IMB Seeks to Engage New Generation of Missionaries Through Hands On Initiative

by Lydia DeGozo

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--In an effort to raise up a new generation of career missionaries, the International Mission Board is launching “Hands On” projects in January 2008 to give 18 to 29-year-olds experience in the nitty-gritty of overseas missions.

Hands On is designed for young adults considering a long-term missions commitment; particularly college students who are willing to forgo a semester of study in order to experience missionary life abroad. There are 60 openings for Hands On volunteers for spring 2008 and a need for 100 volunteers for fall 2008. Applications for spring 2008 are due Oct. 20, 2007.

The Hands On initiative will immerse young adults in a culture and language for four to five months so they can share the love of Jesus. Volunteers will work in both rural and urban areas with projects ranging from inner-city evangelism to auto repair.

Sub-Saharan Africa will be the pilot location for 2008. The program will expand to other parts of the world by 2009, said Chad Stillwell, a coordinator for the Hands On projects.

“I think Hands On is recognition of the need we have to mentor a younger generation in missions,” Stillwell said. “This is so we’ll have career missionaries for the future, but also people who are active in local churches and have a heart for what God’s doing around the world.”

The individual cost for a 2008 Hands On volunteer to travel to Africa and live in his or her assigned country for a semester will be $2,600, plus passport and immunization fees.

Although the full cost per person is $7,000, the International Mission Board is subsidizing the difference to make the endeavor more affordable for young adults, Stillwell said.

“We wanted to remove a barrier for the participant,” he said. “Our goal is that they will decide to enter the journeyman (two-year overseas missionary) process and might feel God’s call to career missions by being part of an experience that’s longer than a couple of weeks or even two months in the summer.

“Sometimes (the real experience of) daily missionary life can be avoided while on a week- or month-long trip,” Stillwell said, “(but) this is a chance to be immersed in it.”

For more info on Hands On visit www.hands-on-africa.com or call 804-219-1434.

BCM Teams Work SBC in Louisville

by Stan Cavness, Collegiate Ministry SBC Registration Team

Every campus minister who works with Baptist Collegiate Ministry looks for ways to guide students to missions, to ministry, and to a growing personal relationship with the Lord. And often that campus minister is hard pressed to find the needed funding and acknowledgement from key leadership across the convention that Collegiate Ministry is vital to the future of the church.

For the past four years, BCM students have been invited to be the very first person to greet every messenger, every pastor, every convention leader who attends the Southern Baptist Convention. Key convention leaders have commented that the students have added a bright spot to the convention! The feedback has been positive & encouraging.

In 2009, the Southern Baptist Convention is meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. We’re looking for six (6) states to send a team of 10 students with two campus ministers/state collegiate ministry workers to be part of the Collegiate Ministry SBC Registration Team for June 19—26, 2009.
We need 60 students to work the desk and 10 key Collegiate Ministers to work the crowd...promoting collegiate ministry!


Planning Steps:
· Your state collegiate ministry missions team begins to promote the SBC Team as one of your 2009 summer missions projects.
· Enlist 2 BCM Directors or state collegiate ministry staff to serve on your team.
· Enlist 10 students to serve on your state team.
· Arrange your travel plans to & from Louisville.
· Your state team handles transportation & some meals….we’ll help with some meals.
· We’ll hook you up with a Crossover church partner for your team on Saturday.
· We have arrangements made for housing at Southern Seminary. Your Cost is $11 per room per day. You can put 2/room.
· We’ll help with logistics to make your team enjoy this trip...and make it easy on your team leaders.
· June 19: Travel Day June 20: Crossover June 21—24: Registration June 25: Free-time June 26: Travel Day
· Contact the coordinator of Collegiate Ministry SBC Registration Team: Stan Cavness PO Box 1134 Dyersburg, TN 38024 731-285-3750 office 731-234-6905 cell bsudscc@ecsis.net



BCM students from Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia and Tennessee staffed the Registration booth at the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis last year. Baptist Collegiate Ministry students have staffed the registration desk for the past four years at the annual Southern Baptist Convention. The short-term summer missions experience gives students a chance to be part of the inner workings of the Convention, and puts BCM students in a position to greet every messenger that attends the event from across the SBC.