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[ Silence ] [ Music ] >> What do you think of when you hear the name Lottie Moon? To Southern Baptists all over the world, the missionary named Lottie Moon is synonymous with foreign missions.

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The Christmas offering named in her memory has already provided more than $450 million for foreign missions. This year, Southern Baptists have a goal of $45 million to help support the work of more than 3,000 missionaries in 94 countries. Texas Baptists have a part in the work of those 3,000 missionaries who serve in 10,400 churches and 9,700 mission preaching points. Last year alone more

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than 94,000 new Christians were baptized worldwide. Now what comes to mind when you hear the country Brazil mentioned? Some of you know it as one of the most responsive mission fields we have today. Others know Brazil in a special relationship to Texas. It was in 1882 that the W.B. Bagby's began the first

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mission work in Brazil and the Bagby's were Texans. In 1982 Texas Baptists have been invited by Brazilian Baptists to celebrate these 100 years of Baptist work in Brazil. The celebration is a planned effort to spread the gospel to every person in Brazil. Texas part in this is called Bold Mission to Brazil.

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Bold Mission to Brazil involves the active participation of Texas Baptists in a partnership arrangement of spreading the gospel of Christ. Another facet of this unique relationship to Brazil is the opportunity to financially support this bold effort by Brazilian Baptists. The Woman's Missionary Union of

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Texas has set $8 million as the state's goal for the Lottie Moon offering. The plus is a concerted effort by Texas Baptists and the Foreign Mission Board to raise an additional $2 million for the special needs of Brazil. The Lottie Moon Plus offering will help underwrite the cost of spreading the gospel in the urban

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centers of Brazil where 30 million people live, one-fourth of the population of the entire country. For this one-time request, Texas Baptist churches are being asked to set two goals, one for their regular Lottie Moon offering for foreign missions, and another for the PLUS offering

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to Brazil. Texas Baptists have committed themselves to bold missions in Brazil, bold praying, bold giving, and bold going. Many churches are already boldly praying for this evangelistic effort.

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Several hundred Texas Baptists have already accepted the challenge to go boldly. Wherever they have gone, they have found a deep hunger for the message of Christ. They have found a responsiveness that is almost unknown in our country. They have found needs so great that nearly any skill or ability can be used.

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In 1882, when Brazil was yet a sleeping giant, Southern Baptists began work there. Today, Brazilian Baptists have over 3,000 churches, three-fourths of them self-supporting. Each year, the pastors baptize thousands of converts, moving closer and closer to the Brazilian Baptist Convention goal of 6,000 churches, with one million members by the

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end of 1982, their centennial year. So responsive are the people to the gospel that opportunities for Christian service in Brazil outpace the number of workers. There are more churches than there are pastors and missionaries to serve them.

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Since 1907, the Brazilian Baptist Convention has maintained both a home and a foreign mission board. This illustrates the vitality and strength of Brazilian Baptists. Indian home missionaries work in the urban areas as well as among Indians and settlers

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in the interior of their country. Southern Baptist missionary Marshal Flournoy also works in the interior. Here we see him at work building prefabricated churches. These buildings will seat 250 to 300 people.

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Four of these have been constructed already and seven more are needed immediately. The fact that each building constructed is filled the first Sunday it's open is testimony of the thirst for the gospel in these interior villages. Brazil is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world.

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It ranks fifth in size among all the nations of the world. Southern Baptists have 300 missionaries to give witness to a country roughly equal to the continental United States. It is to the urban areas that masses of people stream in search of a better life.

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It is here that Southern Baptists concentrate their efforts where the urban way of living brings opportunities as well as problems to those who come. Southern Baptist missionaries work alongside Brazilian missionaries and churches to minister to the vast needs in this urban culture.

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The Lottie Moon Plus offering is the financial opportunity for Texas Baptists to join in a true partnership to evangelize Brazil. For Texas Baptists, the Lottie Moon Plus offering is an opportunity to be both general and specific in our missions giving.

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The Lottie Moon offering is for foreign missions in a general way, and the Plus offering for Brazil in a specific way. South America is often called the land of manana, but suddenly tomorrow is here today. is ready for the gospel. The challenge of boldness is before us. God's power is evident

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in Brazil. God has richly blessed Texas Baptists across the years. We are indeed a called out people. The question is whether we can do any less than to respond in boldness. Bold praying, bold going, bold giving. The Lottie Moon Plus offering is the way for Texas Baptists to continue their support for foreign missions

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and focus their support in an area of the world where God is indeed moving in a dramatic way. (beep) [Music]

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