DAVIS—Throughout the day at Falls Creek, multiple countries, specific people groups, schools, teachers, friends and classmates are all lifted up in prayer.
The missions’ emphasis at Falls Creek is centered around prayer and the opportunity to learn more about other cultures, countries and people groups. It extends as far as to enlist students to actively participate in mission trips, either individually or as groups.
Falls Creek is blessed to have the Wynn Center for World Missions. Inside the building, students learn about other countries and cultures, and how to uniquely pray for their needs. In this center, students can speak with young missionaries who have just returned from the field. In the missions center this summer, students will be confronted with the belief systems of a variety of religious faiths and how those faiths are inconsistent with biblical Christianity.
Outside of the Mission Center, there is a “Missions Village.” In the missions village are several stations representing different aspects of a country or people group, including Guerrero, Mexico; East Asia; Wales/United Kingdom; Toronto; Native American Tribes; Washington D.C., and their school and home. At these stations, students play fun, interactive games, while learning about the lost in that particular culture, and praying for them with a Falls Creek staffer.
Students also have the opportunity to pray on the maps in the Missions Plaza. They can pray for a specific state, Oklahoma county or Native American tribe. The Plaza is adjacent to the Missions Center.
Falls Creek staff members share important stats about these countries—how many are lost within its borders, and the specific needs of particular people groups. The staff members teach students that praying for the specific needs of people is important in the movement of God.
A few years ago, a group of Falls Creek staff members began praying very specifically every day for the small country of Bhutan—wedged between India and China. Tourists who visited Bhutan had to be with a guide at all times. This guide monitored their speech and activities, so that the Gospel was not made available for the Bhutanese people. Falls Creek staff members shared with students the importance of praying specifically for Bhutan—so that the people would have the opportunity to hear the truth of Jesus. Just recently, Christianity Today magazine reported that Bhutan legalized Christianity.
Students now know that God answers our prayers, even when we are thousands of miles away—and praying for countries, like Bhutan, is critical work in the advancement of the Gospel.
While Falls Creek is teaching students about the Gospel and helping them mature in their faith, students are also learning the importance of “going.” They are learning that their prayers for others may be answered by our God in the form of their own commitment to go and share. May God continue to reach the nations through His call on students’ lives at Falls Creek.
Andy Harrison is Falls Creek program director and student ministry specialist with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.
