Dear Pastors and Mission Leaders,
Greetings in Christ. Now that summer is here, life takes a relaxed posture. If your mission team is meeting this summer here are some mission opportunities that you might want to consider for July and for later this year.
Native American Ministry Leaders Conference: This summer United in Christ 2021 will be held in Bemidji, MN. Their first conference was held a few years ago. That was the first time that all Native and First Nations Ministry Leaders met together from across North America. If you have a heart for Native American ministry or want to learn more how to reach Native and First Nations people, you should consider attending this conference. It will be held on July 15-17th, 2021 at Bemidji, MN. Dr. Alex Mandes from the EFCA is one of the keynote speakers. Individual registrations are $99.99/person. To register go to www.CenterForIndianMinistries.org.
Supporting Missionaries: Occasionally, we get requests from missionaries who are looking for new support. We also get requests from churches asking us to direct them to missionaries, who are looking for support. Maybe, your mission budget has grown or you have some missionaries who are retiring. So how should you proceed? First, do you have a budget surplus, where you can add a missionary long term? Do you know what part of the world that you would like to support a missionary? Are you supporting your current missionaries with adequate funding? You should support your current missionaries with adequate support before adding anyone new. We can help you determine what adequate support should be for your missionaries. Currently, I know of three missionary families who are going to Africa and who need support. Last week I talked with a new ReachGlobal couple, who are just beginning to raise support to serve with GlobalFingerprints. Also, many of the staff with EFCA Crisis Response need additional support. I will be glad to talk with you about who you might want to add to your supported team of missionaries.
International Mission Partnerships: Several times each year I get an email from nationals in different places around the world, who want to partner with me. They are looking for a North American, that they can partner with. This might include sending teams, sending someone to teach or to partner by sending needed financial resources. Before you jump through this hoop, please take the ReachGlobal course on Partnerships. https://go.efca.org/resources/course/healthy-missions-partnerships
In Christ,
Steve Austvold
