Missions Conferences With Impact
An Interview with E.C. Haskell, Director of Mission Relations
Message: How do you view missions conferences and their importance?
Haskell: Missions encompasses all we do both here at home and abroad. The things we do at home are always in front of us, but when I look at a missions conference, however it may be structured, I see it as a special emphasis that helps us make our international ministries more visible. Basically, I don’t see missions as something the church should only emphasize annually, because I don’t see missions as just a program of the church. I see missions as the purpose of the church.
Message: What is the goal of a missions conference?
Haskell: The primary goal should be to show people what God is doing around the world. But I think a missions emphasis time also gives us a chance to highlight some of the support ministries that make our priorities possible—medical, translation, youth—all the things that are a part of evangelism, discipleship, and church planting.
Message: What about impact?
Haskell: I think the compelling challenge has to be there. The basis for missions and a missions conference should be the Great Commission and Acts 1:8.
Message: What kind of missions conference is best?
Haskell: We can’t recommend a perfect way—that’s up to the churches. Some are successful with a week-long conference. Some like a missions month where each Sunday represents a different work around the world. Some do a mini-conference—just a few days. I’ve spoken in many different kinds of conferences. The logic is to elevate God’s work around the world.
Some churches like to spotlight a mission agency and feature the work and missionaries they partner with. We’ve seen a lot of churches do children’s conferences. We often think missions conferences are just for adults. Every year we meet missionary candidates who made decisions for missions as children.
Get as many people involved as possible. Various committees can have different responsibilities: program, hospitality, decorations, special events, prayer, publicity, music.
Message: What about outside opportunities or meetings away from the church building?
Haskell: Schedule your missionary guests to speak in Christian school classes or chapel. Have a luncheon for ladies or a breakfast for men. Designate an evening and have missionaries in homes for small groups. But don’t wear them out—remember they are often on the road for weeks at a time and may need time during the day to rest and prepare for evening responsibilities.
Message: How have churches ministered to missionaries during a conference?
Haskell: I’ve seen conferences where the missionaries were taken out to department stores and bought things they needed. Men were assigned to take men, women to take women. I know a church that arranged for the missionaries to have two nights in a resort after the conference as a gift. This was in addition to the regular honorarium for the conference.
One church set aside Wednesday night as Christmas for the missionaries: they sang Christmas songs and a tree was put up. At one point in the service, the six missionary couples came to stand up front and those who had purchased gifts for them came and presented their gifts, along with hugs. Each missionary had about twenty people standing in front of them. All six couples opened their packages at the same time, and all the gifts were useful ones. Then they had a brief devotional. The pastor says this evening is now the highlight of their missions conference every year.
There are so many things you can do for missionaries, but you need quality time with them to find out what their needs are. The goal is to develop the relationship with the missionary. Some churches feel that it’s better to support a lot of missionaries, and they don’t really know them well. The Scriptures say where your treasure is there your heart will be also. If we give a small amount to a lot of missionaries that we don’t know well, where is the “heart” involvement? A larger investment on our part means that we desire the closer relationship. The same thing goes for conferences—don’t bring in a lot of missionaries, bring a few and let your people get to know them. You minister to a missionary when you give him time to share what God is doing in his ministry.
Message: Should you always bring missionaries you already support? Or use this as an opportunity to bring in potential new missionaries?
Haskell: I think you should have both—your own missionaries whom you already support and potential missionaries, especially in areas of the world you’d like to target. Missions conferences help you to build relationships with your missionaries. They can explain what God is doing, how God is leading, perhaps even changes in their ministry that you need to know about.
The conference allows the church to have quality time with the missionary so they can make an investment in the missionary’s life, as well as having the missionary minister to the church. It’s a two-way relationship.
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