Want to hear a huge overview of what God is doing around the globe?

MTW and Covenant College are partnering to host the 2010 PCA Global Missions Conference, November 5-7, in Chattanooga, Tenn.

“This conference doesn’t fit the natural box categories,” said MTW’s Jack Beall, director of the Global Missions Conference (GMC). “Everyone is encouraged to attend. We’ll be exploring missions in practical and theological ways, giving updates on the church around the globe, offering how-tos for local churches, and hearing insights from PCA missions pastors.”

While drawing the customary audience of MTW missionaries and potential missionaries, PCA pastoral staff, and missions committee members, the conference especially hopes to attract students to global missions.

Making Missions Central

Jack Beall says that the theme of the weekend, “The Hope of Nations,” will connect students, missionaries, pastors, and church members, as all unite in the worship of Jesus Christ. Beall emphasizes that there will be “all flavors” to savor, from works of church planting, mercy ministry, medical outreach, student internships, and more. “Most of all,” he says, “we hope that each attendee will explore their role in connecting with God in building His church globally.”

Brett Carl, missions pastor at Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church in Suffolk, Va., says that was exactly what characterized his experience at the PCA Global Missions Conference three years ago. “I was really challenged to help make missions a central part of what our church is about rather than just one of many ministries,” he said. “I learned a lot from the seminars and was able to grow in my love for communicating and partnering with missionaries in greater ways. My thinking was challenged and stretched. Soon after this conference, I became the missions pastor at our church.”

The Student Connection

Rather than its usual Atlanta location, the 2010 GMC will take place a stone’s throw from Covenant College, at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tenn. With this partnership, MTW anticipates that the conference will draw students from Covenant College, many other campuses, and beyond. “This conference provides a wonderful opportunity for our students—without leaving Chattanooga—to meet and learn from those who are serving with and alongside MTW,” said Christiana Fitzpatrick, coordinator of special programs and mentoring for Covenant College’s chaplain’s office. “Hearing stories of how God is working in other places through His people will allow our students to get a richer picture of the global church.”

MTW will also host its first ever Mercy Ministry pre-conference, offered on November 4, to challenge and stretch attendees’ thinking about topics such as medical ministry, disaster relief, and outreach to street children. Fitzpatrick believes students will find this discussion particularly relevant: “I think Christian students face a particular challenge in knowing how to accompany social justice efforts with the message of the gospel of grace,” she says. Beall describes the pre-conference as addressing precisely these issues. “We will discuss how to pair mercy ministry with teaching and evangelism, and hear encouragement about how it’s being done in fields around the globe,” he said.

Fitzpatrick contends that MTW can be a strong force within this rising generation with “its increased focus on holistic ministry and community development as part of its church-planting efforts, its focus on relational ministry, and its desire to partner with believers and leaders from other cultures.”

Details

2010 PCA Global Missions Conference
Dates: November 5-7, 2010
Location: Chattanooga Convention Center – Chattanooga, Tenn.
Featured Speakers: Dr. Paul Kooistra, Rev. Joseph Novenson
Cost: $200 (early-bird discount: $175 by July 30)
Scholarships for students: attend for $100
Group discounts available

Mercy Ministry Pre-Conference

Date: November 4, 2010
Cost: $60

To learn more about the 2010 PCA Global Missions Conference, or to register, visit www.mtw.org.