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SBC Missionary Highlight & Prayer Prompt

God called James Smith to the mission field and he was filled with excitement after landing in London to begin ministry there. Then, COVID-19 hit. London was shut down and it looked like ministry would be too. Smith wondered why God would call him to be a missionary during a pandemic, but then he went to the park and God’s plan became clear.

At the park, Smith approached people and asked if he could pray for them. The shutdowns and mandated quarantines worked in his favor. Many were lonely, bored, disconnected, and willing to talk.

One of these park-walkers was a Muslim named Adam. He had been having spiritual dreams that he didn’t understand and so he asked Smith to interpret them. The missionary recognized Ezekiel 26:26 in the dream and explained what it meant to have a new heart and spirit.

THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM takes the Gospel to the nations and the neighborhoods. Your financial support through the Cooperative Program provides opportunities for missionaries to share about Jesus anywhere and everywhere.

PRAY for Smith as he continues to share the Gospel with people in Europe.

In every edition of the FirstUpdate, we are highlighting the efforts of the International Mission Board (IMB), the North American Mission Board (NAMB), the six Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) seminaries, and the various Baptist state conventions. Each month, our church and the other 47,000+ churches in the SBC contribute a portion of our undesignated offerings to these important Cooperative Program (CP) ministries. For more information about CP, click HERE.

Giving Options

• Online through Tithe.ly or the Tithe.ly app
• Mail a check to First Baptist Church, PO Box 367, Strafford, MO 65757
• Several of our members have begun using online bill pay through their bank to send in their offering. This is a free service that some banks provide. All you have to do is add the church’s name and address as a vendor, just like you would the electric company or any other business.
• You can also drop your offering by the church office, but please call ahead to make sure that someone will be in the office.