Imagine four missionary families at your mission conference. Imagine that they are all going to the same country, with the same burden, but to different peoples or places. Imagine that these missionaries are all on the same team, with one heart and one mind and one spirit to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ taken to that country. Imagine that the passion of their hearts is to see the Gospel taken to those who have not heard, and that their passion is contagious!
Pastor Kevin Hymer of Fairpark Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas held a Papua New Guinea Mission Conference, inviting four teams of missionaries who serve with That They May Know. In just two days of services, the burden was shared five times. A ladies’ meeting allowed the ladies of the church to hear firsthand from a veteran lady missionary about what it is like to serve in a remote place. Four consecutive services followed, with videos and preaching, allowing the entire church to see and hear what the Lord is doing among the peoples of Papua New Guinea.
The response of the church was whole-hearted and visible. The meal time allowed them to sit with the missionaries and hear firsthand about the burden of their hearts. Between services, church members were gathered around the tables, asking questions about the field, the missionaries, and the work of the Lord.
Having all the missionaries from the same team and the same country allowed the church to focus on one country. It allowed the burden to build and the vision to spread. And it ignited in many a desire to reach the unreached, whether next door or across the sea.
Maybe this kind of meeting is what your church needs. We’re not experts, nor are we the best. But we do have a passion for Jesus Christ, to see Him named where He has not been named. And that might make a difference.