by Ted Bair
Spring Meadows Church near Sanford, Fla., recently held a Foreign Mission Conference. The Conference provided a forum for Adventist mission sponsors from around the world and potential volunteers to connect with each other.
This congregation has a history going back to the 1980s for conducting domestic and foreign mission projects. For years, members experienced the challenge of recruiting and placing volunteers and coordinating trips. As a result, the idea for a Mission Sabbath was born from the realization that other organizations might have the same issues.
Morning worship time included John Baxter, recruitment director for Adventist Frontier Missions, who encouraged members to participate in mission projects. Jennifer LaMountain and Rudy Micelli were the guest musicians. Also, teens and youth took part in an active mission project discussion.
More than 100 potential volunteers from central Florida came to hear the following afternoon presentations:
- Paul Opp, People of Peru—abandoned children.
- John Baxter, Adventist Frontier Missions—the challenge of 500 million Christians reaching 7 billion unreached people.
- Madeline Torres, Guam Adventist Clinic—medical education.
- Pia Soule, Spring Meadows Church—partnerships with Maranatha Volunteers, International; God’s Helping Hands; and Faith FM Belize.
- Nancy Rorick, Spring Meadows Church—summary of the church’s upcoming mission trip to Panama in October 2014.
Following these presentations, 19 Foreign Mission Conference sponsors provided promotional material to participants. Members of the Spring Meadows Church Mission Committee were also available to answer questions.
As a result of the Conference, there were many serious conversations and information exchanges. A dozen people signed up for a Panama mission trip, and Guam Adventist Clinic received several applications for service.