Rediscovering Our Mission

In late September, Pastor Andy, Pastor Garfield, Andrés Jara, and I attended the Missio Nexus Conference in Orlando, Florida. It was an incredibly valuable time of encouragement, networking, and learning about new trends in global missions. The sessions covered topics such as engaging Gen Z in missions, best practices for short-term mission trips, and updated data on Unreached People Groups (UPGs). Before the conference began, our team spent a full day in vision planning—a chance to pray, dream, and clarify where God is leading us next as the Seventh Day Baptist Missionary Society.

One of the most meaningful parts of my work with the Missionary Society is helping us sharpen and live out our vision—through education, strategic planning, and representing who we are to others. At the conference, when people asked who we were, I often began by saying, “We’re a denominational missions organization.” Almost immediately, the question came: “How many North American missionaries do you have on the field?”

That moment reminded me again just how different our model really is—and how deeply that difference matters. For most of my life, the Missionary Society has not operated primarily by sending North Americans abroad. And for good reason. While there are times when sending someone from here makes sense, it is almost always more effective to empower those who are already culturally and physically close to the people we’re trying to reach.

That conviction continues to shape much of what I do. Just as I once taught ABC students to identify and pray for the Unreached People Groups in their own countries, I now teach my SDBU students to recognize the mission field around them—among international students, refugees, immigrants, doctors, gas station owners, and Uber drivers—all people God has brought near. This strategic difference may take time for those with a traditional sending mindset to understand, but I believe that as we lean into the gifts, relationships, and resources God has already given us, we can multiply the work He is doing through us.

By the end of the conference, I was more convinced than ever that our mission is clear: we are a denominational missions organization that partners with believers in more than 40 countries to mobilize them for gospel work, with a special focus on Unreached People Groups. And in the coming months, we will begin sharing our updated five-year strategic plan, which aims to help at least half of the conferences we work with begin reaching UPGs in their own contexts.

Reflection

God's glory in all the nations isn’t something we accomplish alone. It grows through partnership—when believers across cultures, backgrounds, and experiences unite under one purpose: to make Christ known.

Prayer Point

Pray that God will continue to strengthen our partnerships, guide our strategy, and inspire believers around the world to see the mission fields He has placed around them. Ask Him to open new doors for reaching Unreached People Groups through faithful, Spirit-led collaboration.

Reflection Question

How is God inviting you to align your personal vision with His global mission—and to see your own influence as part of His plan to reach the nations?

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