Literacy Missions

Train, Equip, Partner

The purpose of Literacy Missions Ministries is to train, equip, and partner with Southern Baptists to share Jesus through literacy missions while teaching internationals English (English as a Second Language), helping students be successful in school (Tutoring Children and Youth), and helping adults read and write better (Adult Reading and Writing).

Literacy Missions is a powerful to impact your community and lead others to Christ.  Those interested in beginning a Literacy Missions Ministry in their church or community should contact Cindy Heimbach, State Literacy Missions Coordinator, or Maria Teel, State Literacy Missions Contact, for more information.

Cindy Heimbach, State Literacy Missions Coordinator
cindyheimbach@msn.com
662-417-3944

Maria Teel, State Literacy Missions Contact
mteel@mbcb.org
601-292-3201

Each year the Literacy Missions Task Force hosts the State Literacy Missions Conference. The upcoming conference will be held at GARAYWA Camp & Conference Center July 27-29, 2023.  Those seeking certification in the areas of ESL, TCY, or ARW, participate in an 11-hour Basic Workshop during the conference.  Others who have been certified or are interested in learning more about literacy missions participate in General Sessions.

You don’t have to wait for the State Literacy Missions Conference in July to receive training or additional training!  Workshops can be set up for churches or associations any time of year by contacting Cindy Heimbach (cindyheimbach@msn.com).  Videos from prior workshops can be accessed at MBCB’s Vimeo Channel.

Literacy Missions Ministries exist in several places throughout our state.  If you do not see your ministry listed, please contact Maria Teel (mteel@mbcb.org) to be added.

We are thankful for the support of Mississippi Baptists and the Margaret Lackey State Offering.  The MLSO is the primary funding stream for literacy missions.

Mississippi partners with other states to form the National Literacy Missions Partnership. The National Literacy Missions Partnership is supported in part by Send Relief of the North American Mission Board.

Literacy Missions has a long history in Southern Baptist life.  Literacy missions in Mississippi began in the 1960s with Judge and Rene Sugg and Pat Alford as some of the first pioneers.  The Rene Sugg and Pat Alford Literacy Missions Endowment was started in December 2005 by Richard Alford in memory of his late wife, Pat, and in honor of Judge and Rene Sugg.  You can give to this fund by contacting the Mississippi Baptist Foundation.

All Literacy Missions Ministries are asked to complete an Annual Report each year for the ministries they provide.  Please complete the Annual Report by August 1, 2023, for the preceding year (August 2022 – July 2023).

Literacy Missions Annual Report
for August 2022-July 2023
Due date: August 1, 2023
(Please complete a separate annual report for each Literacy Missions track your ministry has.)

Church Missions Leadership Update Form

If you are not the current Church WMU Director, please allow the current WMU Director or Church Office to complete this form. Mississippi WMU serves Mississippi churches in a variety of ways. It has come to our attention that we need to make some changes to our Mail File Data in order to serve our churches better. For instance in many churches Girls in Action now comes under the Children’s Department in the church rather than WMU. In addition, in many churches the individual responsible for sending in orders for missions offering resources is no longer the WMU Director, but another church leader. We hope these changes will help us to serve you in a more effective way. In an attempt to be better stewards, we are asking for email addresses; this will enable us to correspond via email updates. Please notify MS WMU if this information changes during the year by WMU_WM@mbcb.org or calling 601-292-3336.

Please list one person per position unless we have provided space for more than one, as in Women on Mission Leader. Please complete this entire form. Summer  Camp information is mailed to the Children’s Missions Leader; if you fail to include their information, they will not receive this information. Write N/A for those positions that are not applicable for your church.