“Many people have a view of missions as being overseas and around the world, but it is here in Pensacola and across the street too,” said Sean Cook, director of mobilization, Olive Baptist Church.
The more than 1,300 people who participated in the Commissioned … Called to Go Conference at Olive Baptist Church gained awareness about missions partners and developed connectedness through prayer, giving and going to do the work of missions.
Shaun Pillay, associate pastor, Olive Baptist Church, is a third-generation International Mission Board convert, whose grandmother was introduced to Christ by missionaries who went to their village in South Africa. Missions is his heart as he has served with the North American Mission Board and been on multiple mission trips. Through a survey of the congregation, Pillay learned that people wanted more information about missions, such as: Where does the money go and how is it used? What role do ministry partners like the Florida Baptist Convention, International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, Bible Mission and others play in missions at home and abroad?
“The church was longing for awareness, connectedness and opportunities for involvement,” said Pillay. As a result, the church developed Commissioned … Called to Go, a three-day conference bringing awareness of how church members can be part of the Great Commission through prayer, giving, volunteerism and missions trips.
Guests from 22 international missions partners and 12 local missions partners represented 18 countries.
The week of the conference, Bible Mission parked the Bible Truck, an 18-wheeler that houses an exhibit of the Bible, at Olive Baptist Church. A walk-through of the “rooms” of the truck shows the history of the Bible, how various translations came to be, how the church has been persecuted because of the word of God and how the Bible has been smuggled through history.
“Many non-believers walk through and come out asking questions of how can they have this hope and know Jesus,” said Cook.
On Friday evening, more than 700 attendees heard Pillay share a vision to move the church “from the pew to purpose.” On Saturday, a guest from Bible Mission shared the importance of short-term mission trips, which resulted in people signing up for mission trips to places like Moldova and Sweden.
Part of missions is reaching unreached people groups. Olive Baptist Church showed a commitment last summer by asking children at vacation Bible school to donate money to fund a Bible written in the heart language of an unreached people group. The children showed up and raised more than the goal; the deacons showed out by matching the $6,400 raised by the children, and the church went above and beyond by raising $64,000 within a three-week period. The printed Bible was presented during the conference, resulting in children jumping for joy to understand how they can participate in missions.
Sunday, the conference culminated with a sermon from Ted Traylor, senior pastor, Olive Baptist Church and a special message from a London-based Bible Mission guest.
The church prayed for missions and observed the Lord’s supper, followed by a feast featuring cuisine from 18 nationalities. “The call to observe and remember is universal,” said Pillay. “During the supper, language did not matter.”
As church members feasted on international cuisine from China, Russia, Brazil and Spain, they sang hymns and fellowshipped with believers from different nationalities and backgrounds.
The church was Commissioned … Called to Give, and they gave sacrificially and generously during the weekend, raising $391,000 for missions, including funding three more Bible translations for unreached people groups.
“This was the most encouraging and challenging weekend for our church family to reach neighbors and nations,” said Traylor.