by Randy Harp
Three weeks after arriving in Orlando, FL, to begin serving as student pastor at Orlando Baptist Church I participated in my first short-term mission trip. It was just four months earlier when I flew on an airplane for the fist time and now, just a month after graduating from Baptist Bible College, I was flying internationally. I look back on that trip as a defining moment not just for my ministry but for my entire life. I have served on five other international short-term mission trips since then. One lesson I am reminded of on each trip are Jesus’ words, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
Our theme for this issue of the Tribune is short-term mission trips. It also includes our Global Partners, where the BBFI Mission Office provides the content for ten pages. Associate Mission Director Jim Smith does a great job providing a balanced approach to this delicate topic. The information is based on results from 125 missionaries and 81 pastors participating in an online survey. You will notice varying opinions on the topic, some with more conviction than others. You will see several graphs and charts based on the research. You will read through tips and suggestions for planning and participating in trips. But most of all, you will read through inspiring stories of lives changed as a result of short-term mission trips.
Our new features also speak on the theme of short-term mission trips. “In the Trenches” highlights mission trips from the perspective of the senior pastor, youth pastor, and the children’s pastor. “The Right Angle” answers the question, “How can social media help our missionary work?” You will also notice a couple of helpful pages, one listing four BBFI affiliated ministries that can help you plan your short-term mission trip and one with options where you don’t have to leave the country.
We ended this issue with three pages of tributes of three men who were foundational in the beginning days of our Fellowship. They were each very different and will be remembered for different things, but there is no doubt each of them left a legacy.
This past month we also launched a new component of the Communication Office with our first BBFI Leadership Podcast. These will be interview-based conversations on various topics. The goal is for a new podcast to be posted the first Tuesday of each month with a few bonus episodes here and there. You can search for BBFI Leadership Podcast on iTunes, visit www.bbfi.org, or use a QR scanner and scan the code at right.
One final note — please take a few minutes and read my letter on the facing page about our February Tribune Offering. I unashamedly ask you to consider being a part of this special offering. I am extremely excited about all God has in store, but we can’t do it without strong partnerships. I am counting on you as we work together to make more disciples for Jesus Christ.
Thank you again for allowing me to serve Christ as I serve you.