Reports and News of Missions
Creekwood’s Major Gifts to Missions:
One dollar out of every ten dollars that is given to Creekwood Baptist Church goes to missions. Ten percent of the income to our general budget and ten percent of undesignated gifts goes to missions in this manner: 6% to the American Baptist Churches Basic Mission and the other 4% is split between the following: Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lifescape Community Services, Nicaragua Ministry, NIU Campus Ministry, Judson University, Blackhawk Baptist Camp, Hispanic Church Plant, LOVE Inc., Rockford Rescue Mission, Habitat for Humanity. We also support Dan & Becke Haas with Malachi Ministries-have just left for Germany with children as of 3/25/08 of those who serve in the military. More updates soon.
Our involvement with ministries among other people groups include the following:
Anita and Rick Gutierrez serve in Druban, South Africa together with IM partners, the Baptist Mission of South Africa and the Baptist Association of South Africa. They deal with many health challenges especially those associated with cardiovascular diseases, HIV, diabetes, and other health screening services. Their commitment is to helping people be healthy both physically and spiritually.
They will be coming to share their ministry at Creekwood Church some time in July. Look later for the exact date.
David and Laura Parajon have been serving remote rural communities in Nicaragua through the training and support of village health leaders. These health care providers staff clinics in their communities to diagnose and treat the most common illnesses, teach nutrition and hygiene, and coordinate diverse community-oriented projects to improve health and prevent disease; they have significantly reduced deaths among children and women in their communities. David and Laura have also been receiving short-term mission teams that work in construction projects alongside village members. David is an internist and Laura is a family physician who share their faith as they help to heal.
In addition to the
above, our church takes four major ABC offerings each year:
- September/October, World Mission Offering;
- November/December, Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering;
- February/March, America For Christ Offering;
- June/July, One Great Hour of Sharing Offering.
American Baptist Women
ABW organization of women at Creekwood regularly collect labels from Campbell products, as well as other brands, and send them to the Murrow Indian Children’s Home in Oklahoma to help them make much needed purchases. ABW also collect used glasses that are sent to the Haitian Eye Center in Cap Haitian, Haiti. Currently they are preparing quilt patches for several Christian Centers and missions in the Midwest.
Youth Mission Trip
This year our youth mission trip will be in conjunction with youth from Northern Illinois American Baptist Churches. Creekwood church will host these junior and senior high youth as they work in a variety of places in the Rockford Area. Each evening there will be a program of teaching, sharing, worship, games and fellowship as the youth evaluate their work experiences.
VBS Mission
When we have our summer Vacation Bible School week, we like to help the children focus on the needs of others. In the last few years we have donated bicycles, blankets, and school uniforms most recently for a Christian orphanage in India.
Non-monetary missions:
Gifts include supplies and occasional meals to the Rockford Rescue Mission, Mitten Tree (Gloves, scarves, and hats) for needy children, school supplies for local children, and food baskets to many families at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas.
Monthly Mission Focus: We usually have a Mission of the Month and invite them to come and present information about their ministry and often take a special offering for that ministry.