Few things reveal a church’s theological convictions more clearly than how it gives. Budgets, in a very real sense, are discipleship documents. They tell a story, by faith, about what a congregation values, what it believes about the mission of God and how seriously it takes the Great Commission.
For Alabama Baptists, the Cooperative Program (CP) has long been one of the clearest expressions of our shared commitment to Gospel work beyond our own walls.
Through it, local churches partner together to support missionaries, church planters, theological education, disaster relief, collegiate ministry, children’s homes and global evangelization far more than any single congregation could accomplish alone.
As we look toward 2026, the question is not whether the Cooperative Program is worth supporting but how churches can intentionally strengthen their participation in it. Here are three practical and attainable ways local churches can do just that.
1. Designate Giving Clearly and Intentionally Through the Cooperative Program
The most foundational way a church supports the Cooperative Program is also the simplest: clear, consistent designation of a portion of undesignated tithes and offerings through CP.
This begins at the leadership level. Pastors and church leaders should ensure that members understand how CP giving works. Cooperative Program giving is not an extra line item added to the budget after everything else is funded; it is a deliberate decision to send a portion of the church’s regular giving to support shared mission work at the state, national and international levels.
Practically, this means:
- Including the CP percentage clearly in the annual church budget.
- Communicating that CP gifts come from the designation of a portion of the church’s undesignated offerings.
- Regularly reminding the congregation that every faithful act of weekly giving participates in Gospel work far beyond the local church.
Many churches find it helpful to include brief CP testimonies during budget season or to highlight how CP dollars are at work, supporting church plants in Alabama, missionaries around the world, and students training for ministry. When members understand that their ordinary faithfulness fuels extraordinary mission impact, generosity grows naturally.
2. Set Aside a Sunday Morning to Preach on Missions and Cooperative Giving
While giving structures matter, nothing shapes a church’s heart for missions like the preaching of God’s Word. One of the most effective ways to strengthen Cooperative Program support is to intentionally set aside a Sunday morning focused on missions, generosity and Gospel cooperation.
This does not require a special guest or a themed campaign, though those can be helpful. Often, the most powerful voice is the local pastor opening the Scriptures and showing how God has always worked through His people together for the sake of His glory among the nations.
A CP-focused Sunday might include:
- A sermon rooted in a biblical text that highlights God’s missionary heart (such as Psalm 67, Matthew 28:18-20, or Romans 10).
- A brief explanation of how the Cooperative Program enables churches to obey these commands together.
- Testimonies, videos or printed stories showing CP impact in Alabama and beyond.
Importantly, this kind of Sunday frames Cooperative Program giving not as institutional loyalty but as joyful obedience. It reminds the church that cooperation is not a pragmatic invention but a biblical principle – churches partnering together for Gospel advance.
When congregations see CP giving as worship rather than obligation, participation deepens.
3. Host a Cooperative Program Banquet or Mission Celebration Night
Finally, churches can strengthen CP support by creating space outside the Sunday morning service for celebration, storytelling and vision casting. One effective way to do this is by hosting a Cooperative Program banquet or mission-focused evening.
These events need not be elaborate or expensive. The goal is not formality but formation, helping church members connect emotionally and relationally with the mission their giving supports.
A CP banquet or mission night might include:
- A shared meal that emphasizes fellowship and gratitude.
- A presentation on how CP funds are used locally, nationally and globally.
- A guest from the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions or a CP-supported ministry sharing firsthand stories.
- A time of prayer for missionaries, church planters and ministry leaders.
Such gatherings help put faces to the mission. They allow church members to ask questions, hear stories and rejoice together in what God is doing through cooperative faithfulness. Over time, these shared experiences cultivate a culture of generosity and mission-mindedness that carries over into regular giving.
Moving Forward Together
The Cooperative Program remains one of the most effective mission strategies in the history of the church, not because of its structure alone but because of the shared convictions behind it. When churches give together, pray together and celebrate together, the Gospel advances in ways no single congregation could accomplish alone.
As Alabama Baptists look toward 2026, may our churches recommit themselves to this joyful partnership – designating faithful giving, proclaiming God’s missionary heart from the pulpit and celebrating the work God is doing through cooperative obedience.
The mission is too great, the harvest too plentiful and the calling too clear for us to do anything less, together, by faith in Christ alone.
Jake Rogers serves as a Cooperative Program ambassador for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions and is a member of Harvestfield Baptist Church, Rainbow City.