Is missions a part of your plan?

You've mapped out your plan for discipling students, but have you included missions in your plan? Being on mission is central to living out the Christian faith, and short term mission opportunities can help students develop those values for a lifetime. Go Now Missions, the TexasBaptist sending organization for students, is a great resource to help your students experience life on mission. Matt, a student from UMHB wrote about his experience last summer in South Asia, "I was then convicted with the thought,  'If I have loved them this much after two weeks, how much more so does their father in heaven love them? If my heart is this broken for their lostness after just two weeks, how much more so is the heart of their father in heaven broken for His lost children.' At this moment I finally realized God's heart for the nations." How are students appointed? Your local churchcan be the sending agent for your students. Go Now is for both Baptist Student Ministries and local churches. Have students fill out the application, then your church can do the local interview and recommendation for that student. That means that you as their college leader can help find the right fit for their mission experience.  Who can serve? Go Now has a variety of opportunities available. For students who are new to mission trips, there are shorter term trips in which a student serves as a part of a mission team. More experienced students may benefit from a longer term trip with a more challenging assignment. For a student called to missions, a 10 week opportunity could be a great way for them to experience life on the mission field. There are a multitude of ministry assignments. Students can find ministries that fit their gifting or even their major. Find the summer list here.   How long do students serve? 10 weeks to 10 days. Some students have to work during the summer. A 10 day trip could be a great fit time wise and still make a lasting impact on their lives.  10 week assignments give students the opportunity to serve for a long term on the field.  Some students start by serving on a 10 day team, then by the next year they are ready for a longer term of service.       How do we get started?  Have your students explore the lists at  http://gonowmissions.com/positions. Interested students need to fill out the application by clicking on the APPLY NOW button. Be sure they check "Baptist Church" under Local Interview.  When they have completed the application an interview form will be sent to your church for you to complete and return.   Students applying will attend Discovery Weekend and be a part of a group interview process to help determine where they will serve.   Missionaries and ministries around the state and the world rely on the help of student missionaries to help them take the gospel to their mission field. How can you challenge your students to serve this summer?  Help them start the process today. The deadline for applying for summer opportunities is February 6th.  Find all of the information about Go Now Missions at  http://gonowmissions.com/.  Share your missions stories with us on our Facebook page.