For most students, Summer is a time of fun under the sun, relaxing and taking a break from schoolwork. Others spend their summers working to save money for a new car, video game console or even college.
However, some students make the selfless decision to forgo these two routes. Rather, they choose to use their time serving others, without monetary gain, and help spread the Gospel across the country and across the world through the Oklahoma Baptists’ GoStudents Network.
Through the funds of the Falls Creek Missions Offering, Edna McMillan State Mission Offering and Cooperative Program, the GoStudents Network partners with Oklahoma churches to send students on various mission trips both in and outside of the United States. Below are only a few of the numerous trips that have been completed through GoStudents.
Nebraska
Earlier this summer, a group of 9-12 grade students from McAlester, First were sent to Omaha, Nebraska to serve the Heartland Church Network (HCN). While there, the students power washed a local church, canvassed about 1,200 homes to build connections with three different churches, conducted service projects with four different churches and hosted a block party for the HCN community.
Churches in the area are ethnically diverse and vary in size. Teams sent to Nebraska brought aid to these struggling churches and advanced the Gospel through outreach activities.
London
Recently, a team sent by Tulsa, Memorial Baptist, returned from a trip to London, England. The city is one of the most diverse and cosmopolitan cities in the world, with a steadily growing population that has reached a historic high of 9 million people. There are only 290 Baptist churches in the area to serve that massive population, meaning that spreading the Gospel in London is a large task to say the least.
The team walked the streets speaking with people about the Gospel. They met with people who were born all over the world but came to London to live.
‘The biggest thing that impacted me was the two guys my age that rode the double decker bus with us. We shared the gospel with them and one of them accepted Jesus on the bus and came to the House church with us right after to know more about God!’ said Daniel Robertson, a London team member.
New York City
GoStudents Network sent two teams to New York City this summer. The first one worked alongside North American Mission Board (NAMB) church planter Jordan Sauceda, a team adopted by Kingfisher, First, traveled to New York City (NYC) to advance the Gospel. As the largest city in the United States and a home for people from all over the world, New York is a strategic place to end global lostness.
The team worked with various church planters to help move their ministries forward and share the Gospel. They had conversations in parks, set up for church services and events, participated in creative outreach experiences and helped local church events. Stacie Simunek, the leader of the team, shared her experience with Carina who had fallen away from the church.
“She was one of their original church members, back when they met at the karate dojo,” said Simunek. “But she had fallen away and hadn’t been to church in about 6 years.”
Carina spoke with Simunek and the two became fast friends. During the sermon, Carina went forward during the invitation and rededicated her life to the Lord.
Belize
Belize is an excellent destination for students to be introduced to foreign missions. It allows them to serve in one of the world’s poorest countries where most people speak English, and it is inexpensive. This year, teams sent by Pryor, First worked in the southern part of Belize in the Toldeo District. They helped with Vacation Bible School (VBS) in the mornings and afternoons at San Miguel Baptist Church.
“I feel the Lord used our team to build the congregation at San Miguel Baptist Church,” said team member Julie Bryant. “By night 4, we had gone from 99 to 175!”
Bryant also said that the team’s word for the week was “flexible”. Things didn’t always go according to the team’s plan, but they just rolled with it and continued to share the love of Jesus.
This is the first year GoStudents Network has operated in its new Network structure. This new format ensures that even more students and churches can be mobilized. Now, it is a network of Certified Sending Partners, with boundless potential to advance the Gospel even further. Through this network, churches in Oklahoma can adopt the various projects offered and send teams on mission trips to locations across the Globe.
While projects are full for this summer, registration for next summer’s trips will open soon. For more information about the projects, visit oklahomabaptists.org/gostudents/projects.
GoStudents Network is supported through the Cooperative Program.
