Lottie Moon Christmas Offering 
Lottie Moon - the namesake of the international missions offering - has become
something of a legend to us. But in her time Lottie was anything but an untouchable
hero. In fact, she was like today's missionaries. She was a hard-working, deep-loving Southern Baptist who labored tirelessly so her people group could know Jesus.
Why was the offering named for this early China missionary? Throughout her career, Lottie Moon wrote numerous letters home, urging Southern Baptists to greater missions involvement and support. One of those letters triggered Southern Baptists' first Christmas offering for international missions - enough to send three new missionaries to China.
Every penny given to Lottie Moon is used to support Southern Baptist missionaries as they share the Gospel overseas. The offering represents 55 percent of the International Mission Board's total income.
Click here to see videos about International Missions
"May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise you (Psalm 67:3, NIV)."
It's a beautiful vision: People who speak Kirmanjki and Kabyle, Thai and Tatar, and use sign language in Czech-all knowing and praising God. It's a vision that comes closer to being realized every year as Christians seek unreached people groups to tell them the story of Jesus.
Southern Baptists have followed God's lead to focus attention on bringing all the world's peoples to Him. And God has responded to the faithfulness of His people. There is much to celebrate!
Are we there yet? Not yet.
But for the first time in history, we can identify the people groups that remain untouched by the Gospel. We can get there in our generation! But that last part of the journey may be the hardest. It will take all of us-our churches, our missionaries, our national partners, our Great Commission partners.
Southern Baptists must continue to increase their giving to support missionaries through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering®. They must pray strategically. And they must own the Great Commission as never before to see that all peoples know Him.
International Mission Board vital stats
• 5,344 missionaries (as of 5/5/2010)
• 24,650 new churches*
• 506,019 baptisms*
• 505,297 new believers in discipleship*
*As reported in the 2009 Annual Statistical Report
Status of World Evangelization
• 11,599 people groups worldwide; 6.8 billion people
• 6,426 unreached* people groups
• Last Frontier**: 1.7 billion people
*Less than 2 percent evangelical
**Less than 2 percent evangelical, no active church planting