FRESNO - In September, California Southern Baptists will observe a month-long emphasis of praying for and giving to missions to reach the Golden State for Christ.

"Bright Hope for Dark Days" is the theme of this year's California Mission Offering, based on I Peter 2:9 which emphasizes the power of Jesus Christ to bring those in darkness into His light.

Mike McCullough, California Southern Baptist Convention associate executive director, said, "Recent events in California make it very clear that we live in a spiritually dark environment. Darkness abounds in our state as seen in addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling and sex, through broken marriages, through crime, through the devaluation of children, and the list goes on.

"However," he continued, "California Southern Baptists know there is only one bright hope for our state - Jesus."

CMO provides opportunities, according to McCullough, to address "Dark Days" in California through various ministries such as starting more churches as "beacons of light" in communities, providing assistance in the midst of dark days of a disaster, and developing and strengthening leaders to combat the spiritual darkness in the lives of individuals, families and communities.

McCullough said CMO video segments for this year take a "bit of a different twist. Instead of highlighting our missionaries and their ministries, we have developed a fictional story which interprets the darkness in which we live and the hope to which we look forward."

He noted pastors and other church leaders can look forward to receiving a series of e-mails later this summer with links to segments of the fictionalized story. Even though a DVD will be mailed to all CSBC churches, McCullough stressed the segments will allow church leaders to preview the segments.

"Our prayer," McCullough said, "is that more churches than ever commit time to focus on California missions in September by educating members about the needs in our state, praying for California missions and giving to CMO."