BGMC Pop Out for Missions

On Sunday we are launching a month long campaign that will challenge our kids, and hopefully boost our children's giving to missions before we wrap up 2009. The national BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge) office is challenging kids to give up soda or pop or whatever YOU call it during the month of November. The money that would have been spent on soda would then be given to BGMC, which helps needy children around the world. Here's how it works:

Kid's across the nation are to make a pledge to give up soda pop for one, two or three weeks ending on Thanksgiving Day. On that day, kids may once again drink soda - remembering to be thankful for their own blessings, but also remembering the children around the world who don't get to celebrate the many material blessings we are thankful for on Thanksgiving.

Okay, so as a parent you are saying "but I am the one who buys the pop for them." You are encouraged not to buy soda a restaurants or the grocery store, and calculate that savings to be giving to BGMC. Kids can also get pledges from friends and family. There are downloadable pledge forms at www.BGMC.ag.org

Then of course, there are those of you who don't drink soda or sugary drinks that would be hard for your kids to give up. That's another time when the pledges would be a creative way for your kids to gain support for BGMC. Maybe they can talk adults around them into giving up a favorite treat - like Starbucks, Sonic, etc. GASP you say?? Okay so coffee would be hard, but I'm giving up Diet Pepsi. I will, however reinstate my soda drinking on Thanksgiving in order to drink the traditional glass of cold root beer, no ice.

The point is simply to give up a little in order to give a little; for our kids to feel the sacrifice in order to bless others. This Sunday, November 1st K-6th graders will be given one last can of soda, with a sticker label to wrapped around it. After they drink it and wash it out, they can use it to put all of the money the collect during the month. On Sunday, November 29th they will bring them back and we'll celebrate together what God has done through their sacrifice!