Record-setting: 2022 Arizona Cooperative Program giving

An IMB missionary greets children outside of Streams of Living Waters School in Lusaka, Zambia. Your church’s gifts through the Cooperative Program go to support missions and ministries in Arizona, North America and around the world. IMB Photo

Arizona Southern Baptist churches continued to be faithful in giving through the Cooperative Program in 2022. Last year marked the ninth straight year for an increase in giving.

Cooperative Program gifts last year totaled $3,839,347, which was $24,388, or .6%, more than the 2021 amount. The 2022 total was also $177,134, or 4.8%, above the budget requirement of $3,662,213.

“Giving from our churches in the Arizona Mission Network of Southern Baptists never ceases to amaze me!” said David Johnson, AZMN executive director. “Every year we set a new record and 2022 was no exception.” Arizona Southern Baptists’ generous giving in 2022 “means we were able to send more support to national and international missions through the SBC than ever before in our history and still had more resources to use to spread the Gospel in our state,” Johnson said.

“In addition to that, we were able to increase our support of missions and ministry efforts in Arizona as well,” he continued, “What a blessing to be a part of a network where missions is not just in the name but at the heart of all we do!”

The Arizona Mission Network concluded the year with income of $4,182,277, including the portion of Cooperative Program funds retained in Arizona, funds from the North American Mission Board, event fees and special gifts. And, with expenditures of $4,092,678, the AZMN ended the year in the black by $89,599.

In 2022, another step was taken in reaching Arizona Southern Baptists’ Centennial Vision goal of giving 50% of Cooperative Program receipts to Southern Baptist Convention missions and ministries outside the state by 2028. Last year, 39% of the Cooperative Program receipts — up from 36.5% in 2021 — were forwarded to the Southern Baptist Executive Committee for distribution to national and international ministries.

In 2023, with an Arizona Mission Network Cooperative Program budget goal of $3,793,500, the percentage increased to 40%. This year marks the ninth consecutive year for an increase, resulting in a total rise of 14 percentage points.

Giving to the Arizona Mission Offering and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions were also up in 2022, Johnson noted.

Gifts to the Arizona Mission Offering were $170,397, up $6,465 (3.9%) from 2021.

Gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions were $838,030, up $70,474 (9.2%) from 2021.

Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions gifts were $512,335, down $19,854 (4%) from 2021.

“In a year when everyone had to tighten their belt because of inflation and some were even saying we were in a recession, our churches stepped up more generously and sacrificially than ever,” Johnson said. “Thank you, Arizona Southern Baptists, and praise the Lord for His provision!”

Resources are available to help share the Cooperative Program story with your church.

CP Stories can be used during a worship service to tell a brief missionary story. The stories for upcoming Sundays, along with printable bulletin inserts and PowerPoint slides, are available here.

Learn more about the Cooperative Program and find resources to share with your church at here.

Order a CP Digital Kit and find videos and more resources on the Southern Baptist Convention website.

Elizabeth Young is director of communications for the Arizona Mission Network of Southern Baptists.