The Cooperative program

1. The Cooperative program

2. “Look at the nations and watch– and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV)

3. It was in the 1800’s that churches began realize that fulfilling the Great Commission meant actively taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Many say that it was at that point in church history, that we actually began to look at the nations, to observe and watch them as this scripture says. Christians wanted to change the world! In 1925, Southern Baptists realized that the task at hand was too great for any one church, and realized that if we wanted to change the world, we need to work TOGETHER. The Cooperative Program was born. For those who don’t know, the Cooperative Program is a percentage of money received right in your church that is sent from your church to state, national, and international Southern Baptist ministries. While each church has its own responsibilities and duties to fulfill, it is only through the partnering of all Southern Baptist churches that we could best fulfill the commission to take the Gospel message to ALL the lost of our world.

4. We will never know why, but God has chosen to use the Cooperative Program through the years to see countless people come to Christ. After 87 years, the Cooperative Program is continuing the take the Gospel to those in need and we are continuing to understand that TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD! So exactly how does the Cooperative Program work to help us change the world?

5. $ Your CP Dollar ABSC Ministries 57 cents SBC Ministries 43 cents

6. The Cooperative Program begins with every single member and every single Southern Baptist Church. It starts with you! Basically, CP is a percentage of the money received right here in your local church that is sent from your church to the state, national, and international ministries. Each local church sets that percentage. Specifically for your church… …you decide how much to contribute to your church …the church sends a percentage of undesignated gifts on to CP …contributions are sent to the State Convention where just over 57% is put to work right here in Arkansas to see people come to Christ …43% is then sent on to help fund missions on national and international levels

7. $ Your CP Dollar Let’s look first of all at the 57% of your Cooperative Program money that is put to use to share the Gospel and build the kingdom right here in Arkansas… ABSC Ministries 57 cents SBC Ministries 43 cents

8. Every dollar that comes from your church into the Cooperative Program is administrated by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. Right now, the ABSC is 1,500 churches in eight different languages across the state that choose to cooperative together to fulfill the Great Commission. Your cooperative program money is divided between… state agencies, such as Arkansas Baptist Children’s Homes 335 participants in 5 residential programs 42 professions of faith in 2011 2,000 counseling sessions for families and Arkansas Baptist Assembly 3,644 campers in 2011 259 professions of faith institutions of Christian education, 2,100 students from 34 states and 46 nations 30% preparing for ministry and missions and the ministries carried out by the Executive Board.

9. ARKANSAS BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION AGENCIES Arkansas Baptist Children’s Homes INSTITUTIONS Ouachita Baptist University EXECUTIVE BOARD Executive Director Arkansas Baptist Foundation Williams Baptist College Executive Board Ministry Teams Arkansas Baptist News Arkansas Baptist Assembly

10. ARKANSAS BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION Now let’s look at what the Executive Board Ministry Teams do to change the world through the Cooperative Program AGENCIES Arkansas Baptist Children’s Homes INSTITUTIONS Ouachita Baptist University EXECUTIVE BOARD Executive Director Arkansas Baptist Foundation Williams Baptist College Executive Board Ministry Teams Arkansas Baptist News Arkansas Baptist Assembly

11. Business Affairs Team • All Cooperative Program gifts sent by the churches are handled by Accounting Services, which controls the disbursement of funds • All financial records audited and reported to Convention messengers annually • Oversight of all property, liability and multi-peril insurance for the Executive Board • Telephone and communication services • Convention budgeting • Fleet vehicles for use by Convention personnel • Camp Paron DAN JORDAN Team Leader

12. Collegiate Ministry Team • Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCMs) on college and university campuses statewide • Training and support for churches ministering to college students • Missions and evangelism involvement for collegians DAVID JAMES Team Leader

13. Evangelism and Church Growth Team • Personal witness training • Sunday School • Vacation Bible School • Discipleship • See You at the Pole • FAITH • Prospect discovery • Space analysis • Revival preparation SONNY TUCKER Team Leader

14. Executive Support Team • Cooperative Program promotion • Theological education • Church communication consultations • Demographic studies • Prayer ministry DON PUCIK Team Leader

15. Family Ministry Team • Men’s Ministries • Women’s Ministries • Single Adult Ministry • Senior Adult Ministry • Marriage Seminars • Parenting BEN PHILLIPS Team Leader

16. Leadership and Worship Team • Resources for pastors, church staff, and church leadership • Worship • Music ministries • Drama • Counseling • Stewardship and budgeting • Resume referral services • Interim ministry training and referral DENNY WRIGHT Team Leader

17. Missions Ministries Team • New church starts and development • Language and interfaith ministries • Mobilization of volunteers for construction ministries, disaster relief and partnership missions around the world. • Church and Community Ministries • Chaplaincy Ministries • Associational Missions • Cultural Understanding and Race Relations ROBBY TINGLE Team Leader

18. Missions Support Team • Missions education for men, women, and children at all age levels • Weeks of prayer promotional materials • Missions praying • Stateside assignment missionary list • Training for associational and church WMU leadership • Language WMU • Project HELP, Christian Women’s Job Corps DIANE PARKER Team Leader

19. Last year through the work of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, we saw… *266 decisions for Christ as a part of Baptist Collegiate Ministries active on 35 college campuses across Arkansas. *980 professions of faith through the ministries of ABSC Personnel *3,330 people reached for Christ through missions ministry activities *30 new churches planted in Arkansas *1,592 families engaged through Family Ministry Events *6,159 church leaders trained in stewardship, worship arts, and church leadership *243,693 individuals fed through hunger ministries across the state

20. Together through the Cooperative Program, WE ARE CHANGING ARKANSAS!!!

21. $ Your CP Dollar ABSC Ministries 57 cents Now let’s look at what happens when money goes from the State Convention to the Southern Baptist Convention SBC Ministries 43 cents

22. Cooperative Program money is basically used in three areas across the convention… Missions, Seminary Education, and Other Ministries 21.5% goes to our six SB Seminaries, allowing over 16,000 men and women to prepare for service in our churches and on mission fields all over the world. 5.8% of CP funds go to various other ministry causes. But at the center of all that we do is our mission boards. 72.7% of our Cooperative Program dollars goes directly to our mission boards. 50% of all money received by the SBC goes to the International Mission Board 22.7% goes to the North American Mission Board

23. SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION SEMINARIES Golden Gate Midwestern New Orleans Southeastern Southern Southwestern MINISTRIES Historical Archives MISSION BOARDS International Mission Board Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission North American Mission Board SBC Operating Funds

24. North American Mission Board Through the work of the North American Mission Board, we are working hard to make sure that America remains a Christian nation and that our neighbor countries have adequate access to the Gospel message. Last year, your Cooperative Program dollars helped… Plant 1,200 new churches across our own continent 3,504 Southern Baptist chaplains across North America reach out to people and see more than 10,000 professions of faith Saw 33,000 people come to Christ through Hunger Relief programs Together we are making a difference across North America!

25. 5,000 international missionaries are working on a continual basis to share Jesus with people from every tribe and every tongue. They are like an army marching into the darkest places of our world with the light of Jesus Christ. Through our giving to the Cooperative Program, we go with them every step of the way! Last year, standing with our missionaries, we saw… Over 360,000 baptisms Over 29,000 new churches started Together we are making a difference around the world!

26. In 2011, we saw… 86 new churches planted every single day and a baptism every 1.25 seconds! All through the ministries of the Cooperative Program

27. There is no better way to change the world than through the Cooperative Program!

28. For more information about CP in Arkansas, please contact Rusty Hart at 501-376-4791, x5158

29. The Cooperative program