Thank you for your generous participation in the 2008 Gift to the King campaign. As of 1/10/08 $14,613.39 has been given.

Gift to the King Background
The first Gift to the King offering was received 86 years ago and was  established as a mission offering for the denomination.  The offering was initiated in  1920 by the women's organization for the builiding of two Chinese  churches, one in China and the other in San Francisco. Gift to the King has had a  positive and up-building effect on global missions through the  years.  Usually, this offering is for support of a cross-culture  project.

History
The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is currently in the midst of its greatest period of expansion since the early 1800's. Since 1990, new churches have been planted in Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Colombia, USA and Brazil. Cauca Valley Presbytery now has 52 organized churches and/or church plants under its supervision, doubling its size in just the last ten years. Japan now has 13 congregations, the highest in its history. This year our first CP church will be organized in Laos. Five additional churches in South Korea are currently completing provisional requirements for full constituent membership in the denomination. This significant growth creates a reason to rejoice, because more and more people are hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ and receiving discipleship training.

The Problem
This expansion has created "growth pains." New mission points and new countries with a Cumberland Presbyterian witness mean the need for more land purchases and more construction projects. Although many of our established mission fields are totally self-supporting, such as Japan and Hong Kong, others have to rely on building loans or grants for land and construction.

The Need
Each year numerous requests for financial assistance are presented to the Board of Missions. This Gift to the King offering will hopefully result in at least $100,000 to be used in the next two years for grants of $5,000 or more to assist growing congreagtions to secure their own property or building in which to meet. Who can predict the impact this will have on evangelism and church growth? The denomination's new focus on evangelism will spark a larger commitment to growth, and we want to be ready to assist the most viable church planting efforts.

Your Help Is Needed
This is your chance as an individual and as a congregation to put your commitment to evangelism and church planting into a concrete form of action. Your gift will be opening doors for people to accept Christ in some of the most receptive parts of the world. We invite and urge you to participate.

How to Order Resources
There are two pieces of material to help you promote the Gift to the King offering in your congregation (bulletin inserts and offering envelopes). You can download the copy-ready Bulletin Insert here (pdf file) and print the number you need. Or you can order both by calling or email the Board of Missions office (901.276.9988 or mfc@cumberland.org