Mike Wall said he was “invited to the party.” That was how he described attending a previous GoStudents training event. It opened his eyes to working with Brian Baldwin and the GoStudents Network and forming the Oklahoma Baptists Missions Conference, April 5-6 at Oklahoma City, Emmaus.
From left, Mike Wall, Paul Chitwood and Brian Baldwin invite Oklahoma Baptists to attend the Missions Conference on April 5-6 at Oklahoma City, Emmaus. This video can be viewed at oklahomabaptists.org/missionsconference.
As Oklahoma Baptists global missions ministry partner, Wall envisioned applying similar training aspects that are implemented in GoStudents training to all mission work that is done through Oklahoma Baptist churches.
“We have been doing a GoStudents retreat for a long time,” said Baldwin, who serves as youth missions and evangelism ministry partner for Oklahoma Baptists. “We now have opened it up to everyone, but we don’t want to think it’s just a ‘student thing.’ We are hoping people will come because they are inspired to be equipped to do missions.”
The International Mission Board (IMB) is partnering with Oklahoma Baptists to do this Missions Conference. IMB President Paul Chitwood recorded a video with Baldwin and Wall, encouraging church leaders and those interested in mission work to attend the conference.
“This event is designed to inspire, equip and mobilize Oklahomans of all ages to wholeheartedly fulfill the Great Commission,” Chitwood said in the video.
The theme of the Missions Conference is “Willing,” based on Isa. 6:8.
Baldwin said the April 5 session will be dedicated to empowering short-term mission trip leaders, providing training that will help them lead effectively. IMB mission experts will be involved in the April 5 session, and church leaders will gain practical instruction on leading a mission trip.
Bryant Wright, president of Send Relief, will be speaking during the April 6 session of the Missions Conference. This session, Baldwin said, will be geared for everyone who has a deep passion for missions, or just getting started. There will be other speakers and breakout sessions, and Cody Dunbar of Yukon, TogetherWe will be leading times of worship through music.
During the April 6 session, IMB leaders will address issues such as job placement and going over to start a business to do missions. It will also be an opportunity to prepare and encourage those who are doing short-term mission projects. Those involved in GoStudents Network will have the opportunity to meet their team members and missionaries from the locations where students will be traveling to serve.
“Students tend to be the greatest ‘goers’ out of every age demographic,” Baldwin said. “They come to Christ quicker and spread the Gospel faster.”
Those who are 18 and older attending the April 6 session will receive guidance on how to answer God’s call to be a missionary. They will also learn new ways to do mission work.
“The mission world is changing, especially when we are trying to get into hard-to-reach places,” Wall said. “We have to do things differently, and we are doing things differently. What is really exciting for us as Oklahoma Baptists is we are working with these specific IMB leaders to put our people in opportunities that are not traditional. We are still sending traditionally, but we are also sending people who will do new things.”
Both Baldwin and Wall emphasized how the Missions Conference will be “tangible in communicating how churches can send their people to do mission work.” The event will cover how to get people on the field, and it will be broad-based with all the ways and means churches can be involved in missions.
“When you look at CrossTimbers, Falls Creek, GoStudents, BCMs taking people (to do mission work),” Wall said, “now we have the ability to take that incredible pipeline, take those kids and say to them ‘Let’s go full-time. Who is ready to go full-time?’ We have an avenue now for these kids who have been well trained to pursue more opportunities as adults.”
To see the video featuring Chitwood, Baldwin and Wall and to register and receive more information about the Missions Conference, visit oklahomabaptists.org/missionsconference.
