103 college students heading from Alabama to 22 countries, 11 states this summer
Ben Edfeldt says when you go to an International Mission Board sending celebration, you hear a striking similarity among the stories of new missionaries. “A high percentage of them will say, ‘While in college, the Lord called me to go,’” he said. “It’s stunning to hear how many of them say that’s where they felt […]
One Mission Students set to deploy about 90 college students across the world
Ben Edfeldt said there’s something powerful about being in the room with a group of students “who have committed part or all of their summer to take the gospel to the nations.” Starting in late May, about 90 college students are headed to 10 states and 17 countries as part of One Mission Students, Alabama […]
‘No regrets’: College students serve in 17 countries, across U.S. for summer missions
Lorrie McCarver* said she knew she was interested in missions when she attended a Go Night event in Tuscaloosa last year. She went to find out more about being sent out, but she still had some questions — she wasn’t sure how to incorporate missions in her life. But then something gave her a push. […]
Short-term trips meet long-term strategies during Olympics outreach
By Kristen Sosebee “We can’t control the results, but we can measure our faithfulness,” said Jason Harris, team leader for the International Mission Board’s Paris team, explaining their strategy for gospel outreach during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Part of that strategy includes facilitating and mobilizing more than 300 short-term volunteers to hit the streets […]
Some Summer Difference Makers
Every year, they answer God’s call to go. They are young collegiate students from across Alabama. They come from our college and university campuses. They are trained and prepared by the Collegiate & Student Ministries Office of your Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. Chris Mills is our veteran point man in this vital ministry. […]
Mobilizing students: Summer missions, spring break trips serve as ‘lab’ for disciple-making
Sonali Albus said that for her, planning to spend the rest of 2023 in Chile was a leap of faith. “I grew up in church and heard about missions,” she said, and over the years, she went on short-term missions trips. But as Albus prepared to graduate from the University of Alabama this May, a longer missions […]
Begging
I served in South Asia. I saw a lot. But something I’ll never forget is this: “Woman.” She said. Eyes desperate. Skinny girl. Tattered dress and matted hair. “Woman.” Said with her hands held out, body shaking. She looks back as if someone is watching her. “Woman!” Poverty is real. it’s heart-wrenching. This was my […]
HBCU’s on Mission
A very small percentage of Southern Baptist missionaries are African American. In 2020, the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board (IMB), one of the world’s largest missionary sending agencies, reported 3,700 career missionaries but only 0.35% were African American. As a Baptist Campus Ministry (BCM) serving two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Alabama State University […]
Missionary roles vary in length, funding; common thread is willingness to serve
For most, the term missionary implies someone who has devoted their life full time to follow God’s calling to share the gospel where it has not been heard. Missionaries are displaced from their homes, culture and jobs to establish a presence in a new place, often in a different culture, doing a job with gospel […]
One Mission Students commissions more than 150 young adults to serve this summer
More than 150 Alabama students were commissioned April 23 to serve across the globe this summer through One Mission Students. This year’s REACH commissioning weekend, held April 22–23 at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center in Talladega, marked the 75th anniversary of student summer missions for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, said Chris Mills, SBOM student […]
6-week Acts study helps students ‘Live Sent’
Madison Lawrence has thought a lot about her “Jerusalem” this summer. Right now, it’s the University of Montevallo, where she’s in her last year of studies — the place where she heard the gospel for the first time. Many on St. Vincent and the Grenadines — the island chain where Lawrence grew up — consider the […]
Alabama students experience life-changing, ‘eye-opening’ summer on mission
Jacob Novak only has one semester left before he graduates from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. The whole time he’s been there, he’s been a commuter student. But this semester is different — he moved on campus for the first time. It’s because he spent his summer doing missions in Boston with the North American Mission […]