PLYMOUTH – International travelers descended on the newest of Christians in Michigan!
High school students, university students, and young adults without college degrees learned the International Mission Board (IMB) has wide open pathways of service waiting for them. Opportunities of service for them can be as long as 1-2 weeks, 1 summer, 1 semester, 1-2 years fully funded without a college degree, or 2+2 experience w/ a fully funded mission experience for two years added to two years of education at one of the six seminaries which results in an outstanding degree.
More details can be found at www.imb.org/go. BSCM’s Dan Carty and Mile City’s Jordan Duncan can be seen, in the image, standing in a small circle of enthusiastic students who represent a portion of the crowd who arrived and engaged in the day’s discussions. Carty and Duncan were perfect co-emcees who magically turned the crowd into a family of mission explorers.
The Mile City Church Plymouth team along with Lead Pastor Travis Whittaker, on September 23, hosted the international missions rally in the excellent way in which they faithfully provide help to many. Travis is seen, in the image, with Ryan who won a $200 scholarship to purchase a passport or to pay for an airline ticket for an International Mission Board assignment.
Ryan’s humility and generosity was clear when he remarked, “I was recently hired by one of the major car companies in Michigan. Can I share my scholarship with someone who might not have the means I do now with my new employment?” I thought Ryan’s kindness and open spirit would make Ryan perfect for the IMB’s Project 3000 where adults who are 21-29 years of age, with or without a college degree, can explore one of more than 3,000 unengaged, unreached people groups across the globe. The IMB’s goal is to send 300 missionaries on a two-year fully funded mission assignment.
The day’s talks, fun, food, and worship would have not been the inspirational event we experienced without Matt Wagner of MatthewWagner.org creating a worship team of Michigan’s dedicated musicians. Matt’s creativity both in music and video transport people through stories and experiences to deeper moments of reflection which is exactly what was needed for those attending.
The two images shown here reveal the important times of contemplation where heads were bowed in private prayer or eyes were raised during songs of worship. Matt, raised overseas as a child of missionaries, knew how to clearly lead all of us toward the Lord through worship.
Repeatedly, the three speakers of the day urged the students and young adults to respond to the lostness of the world’s population from the depth of their love and adoration for the Lord.
Julius Tennal II from the Summit Church in Raleigh, North Carolina spoke from the 96th Psalm highlighting how the Lord led him into deeper devotion to the Lord through the influence of inspirational, caring men like J.D. Greear, lead pastor of Summit Church. Seen in the image, Julius explained how he went from the deep south to South Africa then to Summit Church where he trains people for overseas service in remarkable numbers.
Tiffany, an active IMB missionary, joined us through a video connection in which Tiffany displayed brilliantly how a young, single woman serves the Lord overseas with the IMB. The worship center was still and quiet, as seen in the image, while people watched Tiffany talk from the streets of her location in Europe, her apartment, a marketplace, and with a windmill looming in the background.
Tiffany is midway on a two-year, classic journeyman assignment where she works with career missionaries in a country among a people group. Details on Tiffany’s assignment can be discovered by clicking here: Journeyman. There was a strong connection with Tiffany because the audience learned that she grew up in western Michigan but only learned about serving the Lord through the IMB after she moved to the southern United States in pursuit of a college degree.
Patrick Schwarz, the NextGen Leader for the IMB, using two biblical passages as his starting point, ended his talk by showing the many pathways of service offered to members of churches associated with Michigan’s network.
As seen in the image, Patrick explained the turns of life that took him from Connecticut to Scotland, then to Virginia as the primary voice to the younger generations. High school students and their leaders leaned into the topic when they learned there are prepared assignments written by missionaries on the field who are waiting for high school students to explore the world and share Christ with others.
Details about high school youth group assignments can be found at Go Impact with the IMB. The specific details of where, with whom, dates, and costs are online for everyone to see and select.
The two images shown here reinforce why we coordinated this amazing event. The new generations are hungry to give their lives through meaningful expressions to the Lord.
In one image, Jamie is seen with Bre and Layla who won prizes from one of the games we played while getting acquainted. Layla, a third grader and a daughter of a church planter with the North American Mission Board, with a gleaming smile expressed to everyone that she was a “high schooler” on this Saturday because she wanted to learn about missions.
In the other image, we see two of the main speakers standing with Kim and Gwen. Julius and Patrick took time as the morning started to celebrate and pray with Gwen who is a high school student who during a recent youth retreat with Mile City declared that she is called to missions. This amazing Saturday was about people like Gwen matching her expression of devotion to the Lord to a location on a world map.
On the IMB’s website for students, they placed a quote of the famous missionary William Carey, who wrote years ago, “To know the will of God, we need and open Bible and an open map.” The Sending Out New Generations Rally is updating William Carey’s practical instruction. Look, pray, and respond to what you see on the site for high school students and young adults by following this link: Students.
Join us as we open up more discussions and gatherings as the spiritual appetite of the new generations increases. The best days are still ahead of us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Tony L. Lynn is the State Director of Missions for the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Before coming on staff at the BSCM, Tony served as lead pastor for more than six years at Crosspoint Church in Monroe, Michigan. He and his wife, Jamie, also served with the International Mission Board in Africa and in Europe.