Missions Week Allows Students to Plug into Great Commission

October 13, 2008

by Jaime Bates, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

Baylor University will host the 27th annual Missions Week from Oct. 13-17, allowing the Baylor community to interact with missionaries from around the world.

Baylor's Spiritual Life department, the sponsor of Missions Week, will host more than 25 missionaries as they seek to educate the community on their work by stepping into the classrooms and taking part in the week's numerous events.

"It is a chance for students and faculty to discover what God is doing in the world," said Jeremy Hendrix, the global activator at the Spiritual Life Center, who will be participating Missions Week. "Missions week brings the world to campus in a very personal, non-political way and provides wonderful opportunities for interaction and dialogue, which can be an impetus for God to transform lives."

The week will begin 7 a.m. Monday with a prayer breakfast at the Bobo Spiritual Life Center on the Baylor campus. The breakfast will be followed by a presentation by Jenne Blackburn, Missions Week co-director, in all three of the Chapel services beginning at 9 a.m. in Waco Hall.

A Missions Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday in the SUB Bowl on the Baylor campus. This will give students an opportunity to talk to missions agencies about the short- and long-term trips that they offer.

A dinner for students interested in vocational missions will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Bobo Spiritual Life Center. An International Coffee House will follow at 8 p.m., which will allow students time to fellowship with missionaries and enjoy free music and coffee, said Matt Berry, Missions Week committee member.

On Tuesday, there will be a monolingual demonstration at 3:30 p.m. in the Bobo Spiritual Life Center where a linguist will learn a language in an hour. Also on Tuesday, a Global Village will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in Fountain Mall on the Baylor campus. Students will have the opportunity to learn and experience the different cultures in which the missionaries serve. There will be a free concert by the Austin-based band, El Tule.

On Wednesday, Rebecca Kennedy, the Associate Chaplain of Baylor and Director of Missions will address all three Chapel services beginning at 9 a.m. Kennedy oversees university missions at Baylor, which includes global missions, local missions and Missions Week.

"Students that participate in Missions Week are able to meet missionaries and discover ways they can be involved in God's work locally and globally," Berry said. "Missions Week provides a great time for people to plug into the Great Commission."

All events are free and open to the public. For more information about Missions Week, contact the Spiritual Life Center at 710-3517.