District BGMC Awards Luncheon Makes Splash for Africa
by Hutson L. Goza, Louisiana District Christian Education Director
During our recent District Council in Houma, Louisiana, I hosted our annual BGMC Awards Luncheon for pastors and delegates. This is an annual event; I generally have 200 or more in attendance. This meal event was largely paid for with BGMC promotional funds.
Our featured entertainment and ministry was provided by the host church, Bayou Blue Assembly of God. Children's pastors Gary and Connie DeRoche lead the "Hands of Praise Puppeteers." This team of children and teens are world class performers. They brought the house down as they presented their black-light and other puppet presentations and tied it into our missions and BGMC focus.
Following their ministry, I showed the Oasis Africa Water Well Project DVD. I showed the DVD and gave the challenge for any church who wanted to take a DVD home with them to show for helping raise funds for water wells. I was hoping to target various pastors in the crowd who are not involved in BGMC. Cameroon, Africa, was the offering target for the district council missions service, so I thought it appropriate to make available the Africa Water Well project.
After the DVD was show, I got quite a surprise. In the DVD, it states that $30,000 will dig a well and provide a water source for Africans. One of our presbyters sitting close to me sent me a note that stated, "Let's raise $30,000 right now from this crowd." I walked to him and suggested that if that was on his heart, he should take the microphone and lead us in this challenge. When he did, applause range out in the meeting hall. Then he made the big statement: that his church would raise the first $1,000.
From across the room pledges started coming in from $1,000 to $2,000 each. We raised $30,000 in pledges for BGMC for this project. Praise the Lord!
One pastor called me later that day with a dream of asking his community leaders for permission to get up on the town water tower and remain there until $30,000 was raised to drill a well paid for by his community. He is looking into those details now.
Thanks David, Mary, and the BGMC team, for these special resources that challenge people in a different way to give to the assigned project through BGMC.
Click here for current reports on AGWM's Africa Oasis Project.
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