Woman’s Missionary Union is a missions organization whose purpose is to challenge, prepare and equip Christian believers to radically be involved in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.  WMU is a national mission organization that is the largest women’s ministry in the world.  WMU was founded in 1888 with NC having a representative, Miss Fannie Heck, at that very first meeting.

 

“We are laborers together with Christ…” 1 Corinthians 3:9 is WMU’s permanent watchword.  The Great Commission is the foundation behind what WMU is all about: Missions.  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

 

Missions is meeting a person’s physical and/or emotional needs in the name of Jesus Christ.  This builds relationships; that in turn, opens the door to help them develop a personal relationship with Jesus. 

 

Woman’s Missionary Union (NC) offers opportunities for missions education, spiritual growth and hands-on mission opportunities.

 

Mission Friends (meeting on Wednesday nights @ 7 pm) is a co-ed preschool program that teaches 3 year olds through kindergarten about missionaries, praying, loving and sharing with others and that they, too, can tell people about Jesus’ love.

 

At Oak City Baptist we offer a missions education program for boys and girls first through sixth grade.  In Children in Action (Wednesday nights @ 7 pm), the children learn about different countries and cultures, pray for missionary children, learn Bible verses, and do hands-on mission projects.  Some of the things CiA has participated in are a State-wide Children’s Day at Camp Mundo Vista, visited nursing homes delivering hand made flower arrangements, attended a Mission Day at Washington First, made cards for sick and shut-ins, collected used eye glasses to send to a missionary in Honduras and made crafts from countries around the world.

 

The Youth on Mission (YOM) is for seventh grade through high school.  The YOM (consisting of youth from several area churches) are very involved in hands on missions.  YOM meet on the first and third Sunday afternoons @ 7 pm.  Their mission trips (Baltimore, MD; Pikesville, KY; Oak Island, NC; and Pennsylvania with Deep Impact) are funded by pancake suppers, spaghetti suppers, an auction, flower, jelly and pickle sales and donations.  On these trips they are involved in anything from construction, packing lunches, watching children, helping with crafts or passing out salvation bracelets or tracts.  At home the YOM participate in Operation InAsMuch, visit nursing homes, prepare and send goody boxes to soldiers and sponsor a large family at Christmas.  These young people are learning what it means to help in the name of Jesus.

 

The umbrella of Woman’s Missionary Union is large.  Women on Mission meet at 9 am the fourth Sunday morning of each month.  During this time we pray for missionaries as we learn of the hardships many of them live and work under.  We keep the church family informed of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for the international missionaries, the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering that supports the North American missionaries as well as the State Mission offering and the Heck-Jones offering that support mission work through the convention in NC as well as the mission work of WMU in NC.  Some of the activities that WOM are involved in are feeding the Campus Student Ministry at ECU, encouraging military spouses at Camp Pendleton in CA, leading the church-wide involvement in Operation InAsMuch, pushing the Food Round-Up for the Baptist Children’s Home at Kennedy Home in Kinston as well as the SRBA Toy Store.  There is always an opportunity to help a needy family.  The bereavement ministry to local families at the time of a death has been a blessing to those who participate as well as to the ones served.

 

There is a place for EVERYONE in Woman’s Missionary Union.  Please check it out.

 

Beverly B. Butler

WMU Director, Oak City Baptist Church