The IMB released the stats for the 2005 LMCO. Here is the text of the e-mail I received:
We have just closed the books on the 2005 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We are overjoyed to report that Southern Baptists gave $137,939,677.59 to this important offering. Not only is this a 3.03% increase over last years offering, it is 1.28% more than our previous record offering received at Christmas 2003.
We know that you support the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering both financially and in what you do here at the IMB. We appreciate the vital contribution that each of you have made to this record outpouring.
While the offering was a record, it did fall short of our $150,000,000 goal. However, it did exceed the amount we had in the operating budget by almost $1 million. This will enable us to do some things overseas that we might not otherwise have been able to do.We appreciate each of you and all that you do to enable the International Mission Board to lead Southern Baptists to be on mission with God to see all the peoples of the world come to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
So, $137 million was given. Good, but I think Southern Baptists could do better. If you do the math, you'll find out that this works out to about $8.50 for every SB (137 mil/16 mil). I think we could work ourselves to $160 mil. Imagine what SBs could do if we looked to God's provision? Imagine every SB giving $100 to the offering! That would be over a trillion dollars!
You say you can't give $100? Think about the ways you could get $100:
- Go to Starbucks 1 less time every other week: $5/trip * 26 weeks = $130
- Eat out one less time per month: $10/meal * 12 months = $120
Anyway….I applaud everyone who gave. My prayer is that SBs will give an offering that God will find honorable.
Remember, 100% of the LMCO is spent in the IMB's overseas budget. None of these funds are used for Administration here in the states.
BTW, last year's (2004 LMCO) offering was $133,886,221.58.