By Bill Bray, Campus and Missions Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (ANS – January 5, 2018) — Overseas Students Mission is planning a year-long series of training programs to help students organize new Christian missions in 2018.
The first New Missions Launch Lab will be held following the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, March 3-4.
Other weekend trainings will be held following the Urbana 18 Missions Conference in St. Louis, December 31-January 2; the Ethnic America Summit in Kansas City September 23-24; and after semester-end on Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-28.
Students can register online or by mail for the event at www.OSMission.org, or by sending the registration fee to Box 6511, Charlottesville, VA 22906. The cost of the training weekend is $129 and includes a training notebook. Alumni of past OSM training events can take a “refresher” review for $69.
“Train to go!” promises promotional literature for the events which seek to prepare those going, and answers the question, “Is God calling you to serve Jesus Christ in Missions?” for those who are not sure.
The New Missions Launch Lab curriculum was taught by CIS Missions for over 30 years and was first adapted for student use by Overseas Students Mission following the 2015 Urbana Missions Conference.
However, OSM has been training students for missionary service since 1953 when the ministry was founded by Bob Finley. A former InterVarsity staff member who also started Christian Aid Mission and International Students, Inc. His ideas revolutionized foreign missions and have been adapted by dozens of indigenous mission organizations around the world.
The OSM training sessions are very practical and deal with the real issues faced by anyone who signs up for short-term or extended missionary service.
Topics planned for this year will again include: Discerning Your Call and Gifting’s through Prayer and Counsel, Friend Raising Not Fund Raising, Support Team Development, Communicating to Your Sending Team with Social Media, Proper Use of the Gift Code, Working with Your Sending Agency, Finding the Right Agency for You.
Book-based sessions will include “The Five Pillars of Fundraising” by author Betty Barnett of Friend Raising, and Five Steps to Yielded Living by the author of Called to All from Zondervan/WestBow Press.
Training materials and registration forms are available from CIS Legacy Books, PO Box 6511, Charlottesville, VA 22906 or by calling 434-295-6488, or the publisher’s hotline at 434-227-0811.
Photo captions: 1) A male student writing in his classroom. 2) Bob Finley meeting with Billy Graham. 3) Bill Bray
About the Writer: Christian journalist Bill Bray is the author (or co-author) of 13 books and regularly reports for ASSIST News Service. He ministers free of charge and depends on faith offerings and gifts to carry on his mission trips and assignments. Contributions for his support may be sent to www.OSMission.org designated for Gift Code 099-WTB. He welcomes interaction with our readers and can be contacted at bray.william@gmail.com
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