Lipscomb to host World Missions Workshop Oct. 16-18

 | 10/10/2003

As many as 2,000 university students, missionaries and church leaders will gather at Lipscomb University Oct. 16-18 for the 2003 World Missions Workshop. The Workshop, which is held on a different college campus each year, will be focused "on every aspect of incarnational ministry,"said Earl Lavender, associate professor of Bible and director of missions at Lipscomb. More than 60 classes will be offered on subjects ranging from enhancing mission methods to effective benevolent work and the theology of missions, in addition to several periods of worship, Lavender said. In addition to Lavender, featured speakers will include Jim McGuiggan, a missionary located near Belfast, Northern Ireland; Philip Slate, a longtime international missionary now working with North Boulevard church of Christ, Murfreesboro; and Monte Cox, director of the Center for World Missions at Harding University, Searcy, Ark. The event is open to the public. A $10 registration fee is required. A full schedule and registration are available online at missions.lipscomb.edu. "Incarnational ministry means you see your life as an opportunity to be Christ to those around you," Lavender said. "God gifts you so that you can gift the world as a loving steward of God's grace. You are not just concerned with the spiritual - you're concerned with the whole of the human experience. "Thus, the doctor sees himself or herself as God's healing hand, the engineer sees vocation as an opportunity to help people with their basic needs, such as water systems. As Jesus is the Word in the flesh, we are to be the Word in the flesh with the gifts and abilities we have to the world around us," Lavender said. Student groups are expected to attend from Lipscomb, Abilene Christian, Harding, Oklahoma Christian and Freed-Hardeman universities, and from Cascade, Western Christian (Canada), Ohio Valley and York colleges, as well as a variety of public university campus ministries. Named institutions are all associated with the churches of Christ. Lavender, who has been a missionary in Italy, Australia, India, and China, said that attending past workshops has had a "tremendous impact" on him. "It is an inspiring thing to see so many young people interested, involved, and willing to commit to a lifetime of service to God," he said. The opening night will focus on the relationship between worship and mission. "We want to make a strong statement that mission comes out of worship. Instead of having a keynote speaker, we will retell the dynamic story of God's redemption in song, multi-media, readings and prayer, followed by a free concert by Acapella," Lavender said. "Any believer in Nashville will benefit from this experience. The $10 registration fee helps cover expenses, but we will not turn anyone away," he said.