SGI Conference Summary
January 11, 2010 – 2:54 pmAt the conclusion of the final plenary session Wednesday evening, January 6, I presented a summary of the 2010 SGI National Conference. Below is the manuscript of the summary, posted for the benefit of MM readers:
Approximately 340 attendees from 5 continents have gathered for the 2010 SGI National Conference. (6 including Australia. An MK from Australia pointed out that we failed to represent the continent of Australia at our Global Café. You’d think that at a missions conference we’d get our geography right. That will be corrected before the 2012 conference!).
We have absorbed 9 hours of preaching and 8 hours of teaching (5 rounds of 8 workshops; 40 hours total). We worshiped the Lord in song for nearly 1.5 hours. We prayed corporately and privately for an hour. We fellowshipped and networked over 1200+ cups of Starbucks coffee in the Global Café.
These past 2.5 days we have heard about the remote regions of Bolivia, Cambodia, and the Phillipines and the bustling multi-ethnic hub which is Luxembourg.
We’ve heard of opportunities to minister to Muslims in Morocco, Central Asia, and even in our own country. We’ve learned about the training of nationals in Tanzania and Chinese pastors in East Asia.
We’ve learned of the need for contentment from a veteran lady missionary. We’ve been reminded of past gospel ministers such as C.T. Studd, John Paton, William Carey, A. T. Pierson and others.
We’ve looked at the successes and failures of past missions movements.
And, perhaps greatest of all, we’ve been challenged to put on the whole armor of God and to stand firm.
Before you go, I’d like to leave you all with a few practical points:
1. Read missionary biographies. Allow the Lord to use the lives of departed servants to touch your life for His cause. Nearly every plenary session, and quite a few workshops, referenced the lives of past missions heroes. Avail yourself to these gold mines.
2. Remember that God is your Shepherd and that He will lead you and make your path straight. (This was the theme of Matt Hoskinson’s exposition of Psalm 23.)
3. Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers.
4. Evaluate your own life. Remove all distractions from knowing and making God known.
5. Mobilize! You are the greatest missions mobilization ministry. Stir your friends at school, church, and home to give themselves to the cause of the Great Commission.
6. Pray for the laborers in your midst: conference speakers who minister on the mission field or in their churches here in the States.
7. Walk humbly with your God.
I look forward to seeing many of you on your university campus, in your church, or at the 2012 SGI National Conference!
But some of us in this room will, Lord willing, be serving on the mission field by January of 2012, ministering the gospel for the sake of His Name.
Thank you for coming and giving us the privilege to minister to you as you sat under the ministry of the Word.
Tim Aynes
Director, Missions Mandate & SGI
Joe Tyrpak provided excellent summaries of the ‘10 SGI Conference plenary sessions and workshops at the MM Blog. A couple others provided commentary throughout the conference.
The audio from the conference is now available for download. But it’s not the same as being there. Make plans to join us in January of 2012 for the next SGI National Conference!
