One little day in which to do, Or else to leave undone The work He gives us, We must leave It all at set of sun,

But one brief day in which to learn That we are not our own; That a day’s sweetest pleasure Is to hush another’s moan.

That life of selfish living Brings no blessed eventide, While life of loving service Finds deep joy on every side.

But one brief day; oh, help me, Lord, To use it as I should! Help me, for others, in that day To do some little good,

And when at twlight cool and dim I hear Thy gentle call, Dear Lord, forgive me, if for thee I have not given You all.

Our Motto: THEY SHALL BRING FORTH FRUIT IN OLD AGE, THEY SHALL BE FAT TO FLOURISHING. Psalms 24:l

The SENIOR NEWS letter is published QUARTERLY with information, Birthdays and Anniversaries announced. Following the Wednesday Morning prayer on the third Wednesday of the third month of each quarter, a Potluck Luncheon is given with everyone invited, regardless of age.

Our Missionettes program begins with girls as young as three years of age and continues through the 12th grade. A discipleship program based on the Titus 2 principle of women mentoring the girls. This program is designed to teach, encourage and develop their God-given talents, gifts and abilities.
The Missionettes Girls Club is structured to building hope and a future for the girls. With six levels of instruction, the girls are taught principles and understanding according to their abilities as follows:

Rainbows Club: – Preschool children ages 3 and up
Daises: The Sunshine Club – kindergarten girls
Prims: The Discovery Club – first and second grade girls
Stars Club – third through fifth grade girls
Friends Club – sixth through eighth grade girls
Girls Only Club – ninth through twelfth grade girls

Royal Rangers activities are just as exciting as its name, but at the same time, Royal Rangers is more than just a program; it is a ministry of reaching, teaching, and keeping boys for Christ. Its aim is t develop the total boy for Christian service and leadership. It prepares him for life physically, spiritually, mentally, and socially.

Each year young boys accept Christ as their personal Saviour through the Royal Rangers ministry. Not only are boys accepting Christ as their Saviour, but thousands are being filled with the Holy Spirit as well.

Each year in February the Annual Pinewood Derby held across the country. This is where the Royal Rangers build their own race car made from pinewood which is where the race gets its name. The boys compete in their different age groups as well as the Commanders will compete against each other. Also, the race is open to anyone else that would like to build their own race car and they compete in the Open Race against each other.

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?

Young children giving in Buddy Barrels
Older children making faith promises
Parents and other adults receiving special offerings

What Does BGMC Money Buy?

Our missionaries can use BGMC funds for any ministry supplies that relate to evangelism and discipleship.

Puppets, music, and video tapes
Tracts, Bibles, and literature
Sound systems, computers, and copy machines
And a whole lot more!

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.

When you give to BGMC, you are helping our entire ministry team all at once!

The History of BGMC

BGMC stands for “Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade”. Boys and girls are on a mission—a crusade to help the missionaries. The money raised through BGMC is used to provide our missionaries with the supplies they need to reach people around the world. BGMC equips kids to know, to care, to pray, to give, and to reach the lost. BGMC has a two-fold purpose:

To reach the children of the world and
to create a heart of compassion in children

How Did It Start?

In the late 1940′s, executives of the Assemblies of God, staff in the Foreign Missions Department, and personnel in the Sunday School Department discussed the development of a missions education program for boys and girls 12 years of age and younger. There currently was a missions program for adults, and there was a missions program for the youth, called “Speed the Light”, but nothing for the children. Children who wanted to participate in missions had to become a part of one of these two programs.

Sometime in 1949, someone in the National Sunday School Department said something sensational. In essence, they said, “If children are to grow up to be adults concerned about missions, then they must be taught about missions in their formative years.” And so the basis for a new children’s missions education program—Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade—was established. The National Sunday School Department realized “that the not too distant future of our missionary work depends upon the vision of our children of this generation.”

In October 1949, the BGMC program was launched because of a need—the need which missionaries all over the world had for literature which could be used for distribution, for translation work, and for study material. Another need was for the disposal of the backdated literature in the Gospel Publishing House. At the Seventh National Sunday School Convention held in Springfield, Missouri, these two needs were brought together, and BGMC was formed as the agent. The specific purpose of the Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade was to raise money through the Sunday schools for the literature program. The first task undertaken by the new BGMC program was to raise funds for shipping these materials to the mission fields.

It was also decided that a child’s training must be accompanied by an opportunity for him/her to personally invest in missions. The Division of Foreign Missions (now the Assemblies of God World Missions) had indicated that the missionaries’ current greatest need was for gospel literature. The Assemblies of God had printing plants in South Africa, Brazil, Peru, the Gold Coast, and other fields. Yet funds for translation and printing were limited. It was to be understood that all the money received by the Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade would be used entirely in the translation and production of gospel literature for our foreign fields.

BGMC Is Introduced

BGMC was first introduced at the General Council meeting in Seattle, Washington, in September 1949. About the same time, a general letter was sent out to all churches. Immediately, 145 churches joined the BGMC program that same month. The number increased to 229 total charter members.

Barrel banks were chosen as the collection containers since everything sent to the foreign field at that time was packed in sturdy wooden barrels. This evolved into Buddy Barrel becoming the mascot or symbol for BGMC. Buddy Barrel became the animated representation of the small barrel banks.

It was also decided that small wooden barrels would be given to all the Sunday schools, who wished to cooperate with the program, in sufficient quantity so that every boy and girl in the Sunday school would receive a barrel. The child was to take the barrel home and each day place a penny, nickel, dime or more in it. Once a month on the designated Sunday, each pupil would return his/her barrel to Sunday school.

In 1950, Frances Foster was appointed to oversee the BGMC program. She remained in this position for 21 years.

The First BGMC Offering

The first BGMC offering was received in October 1949 in the amount of $9.35. It came from the New York-New Jersey District. However, it did not lie idle, but immediately packages of backdated literature were sent to Honduras and Jamaica. Enough literature was sent to use up the $9.35 that had been received. That first year, a total of $1,290.39 was given to BGMC. Back then, no one could have imaged how BGMC funds would grow and how it would be such a significant help to our missionaries.

The Purpose of BGMC

From the beginning, BGMC had two avowed aims. The first was to furnish needed literature for the mission fields. The second was to instill within the heart of every Pentecostal boy and girl the missionary vision. A slogan was created to accurately describe the ministry of Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade. That slogan was “The Word for the World”.

In 1952, BGMC began to emphasize a specific mission field every year. Emphasis was placed on that field, and a special offering was taken up on BGMC Day, which included the adults in the church.

BGMC Today

BGMC is now a part of the Children’s Ministries Agency. The Executive Presbytery of the Assemblies of God voted in June 2001 that BGMC would be the children’s missions education program for all Assemblies of God kids. This same year, Royal Rangers, Missionettes, and Christian Schools adopted BGMC as their missions program. All kids will hear the same missions message and will work toward the same goals. Thomas Trask, the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, wants the same relationship to exist between the children and BGMC that exists between the youth and Speed the Light.

The use of BGMC funds has also expanded. Now missionaries can use BGMC funds for anything they need to help them spread the gospel. BGMC is the program that allows our missionaries to get the supplies that they need in order to spread the gospel and reach the world. BGMC is the only program that gives our missionaries the freedom to buy such things as puppets, clown outfits, costume animals, Bibles, tracts, Sunday school literature, computers, video tapes, CD’s, training manuals, and lots more. The only restrictions that BGMC places are that the items have to do with “evangelism” or “discipleship”. BGMC is the program that provides whatever a missionary needs—where they need it and when they need it. Many missionaries would be at a loss without BGMC. That’s why our missionaries LOVE BGMC.

BGMC not only helps individual missionaries, but it also helps fund various missions organizations, such as International Media Ministries, Global University (formerly International Correspondence Institute), The Christian Training Network, Generation XXI, Resource and Development Ministries (RDM), STAR Radio Avance, Center for Muslim Ministries, Healthcare Ministries, and Teen Challenge International.

BGMC also provides supplies to our Home Missionaries and missions organizations that we have here in America. BGMC helps Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, Institutional/Occupational Chaplaincy, Intercultural Ministries, the Military Chaplaincy, Teen Challenge, and Church Planting. In fact, BGMC provides each new church plant with $400.00 to buy supplies they need to get started. Plus they are given $75.00 each quarter for the first year to purchase Sunday school materials. A percentage of BGMC funds are also given back to the districts to use for home missions projects in their own districts. As you can see, BGMC is greatly used and greatly needed by our missionaries.

BGMC especially tries to target the children of the world by providing for street kids, orphanages, feeding programs, school supplies, sending kids to camps, the making of children’s TV programs and videos, and lots more!

BGMC also pays to have materials translated into different languages so people can read things in their own language. BGMC has had the JBQ program, Royal Rangers, Missionettes, Kids Church curriculum, and Sunday school lessons translated into many different languages around the world. As you can see, BGMC is a GREAT help to our missionaries around the world.

BGMC Mission Statement:
BGMC has a two-fold purpose:

To reach the children of the world and
to create a heart of compassion in children

Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade exists to serve the church in preparing children for their fullest participation in world evangelization. As a children’s missions education agency of the Assemblies of God, BGMC is committed to beginning the processes of missions awareness, missions concern, and missions stewardship in each young life and to introducing children at the earliest possible age to Christ’s Great Commission.

BGMC Vision Slogan: Equipping kids to know, care, pray, give, and reach the lost.

BGMC’s Definition of Children’s Missions Education:

Children’s missions education engages the child’s head with knowledge—missions awareness; the child’s heart with caring and compassion—missions concern; and the child’s hands in responding to what he/she knows and feels—missions stewardship.

Missions Awareness includes multicultural education—introducing the child to a fascinating, culturally diverse world; to the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and the way of life in another culture. This must culminate in a look at religious beliefs and in the child’s awareness that many of the people are lost and do not have an adequate explanation of the gospel to enable them to make a decision to follow Christ.

Missions Concern involves theology—teaching the child who God is and the part that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit play in missions. It is this aspect of children’s missions education that introduces the child to Christ’s Great Commission.

Missions Stewardship involves life application response and commitment to the Great Commission-giving time, talents, and treasures to reach the lost. Within this objective is training in prayer and personal evangelism and in giving systematically, once a month, to reach the lost.

BGMC’s Objectives:

To establish an effective children’s missions education agency through BGMC in every Assemblies of God church
To train and equip BGMC coordinators for church, sectional, and district leadership
To inform the children’s parents/caregivers of the objectives of BGMC and participate with them in fostering missions awareness, missions concern, and missions stewardship in their children’s lives
To introduce children at the earliest possible age to God’s love for the world and to Christ’s Great Commission and effectively equip them to be His witnesses
To introduce children at the earliest possible age to God’s love for the world and to Christ’s Great Commission and effectively equip them to be His witnesses
To involve children in praying for lost family members and friends, and for the evangelism efforts of career missionaries
To invite children at least once a month to give of their treasures, time, and talents to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ
To encourage children entering their teen years to commit to personal evangelism and missions involvement, and to assist their transition to participation in Speed-the-Light, Ambassadors in Missions, and home and foreign missions endeavor

Our world is changing rapidly, and so are the needs of women. We as Christians must be relevant to those we want to reach. Women’s Ministries—Unlimited! emphasizes the unlimited opportunities open to women for ministry in their local churches and communities. Every woman should be ministered to according to her need, and every born-again woman should be encouraged to find her place of ministry within the body of Christ.

It’s more than a label, it’s a lifestyle.
Many women today don’t have the time or the interest in spending time at “just another meeting.” We must reach out to women at the point of their needs. Women’s Ministries can do this by offering various Ministry Groups. Living like Jesus and ministering to the needs of others should be a way of life for every Christian. People want to see that the Christ-controlled life makes a difference and gives meaning to their existence. Ministry to women and women ministering should be the lifestyle of Women’s Ministries in every church.

Women have special gifts from God, one or more talents that He has blessed them with. Women’s Ministries- Unlimited! helps women find their gifts, and then matches them to needs in the churches or communities, and empowers them to serve others with their talents.

It’s more than service, it’s servanthood.
Too many Christians today believe that service means “serve me.” However, true servanthood is motivated by a loving concern for others. No greater example of this servanthood exists than in the life of Jesus Christ. Women can find many channels of opportunity to practice servanthood.

A variety of Ministry Groups can help teach biblical principles of leadership and practical tools for reaching and ministering to the women of this unique generation and diverse culture.

February: Clean-up time. I was dusted yesterday and put in my place. My owner did use me for a few minutes last week. He had been in an argument and was looking up some references to prove he was right.

March: I had a busy day the first of the month. My owner was elected president of the P.T.A., and he used me to prepare a speech.

April: Grandpa visited us this month. He kept me up on his lap for an hour reading 1 Corinthians 13. He seems to think more of me than do some people in my own household.

May: I have a few green stains on my pages. Some spring flowers were pressed in my pages.

June: I look like a scrapbook. They have stuffed me full of newspaper clippings – one of the girls was married.

July: They put me in a suitcase today. I guess we are off on vacation. I wish I could stay home; I know I’ll be closed up in this thing for at least two weeks.

August: Still in the suitcase.

September: Back home at last and in my old familiar place. I have a lot of company. Two women’s magazines and four comic books are staked on top of me. I wish I could be read as mush as they are.

October: They read me a little bit today. One of them is very sick. Right now I am sitting in the center of the coffee table. I think the pastor is coming by for a visit.

November: Back in my old place. Someone asked today if I were a scrapbook.

December: The family is busy getting ready for the holidays. I guess I’ll be covered up under wrapping paper and packages again – just as I am every Christmas.

We will be posting information on our Nursing Home Ministry on this page. Please check back later for more information.