Why I am excited about Great Commission Week!!

This week at school is Great Commission Week and there are a number of reasons why I (and you) am excited even though I won’t be on campus much.

1. If you haven’t heard Dr. Moore’s sermon from last week, then you need to.  This is my 3rd year here and hearing Dr. Moore stress the need and emphasis for sharing the gospel and missions during Heritage Week was very encouraging.  I was able to hear him also talk to the Foundation Board members and prospective students last week and his message never changed.  He mentioned numerous times that we are going to be a seminary that is training missionaries or pastors who are going to send out missionaries.
2. There is such a good chapel line up this week.  In the year I worked for the IMB out of Richmond, I was able to hear both of these men preach.  First, I heard Dr. Gilbert preach at Southwestern Seminary where he spoke directly to pastors challenging them that if they are not leading there church and people to be on mission with God then they were failing as pastors.  Isn’t this what we need if we are going to reach the 1000’s of unreached people groups?  Isn’t this what we need if we are going to have enough personnel to be there to train local pastors?  Second, we will be blessed to hear Thursday from Buster Brown.  He is the pastor at East Cooper Baptist Church near Charleston, SC.  I know that he is passionate about missions.  Besides the fact that he “stole” Liz from our church here, I like what all is going on there at ECBC.  While there for a mission conference, I got to see that Buster is one of these pastors that Dr. Gilbert encouraged those preacher boys to be like.
3. The final reason I love GCC week is that missionaries from all over come to town.  And this year, a couple that is near and dear to my heart is here.  Since they still work in South Asia, I won’t use their name, but please do drop by their booth there by Founders Cafe and say hello.  I have known them since 2000 when I was just a naive college student on a summer mission project.  They are a couple that I respect so much and feel blessed to know them.  The only “problem” is that whenever I am around them, I feel the call to go back overseas.  I guess we will see where that leads.

So, if any students read this, get involved in missions week!  Go hear Dr. Moore talk about Islam.  Dress up in a international dress on Thursday.  Sit down and talk with the missionaries over coffee.  Are there some mid-terms this week?  Sure, but what’s a few points difference when you could take some time to hear how God can use you around the world?  Bid on something in the Silent Auction to support the mission trips.  Just do something!  Don’t let this week go by and miss this great opportunity.