Youth and Christian Education

 

National Children's Ministries Agency   

BGMC

Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge

Children giving to missions

2008 TOTAL BGMC GIVING $79,054.85

A KINGDOM INVESTMENT

2008 GRAND CLUB CHURCHES

 CHURCH & CITY
 
 2008 BGMC GIVING
Evangel Church, Columbus
 
$9024.87
First Assembly, Columbus        
$7734.14
Quitman, Faith
 
$3618.04
Jackson, First Assembly
 
$3599.96
Noxapater, Hight 
$3375.00
Quitman, Faith
 
$3625.44
Meridian, First
 
$3327.06
Biloxi, Cedar Lake
 
$2534.50
Kosciusko, Williamsville
 
$2381.24
Hurley, Full Life
 
$2274.85
Escatawpa, Canaan 
$2273.15
Columbia, First
 
$2253.41
Moss Point, Eastside
 
$2200.00
Brookhaven, First
 
$1989.44
Vancleave Assembly
 
$1901.09
Amory, First
 
$1847.28
Booneville, Canaan
 
$1479.89
Moss Point, Three Rivers
 
$1350.00
Columbus, Calvary
 
$1417.25
Preston, Coye		
$1393.48
Gautier, Liberty
 
$1331.71
Hurley, Magnolia Springs
 
$1300.41
Stonewall Assembly
 
$1254.08
Victoria, Friendship
 
$1248.71
 Cleveland, First $1066.63 
Louisville, Indian Springs
 
$1234.13
Long Beach, Gulf Coast Worship
 
$1233.07

Meridian, Trinity

Senatobia, Solid Rock

$1192.64

$1000.00

BGMC CHANGES NAME

When BGMC was created in 1949, it was given the name of "Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade." At that time, kids were encouraged to be on "a crusade—a mission" to help our missionaries with the printed materials that they needed, such as Sunday School literature and Bibles.

Times have now changed. BGMC now provides missionaries with whatever they need to spread the gospel. It is not limited to literature. Also, the word crusade is hard for kids to understand. They don't know what crusade means. We've also found that use of the word crusade has become offensive to some people. As a result, the decision was made to change the name of BGMC to "Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge." The name change was ratified at the 52nd General Council in Indianapolis, Ind. Using the word challenge enables us to keep the "BGMC" acronym.

We felt that the word challenge is a better descriptive word for the BGMC missions program. Our desire is for kids to be:

  • challenged to help our missionaries,
  • challenged to sacrificially give to missions,
  • challenged to help the needy in the world,
  • challenged to pray for missionaries,
  • challenged to pray for various people groups,
  • challenged to love and accept people of all races,
  • challenged to reach the lost, and
  • challenged to keep their hearts open to the call of God for full-time missions work.

We also want churches to be:

  • challenged to teach their kids about missions,
  • challenged to give to BGMC,
  • challenged to do whatever it takes to supply our missionaries, and
  • challenged to meet the needs around the world.

The new motto for BGMC is "Challenging Kids to Reach the World." The two-fold purpose of BGMC remains the same: (1) to create a heart of compassion in kids, and (2) to reach the children of the world. The name change takes effect immediately. As the name change is being phased in, the BGMC products, videos, etc., are being updated.

BGMC UNDERGOES MORE CHANGES

In 1999, the General Council of the Assemblies of God created the national Children's Ministries Agency. At this time, BGMC became a part of the agency. BGMC was also recognized as the missions education program for all kids in the Assemblies of God. BGMC is to be to the kids what Speed the Light is to the youth.

At this past General Council, it was ratified that BGMC would become its own department under the Division of Church Ministries. David Boyd was named the new national BGMC director. Mary Boyd would remain the national BGMC coordinator. For the past eight and a half years, David led the national Children's Ministries Agency. Under his leadership, BGMC has grown by 88 percent. David will now be able to concentrate all of his efforts on BGMC—teaching kids about missions and raising funds to supply missions efforts around the world.

Joining the BGMC team are Marshall Bruner as the BGMC Compassions Ministries Coordinator, Lisa Lyons as the BGMC Publications Coordinator (as well as the office editor and the designer of the annual missions manual on CD), and April Riley as David's Administrative Coordinator. The main phone number into the BGMC office is 1-417-862-2781, ext. 4021. The BGMC email is BGMC@ag.org. If there is anything that our staff can help you with, please don't hesitate to contact us. We're here to assist you with your missions needs.

The BGMC team is also available to speak in your church to do adult missions services, kids missions services, National BGMC Day services, missions conventions, BGMC missions banquets, faith promise services, regular children's services, and children's ministries training. Just call the office to see what dates are available.

In November 2007, Jason Noble was named the new national director of the Children's Ministries Agency. The partnership between BGMC and the CMA will not change. BGMC is still the missions program for all kids in the Assemblies of God.

BGMC is in the process of redesigning its leaders' Web site. Be watching for what is ahead. Go to: www.bgmc.ag.org. BGMC is also in the midst of developing a Web site just for kids. Kids will be able to log on and learn about BGMC, read missions stories, play BGMC games, do BGMC activities, and more. This Web site will be up and running in the spring of 2008. We will keep you posted.

In closing, we just want to say a BIG thank you to all of you children's pastors, children's leaders, BGMC coordinators, and district leaders for all that you do for BGMC. Thank you for having a passion for missions that is being passed on to the kids you minister to. Thank you for teaching your kids about missions and the call of God. And thank you for supplying our missionaries with funds so they can reach the world! If we all do our part, then the gospel will be spread to the ends of the earth!

 

BGMC March Missions Madness
Lost Change for Lost Souls

 

Every year during the month of March, BGMC runs its annual campaign called “March Missions Madness—Lost Change for Lost Souls.” This campaign takes place during college basketball’s March Madness playoffs. The month of March was also chosen because National BGMC Day is the second Sunday in March.
The purpose of this four-week campaign is to bring special attention to BGMC and what it does. The object of the campaign is to get every person in the church involved by looking for lost change (money) for one month in order to reach lost souls around the world. Lost souls are reached by supplying our missionaries with the supplies they need to spread the gospel.
We suggest that you give every person in the church a Buddy Box or a Buddy Barrel bank. We suggest giving out the Buddy Boxes. These boxes come folded flat so they take up very little storage space. Because they come folded flat, they fit into church bulletins. This is an easy way to get a BGMC offering container to every church person. The Buddy Boxes are the size of a juice box container. These boxes are also more cost effective for BGMC.
Challenge the congregation to search their homes, cars, sofas, washing machines, dresser drawers, etc. to find change that is “lost.” By giving this lost change to BGMC, lost souls will be reached with the gospel. Boxes or barrels are to be turned in when they are full. Some people will fill them in one week. Give them another container to fill. Announce that all boxes or barrels should be turned in on the last Sunday. Some people will continue to fill their containers throughout the year.
“Lost Change for Lost Souls” will create excitement among the kids and adults in the church as everyone gets involved in gathering money for BGMC. Adults will have opportunity during this month to show the kids their support. The adult support will instill excitement in the kids to get more involved in BGMC. This campaign is also a great way to boost your BGMC fund-raising for the year.
Every March we receive tremendous reports from churches who testify about how much this campaign excited their church for BGMC. Many churches reported that more BGMC money came in during March than what had come in for the whole prior year. Here are a few testimonies:
At Central Assembly of God in Greensboro, North Carolina, we had great success with the Lost Change for Lost Souls game plan. The congregation joined with the children's church kids to break our BGMC records. Because of the overwhelming participation, we have already received over 50% of our BGMC goal. The excitement created by this special giving event has continued. The BGMC buzz has inspired the kids to continue giving and encouraged the adults to continue filling their barrels! 
We challenged our entire congregation to look for "Lost Souls.” We had many children, as well as adults, who participated. We stated a challenge by saying that we wanted everyone to pray over the change when they found it, claiming it as a lost soul that could and would be saved. We believe the message that has been shared during "Lost Change for Lost Souls" has been worth so much. (Cottondale First Assembly of God) 
For March Missions Madness, we had a contest with the adults against the kids. If the kids gave the most money by the end of March, we'd throw them a party. They did, and we had a party for them. But what's even more exciting is the fact that during March we raised about $1,300. This is the most money that has ever been raised in one year for BGMC in the history of our church, and we did that in just one month. (Riverside Tabernacle, Flint, Michigan) 
My name is Shawne Gatoura, and I am the Children's Pastor at Clarks Green Assembly of God in Clarks Green, PA  We had a goal of $1,000 for the month of March. I thought this might be difficult for us, but thought to aim high. Two boys in our church did jobs for people like cleaning cars, putting together shelving units, etc. One other girl had her own bake sale and made everything herself. We ended up raising $1,691.00. That is over 5 times the amount we gave all year last year!!! I am praising God for HIS goodness because without HIM we would never have done it. 
Here in Shelton, WA, we had a fun time during March. The last Sunday in February, the kids presented the program. They hand-made posters of where to find lost coins, and we hung them up around the church. Every family got a Buddy Barrel. Each week in March, we had a gallon jar sitting in the foyer for them to be emptied into. I put the totals on the poster until the last week. On the last Sunday, I put all the coins back into jars (it took two gallon jars), and the kids announced the total and thanked everyone for helping. We raised $248 compared to around $20 for the month. I think everyone felt like they were a kid again with the Buddy Barrels. A couple of them told me they were convicted to give some coins that were building up, and one little boy gave money he was saving for a video game. It was a good month! 
We also suggest that you show a BGMC video clip to the congregation and to the kids. Show a clip on the first Sunday that you announce March Missions Madness. You may want to show a clip every week. BGMC has great video clips on DVD. BGMC has also created a music video highlighting the “Like Never Before” campaign. (For a detailed listing of DVDs, look at the March Missions Madness packet on the BGMC Web site.)
BGMC has created special free March Missions Madness posters to hang up around the church and in your classrooms so that you can record the goal for March Missions Madness or the final giving total. Download the March Missions Madness promotional packet PDF to for information on how to get involved in this campaign and great ideas.
Free resources are available by calling GPH at 1-800-641-4310.
Resources:
715-200           Buddy Boxes
715-022           Buddy Barrel Banks
715-596           March Missions Madness Poster
715-554           Reaching the Children of the World bulletin insert-English
715-551           Reaching the Children of the World bulletin insert-Spanish
715-599           Thermometer BGMC Goal Poster-English
715-598           Thermometer BGMC Goal Poster-Spanish

 

How BGMC Works 

All About CMA BGMC is the missions education emphasis for children in the Assemblies of God. It provides resources to help teach kids about missions. It supports our missionaries in their fields of ministry in America and around the world. 
Did you know? Among the Assemblies of God Missionaries, 85% were called to be missionaries while they were between the ages of 9 and 13!
What Does BGMC Do?
Our Missionaries Need BGMC
BGMC allows our missionaries to get the supplies they need in order to spread the gospel and reach the world.
Our Kids Need BGMC
BGMC teaches kids about the needs around the world. Kids will want to respond. Jesus commanded us to reach out to those less fortunate.
The BGMC office has FREE resources to help connect kids with the world.
Where Do BGMC Offerings Come From?
What Does BGMC Money Buy?
Our missionaries can use BGMC funds for any ministry supplies that relate to evangelism and discipleship.
Why Give Offerings To BGMC?
BGMC goes to where the need is the greatest, where the timing is the most urgent, and where people's lives can be changed forever.
National BGMC Day
The Second Sunday in March
BGMC DayThe Purpose of National BGMC Day
National BGMC Day is the second Sunday in March. In 2009, this day falls on Sunday, March 8. The purpose of National BGMC Day is to involve the entire church in BGMC. It’s also a time to expose the adults to what BGMC does, the purpose of BGMC, and to take up an adult offering for BGMC. Many times the adults in the church do not know about all the great things BGMC does and how much BGMC helps our missionaries. This day is a great time to show a video about BGMC and encourage the entire church to participate in the BGMC offering.
Ideas To Celebrate National BGMC Day
First, have a special missions month for the children. Emphasize missions to your children every Sunday in March. Read them thank you letters and true missions stories from current and past BGMC missions manuals. (There is a small charge for past manuals and manuals on CD while they last.) These manuals are full of awesome missions teachings and stories. Have the children pray each week for missionaries. Perhaps each Sunday School class or Royal Rangers or Mpact class may want to adopt certain missionaries and pray for them.
Second, have a special missions offering emphasis during the month of February and culminating on Sunday, March 8. Encourage the children to make a faith promise to God and give it to missions through BGMC. Special faith promise materials are free and can be ordered from Gospel Publishing House. Set a goal for the church and have all the children make individual faith promises. Add them up to see if they meet your goal. Announce the goal to the whole church so that they can join in on the faith of the children. Perhaps some adults will want to help match the faith promises of the children. That’s a great way for the children’s offerings to double. Remember that when you give to BGMC, you’re helping to support nearly all of the missionaries all around the world and here in America.
Third, have a special offering emphasis with the whole church involved. Have all the kids and the entire congregation save coins for six weeks. Then turn in the boxes or barrels for one giant offering on BGMC Day, March 8 (or on the last Sunday in March).
Fourth, consider involving the children and adults of your church in the annual March Missions Madness campaign.
The March Missions Madness campaign is called “Lost Change for Lost Souls.” This month-long campaign occurs during March, which is also the month of National BGMC Day. Every person in the church is challenged to take home a Buddy box or a Buddy Barrel bank and search their homes, cars, offices, couches, and dresser drawers for “lost change” that can help win “lost souls” around the world for Jesus! We have also designed posters (free of charge) so you can promote this event. Get more information on March Missions Madness.
Another great idea is to hand out small offering bags called “30 Pieces of Silver” to every person in the congregation. Set a goal for your church. Try to get 500 bags turned in, or 1000, or 2000, or more! Have the whole church collecting bags of silver to give back to Jesus as your gift to win the world. These bags are fifteen cents each and are available from Gospel Publishing House.
Once you have your kids praying for missionaries, giving to missions, and your adults participating, then you're ready to try some of the other ideas. These include:
BGMC Yearly Goal
Churches are also asked to call their district office and give the district BGMC director their yearly goal for BGMC on this same day. Churches can also use this day to award the kids for their faithful giving from the previous year. Be sure to check out the awards and incentives available through the BGMC Online Store.
Theme for 2009
BGMC partners with World Missions and uses the same yearly theme. This way all the children’s activities at mission conventions will coincide with all the adult activities. The AGWM yearly theme for August 2008 to August 2009 is “Everyone” (2 Peter 3:5).
World Missions has developed great resources for this theme. They have created banners, place mats, stickers, bulletin covers, pins, activity books, etc. To request a free catalog, call 417-862-2781, ext. 2061, and ask for item number 719-045 for the 2008-2009 theme.
However you do it, don’t miss this chance to help your kids reach the world!
The products mentioned in this article are available by calling Gospel Publishing House at 1-800-641-4310, or through the BGMC Online Store.
BGMC Barrel
 
When you give to BGMC, you are helping our entire ministry team all at once! 
November BGMC Missions Challenge: “Pop Out For Missions”
Greetings from the “all-new-and-improved” national BGMC office. As many of you may know, David and Mary Boyd and the whole BGMC team are now working in an all-new BGMC department in order to spend even more time resourcing you and our churches with new BGMC helps and resources. This brings us to our newest endeavor called “Pop Out! For Missions.” 
Did you know that one-third of the world’s children struggle with inadequate food and drinking water—let alone having the luxury of soda pop to drink? Our Boys and Girls November Missionary Challenge is to “Pop Out for Missions.”
The national BGMC office is challenging kids to give up soda pop during the month of November. The money that would have been spent on soda pop would then be given to BGMC, which helps needy children around the world. Here’s how it works:
Kids across the nation are to make a pledge to give up soda pop for one, two, or three weeks, ending on Thanksgiving Day. On that day, kids may once again drink soda pop—remembering not only to be thankful for their own blessings, but remembering the children around the world who don’t get to celebrate the many material blessings that we are thankful for on Thanksgiving Day. Kids begin this challenge by taking

Boys & Girls Missionary Crusade