I recently read 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 in a brand-new way. In these passages, Paul coaches and preps the believers in Corinth to send a ‘gift’ to provide for a need that has been identified in the Jerusalem church. He gives inspirational examples of sacrificial giving (the Macedonian church and Jesus Christ) and affirms his dedication to godly stewardship and administration of the gift.
Basically, Paul is fund-raising and I never realized this before! Speaking as an executive director of a charitable organization that is dependent on charitable giving, fund-raising is NOT typically the reason someone would accept this role! But it is a part that you have to come to terms with, and for this reason, I felt deeply affirmed and relieved knowing that right here – in the New Testament – is a Biblical model and guide for asking for funds, including expectations around giving, and teaching on how we should relate to our resources.
So, as we enter a new year of mission and ministry – and funding them – I set before you CBOWQ’s vision and mission, our aims and purposes, and our opportunities for purposeful giving in 2025. I also set before you the Apostle’s words:
“God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others … For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.” (2 Cor. 9:8-9a; 10-11, NLT)
Creating Communities of Love
In the book, Spirituality of Fundraising, Henri Nouwen suggests that when we are shaped by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ that our deepest desire is to help create communities of love in the world. “Our mission, our overarching purpose, is to love.” Here are the ways in which CBWOQ will go about this task this year.
CBWOQ Ministries
When you give to CBWOQ ministries, you are resourcing the creation of communities of love in many ways. In 2025, we will continue to support and partner with several impactful and important community development organizations that were founded and established by Baptist women. These include Matthew Houses in four major cities (Toronto, Fort Erie, Windsor, and Ottawa), the Friendship House in Brantford, and the Oasis Dufferin Community Center in Toronto.
We continue to partner with the women at Gilmour Memorial Baptist Church and CBOQ to sponsor two young refugee women, Robina and Nazia, to begin their new lives in Canada. Due to death threats and physical violence on the basis of their Christian faith, these sisters fled to Thailand about a dozen years ago. Life is desperate and uncertain each day, and as Gilmour prepares to enfold them into their loving community, we appeal to you for prayers for their safety and successful sponsorship as well as the needed financial support for their first year in Ontario.
We are also deeply invested in and committed to the health and well-being of the women in your church. Throughout the year, we offer ongoing opportunities – both online and accessible to all and in-person – for you to gather, grow, learn, be formed in Christ, encouraged, supported, prayed for, and develop life-giving relationships with like-minded women. Our desire is to see a vibrant group of women in every local church who are unmistakably marked by a love for Christ, each other, and their communities.
Through our Grants & Bursaries program, we are able to help women to respond to God’s invitation to them for new ministry initiatives and to help leaders access valuable training opportunities. We are also able to help women cover the financial cost of attending in-person events that we host.
Our National and Global Partners
CBW & BWNA (Canadian Baptist Women & Baptist Women of North America)
Women are stronger together, so we link arms again this year with women across Canada and North America to spread the gospel, advocate for women, address issues of social justice around the world, train, educate and empower women and much more. As Canadian Baptist Women, we provide post-grad scholarships for women in international settings as well as other leadership training opportunities. Every student and leader we support is an investment that bears compounding dividends in God’s kingdom.
CBM (Canadian Baptist Ministries)
This year we will highlight the many ways in which our global partner, CBM is working to change the status of vulnerable women and children around the world “in word and in deed.” When you give to the work of CBM through CBWOQ, you can be assured that all funds will be channelled towards addressing issues of poverty among women, human trafficking, human rights, health, education, skills training, business start-ups, gender-based violence, equity, and much more. You will be inspired and encouraged by the stories of how families, communities and society are changed when women and children are protected and empowered – we promise!
Ultimately, we hope that our work resonates deeply with you. We hope that your experience of partnering with us as we work towards fulfilling our vision and mission, our aims and purposes, and creating communities of love around the world will be one that “enriches your life in every way” and together we will “be overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (2 Cor. 9:12b) for all that we have been privileged to be part of!
With gratitude,
Helena Bergen | Executive Director