Birthday Offering
The Birthday Offering is one of the most enduring traditions at Missouri Baptist Children’s Home. The Birthday Offering has been a part of MBCH since 1890, when William S. Crouch of First Baptist Church, Carrollton donated a penny for each year of his life in celebration of his birthday.
Since that time, churches and individuals have used the celebration of birthdays to bless hurting children. The giving of Birthday Offerings for the Children’s Home has been a regular part of Baptist life for 125 years. This offering offers a way to recognize people on their birthdays and an opportunity to share in a missionary work by helping children and youth in care at the Children’s Home.
Unfortunately, in many churches, Birthday Offering Banks disappeared with the Sunday School opening assembly. Missouri Baptist Children’s Home offers several ways to help breathe new life into your church’s birthday celebrations.
- Birthday Pencils: “Happy Birthday” pencils in rainbow colors are available as a token of appreciation from the Children’s Home for those participating in the Birthday Offering. These pencils have traditionally been presented to anyone who gives a penny for each year of their lives.
- Birthday Mugs: In 1984, Joe Steel of Edmundson Road Baptist Church in St. Louis was given a Birthday Mug for being instrumental in starting the custom of giving $1 for each year of life on your birthday. In 1986, MBCH began offering Birthday Mugs for those making a birthday offering equivalent to at least the number of years they are celebrating on their birthday. The design and color of the mug is changed yearly. This year’s mug is shown to the right and is maroon with white lettering. A number of individuals around Missouri have a complete collection of MBCH Birthday Mugs.
- Birthday Cards: Beautiful full-color birthday cards on high gloss stock, complete with envelopes, are available for the pastor, church or Sunday School class to send to each member. Several designs are available and there is space inside the card for a personal message from the sender.
- Birthday Offering Envelopes: Birthday Offering envelopes are available for the donor’s convenience and can be included with the birthday greeting card. The envelopes are designed to return to MBCH via the U.S. Postal Service.
- Birthday Recognition: Many churches recognize those who have had birthdays during the past week in the Sunday School Report or announcement period prior to the worship service. Some recognize birthdays during the Sunday School Department time. Usually, people with birthdays are invited to come to the front in recognition of their celebration. This is an ideal time to present the person with an MBCH birthday pencil and/or birthday mug in exchange for their Birthday Offering.
The children of Missouri Baptist Children’s Home express their profound appreciation to those churches and individuals who make MBCH a regular part of their birthday celebration. If you have missed out on this caring tradition, we invite you to join hundreds of other individuals in the Annual Birthday Offering.
Birthday Supply Orders:
If you or your church needs any of the birthday supplies listed above, please call the MBCH Foundation Office at 1-800-264-6224 or complete the online order form:
