In 1908 Janie Chapman became the first president of South Carolina WMU (SC WMU) and served for 22 years.
She was said to be a person of strict discipline with inner strength and a gentle spirit. She did her work well for the Lord.
Her personal motto was 1 Cor. 15:58,
58 “So then, Christian brothers, because of all this, be strong. Do not allow anyone to change your mind. Always do your work well for the Lord. You know that whatever you do for Him will not be wasted.”
She gave us an example of a woman who lived out this scripture. While she was president WMU celebrated their 25th anniversary and Janie wrote: “We do not want to live too much in the past-just an occasional reminder of the stalwart (courageous, strong) and true souls who dared to blaze new trails.”
Janie often identified the purpose and power of WMU:
“Spiritual power is the greatest power…The object of our work is soul saving at home and abroad.”
The Janie Chapman offering is still about ‘soul saving,’ sharing Christ here and around the world.
Priceless! – that’s what lost people are in God’s sight. We are to be imitators of Christ and take God’s message of salvation and hope to all of S.C.
Our generous God gives to us so we can be generous to others. Living near us are people in need, loved by God but often forgotten by others, yes, even by Christians. These forgotten but Priceless people are of inestimable value in God’s eyes and need our witness and service physically and spiritually. Our response to God’s Priceless gift of His Son to us should be prayer, service, and giving of our time, talents, and money to reach others for Him. The Janie Chapman Offering for State Missions is one way to help meet needs and share the message of Jesus Christ and the love of the Heavenly Father.
However, there is a cost to ministry – materials, resources, training, etc. Much of the cost is paid through the Janie Chapman Offering. This particular offering helps support other ministries in S.C., for example:
• WMU ministry with Dept. of Juvenile Justice (24,981 Christmas packets distributed to inmates)
• Ministry at Camp La Vida (GA missions camp)
• Gift checks for missionaries from S.C. and missionary kids as well (MKs)
• International student ministry (adopted students, fellowship opportunities)
• Disaster relief (500 volunteers trained)
• Multi-housing ministry (in 168 communities)
• English as Second Language ( work with 1,413 students of 54 different nations)
• S.C. Baptist Collegiate Ministry (supports 291 students who serve in mission programs; Connie Maxwell Children’s Home, for example)
People are the church. Stand up and accept the call to be a missionary in our town and surrounding communities. Pray that we will all realize that every day is full of mission opportunities and that the people we come in contact with need to know about the Priceless love of the Savior. Pray that God will lead each of us as to what He would want us to give to this offering.
For more information go to: https://janiechapmanoffering.org/
