With its new 1,000 Beams of Light campaign, IPHC World Missions hopes to encourage 1,000 churches to participate in the 2021 Global Outreach Offering.
Just 628 IPHC congregations in the US participated in 2020, according to Dr. Terry Tramel, director of global outreach and leadership development for IPHC World Missions, though he said many others supported missions in other ways. The offering still totaled almost $1.5 million in a pandemic year, the year the IPHC emphasized its core value of generosity.
“These funds are the lifeblood of the IPHC’s ministry around the world,” Tramel said. “A quarter of the offering helps EVUSA fund church planting in the US, and the rest supports our work in over 100 countries.”
The GO Offering began in the South Carolina Conference, whose churches still accounted for almost a third of the 2020 total. A church’s gift is made up of individual gifts, and the IPHC has encouraged members to contribute a “day’s wage” since the GO Offering’s inception.
And in 2020, the GO Offering made new avenues of ministry and support possible. With many ministries restricted because of COVID-19, IPHC World Missions seeded more than $300,000 into a new COVID Relief Fund. To date, the fund has disbursed more than $900,000 to COVID relief projects in 69 countries.
“Because people have given generously, with kingdom impact in mind, we’ve been able to give generously,” said People to People Director, Bryan Nix, who manages relief requests. “We’ve met material needs, and we’re seeing the kingdom of God grow as a result.”
With 1,000 Beams of Light, Dr. Tramel hopes to see the number of GO churches increase from 2020’s 628 to 1,000. With an average church gift of $2,300, increasing that participating church total would mean an additional $850,000 to fund IPHC ministries around the world.
“We’re not looking to reach this goal with Ferrari-style speed,” Tramel said. “But every new participating church helps us fund ministry. And the GO offering gives people and churches an important way to obey the Great Commission.” Smiling, he added, “It’s a way for them to GO into all the world.”
Nix agreed. “When we give in this way, we may not see immediate results. But we trust the Lord. If everyone isn’t saved, we at least know that everyone sees the light.”
Click below for more information on the IPHC ministries mentioned in this article.
Learn more about 1,000 Beams of Light.
Learn more about People to People, the IPHC’s child sponsorship program.
Learn more about the COVID Relief Fund.
