they deliver healthy babies, helping at-risk children learn to read, helping immigrants learn English and find jobs.
Mission Georgia leaders, trying to head off future hardships for at-risk children, have made it a priority to help elementary-age children become proficient readers.
“The prison system looks at how many kids are behind in reading in the third grade to determine how many beds they will need in their prisons,” Cindy Schaeffner, a retired teacher and co-director of Read Georgia, said at a book collection event last year. “By third grade, if you’re behind in reading, the chances of catching up are slim. That’s why we have to intervene.”
Two of the ministries Mission Georgia partners with — Wellspring Living and the Healing Bridge Clinic — were birthed out of First Baptist Peachtree City, and the church has a longstanding compassion ministry for widows and orphans in the Peachtree City area.
“Ministries geared to meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the abandoned and left behind are kindred ministries to our members and attenders,” Rodgers said. “We love and appreciate the direction and intentionality of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. We believe that the Great Commission is at the forefront of every decision being made, and, that with integrity and transparency, little to no monies given are being wasted on frivolous causes.
“Ultimately though, it boils down to this for us: To whom much is given, much is required, and we’ve been given so much. Therefore, as a church, we want to pay it forward. We also want to give where we believe we can have the greatest impact with accountability — and we believe Mission Georgia meets these expectations.”
Other churches on the Mission Georgia Top 10 list of supporters in 2023 were Kiokee Baptist Church of Appling, First Baptist Church of Douglas, Salem Baptist Church of Dalton, McConnell Memorial Baptist Church of Hiawassee, Ephesus Baptist Church of Villa Rica, West Acres Baptist Church of Evans, First Baptist Church of Sylvester, First Baptist Church of Atlanta, East Cobb Baptist Church of Marietta.
“Our state’s churches really get behind Mission Georgia because they really are serious about the great commandment, to love their neighbors,” said Lorna Bius, a Mission Georgia mobilizer. “Peachtree City has been so involved in their own community in so many ways, and, through this offering, they’re tangibly extending their ministry to other communities. They are one of many congregations around our state that really care about the vulnerable in our communities. We’re grateful for them and other top tier givers, but we’re also grateful for every gift, no matter how small. It all accumulates, allowing us to do more for Christ all over Georgia.”
