Episode 240
Giving Drop Last Year as Donations Rose, Johnny Cash Documentary & Missionary Presence Represents IMB’s Mission
Many Christian groups saw increases in keeping with the overall rise in philanthropic giving, and some did far better. “Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon,” is a new documentary telling the story of how the legendary musician known as “The Man in Black” found the light of Jesus Christ. And, missionary presence represents IMB’s core mission, and has since its inception. Missionary presence cultivates Gospel access, Gospel belief and church planting and multiplication.
Transcript
Many Christian groups saw increases in keeping with the overall rise in philanthropic giving, and some did far better. The findings appeared in the 2022 State of Giving report, released by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
Donations to Christian foundations (65.8 percent), anti-human trafficking groups (28.9 percent), K-12 schools (18.3 percent), church planting (12.2 percent) and pregnancy resource centers (14.5 percent) saw some of the largest increases.
An annual report on giving to evangelical Christian nonprofits, including churches and other ministries, found that giving to the United States’ largest churches fell by more than 6.6 percent in 2021, despite a rise of 4 percent last year in charitable giving nationwide.
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“Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon,” is a new documentary telling the story of how the legendary musician known as “The Man in Black” found the light of Jesus Christ.
The film releases December 5 as a special Fathom Event in theaters.
It tells the story of Cash’s difficult relationship with his father and the accidental death of his teenage brother Jack, who had desired to become a preacher.
All of these struggles drove Cash to a place of desperation and hopelessness. Things reached a breaking point when his addiction was at its worst in the late 1960s.
It was then that God turned Cash’s life around. He spent much of the 1970s and 80s working with Billy Graham, writing religious books, even recording songs based on trips to the Holy Land.
The film is in theaters through December 7.
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Good News for Today is sponsored by The Voice of the Martyrs
Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.
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Missionary presence represents IMB’s core mission, and has since its inception. Missionary presence cultivates Gospel access, Gospel belief and church planting and multiplication.
Through the cooperative investment of Southern Baptist churches, missionaries are trained, sent and supported.
One church can’t be everywhere. One person can’t be everywhere. Partnering together allows the gospel to be delivered around the world while your church bears fruit right where God has planted you.
As you pray today, ask God how you should respond to His mission to reach the nations. Lift your 3,500-plus IMB missionaries and their families to the Lord right now. Pray that our hearts will not be content to see 157,690 people die without Christ every day. Praise God for His continued work among the lost. Praise Him that His purpose is for every person to hear the gospel and join Him for eternity.
Learn more at IMB.org.
Read the full piece and sign up for our daily emails at Baptist Press.com.
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