The Journey So Far

WHY CAN’T WE ALL JUST BE MISSIONARIES?

On April 1st 2006 we had traveled to Shipshewana, Indiana where I sang at a Gideon’s banquet. Hearing about all the exciting work that the Gideon’s were doing reignited my desire to work in a full time ministry capacity. I didn’t see myself as senior pastor or youth leader, and without the seminary degree what could I really do anyway (or so I thought). We were driving home that night, and talking about these things when Maryellen said, “Why can’t we all just be missionaries?”

That was where it really started. For a month Marge, the kids, and I talked and prayed about it, and wondered if there was some kind of “How To” manual on getting from “Why can’t we all just be missionaries?” to stepping off the plane in some far country.

My brother Kerry suggested that we attend the Missionary Assessment Seminar hosted by the Baptist General Conference (BGC). The point of the conference was to assess potential missionaries for suitability for the field. We started working on the application in May, and it was as extensive as if we had been applying for full time missionary service with BGC.

We also started to look at ABWE (Association of Baptists for World Evangelism). We had a dinner meeting with their missions “Mobilizer” and were impressed with his nurturing and Spirit lead approach to missions. That said, we wanted to continue with the BGC process and return to consideration of ABWE afterwards.

In the midst of all this, I (Adam) resigned from my role as lead singer in the Christian contemporary band Sojourn (www.sojournband.com). I helped found Sojourn and we were together for nearly 15 years. It was a difficult but friendly parting as we made our final performance in August 2006. Also, we began to communicate regularly with the Bethel missions committee in order to keep them posted on our progress and receive any guidance they might have.

Marge and I attended the four day BGC conference in October. It involved several class and case study sessions as well as Psychological and missions assessment/testing. At the completion of the conference we were given positive feedback. Also, for several months we pursued the possibility of going with the BGC’s mission organization, but that opportunity fell through, and we returned to pursuing ABWE as our mission agency. We had opportunity to enjoy meals with several ABWE missionaries and found them energetic, progressive, and passionately devoted to spreading the Good News about Jesus Christ.

GREETINGS FROM THE WORLD
To date, we have nearly completed the application process with ABWE. Once you get past a certain point in the application process, ABWE sends your application out to regional and country mission coordinators. They look at your “profile” and (I’m assuming) if they think you might be a potential candidate for their field some send you an e-mail greeting. We have received greetings from ABWE missionaries in the Czech Republic, Israel, Slovakia, Romania, Poland, and the Latin America Coordinator. We have not made a decision on a field of service yet, and hadn’t really though of Eastern Europe, but we believe it deserves further research and correspondence.

The exciting thing is that I’ve discovered there is a need for a guy that has business background and experience doing lay ministry. In other words, the church planters could certainly use a helper. That is what I want to be. I get really excited just thinking about it.

GETTING TO CANDIDATE SEMINAR
The final step before Candidate Seminar is the Doctrinal Oral Exam. We need to meet with one of the ABWE representatives to do that. Usually you connect up with them when they are somewhere near where you live. We are hoping to coordinate a time this spring.

Candidate Seminar is the final step to being accepted as an ABWE missionary. It is a 9 day event in which we would be presenting ourselves to leadership at the ABWE home office, attending classes, and meeting with representatives of the various countries and regions in which ABWE serves. At the successful completion of it we will be recognized as ABWE missionaries. We also believe that we will receive valuable counsel from representatives of the regions in which ABWE is at work. We are planning to attend the Candidate Seminar on July 7th through 15.

Please pray that we will be able to discern God’s direction as we consider the various options of countries where we could serve. Also, pray that we will exercise Godly wisdom to make sound financial decisions, and the faith to trust in His timing.

Our hearts (my whole family) are set on missions. It’s been exciting to watch the children take their faith more seriously, and as a family we are spending more time reading the Bible together, and praying. We’ve also learned about how God is at work in countries all over the world, and that there are needs in countries we had never considered. It’s been a wonderful time of growth. There has also been some testing, and struggles. All-in-all, I feel enriched through the process.