Frequently Asked Questions

An associational strategy for missions awareness among Southern Baptists

"Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in or days that you would not believe, even if you were told" (Hab. 1:5, NIV).

What is an On-Mission Celebration?
Why are On-Mission Celebrations unique?
Why should my Association conduct an On-Mission Celebration?
What Southern Baptists are saying about On-Mission Celebrations?
What creative ideas can assist our association in strengthening our up and coming On-Mission Celebration?

What is an On-Mission Celebration?

• An association-wide or an association of churches missions event involving Southern Baptist state Baptist convention, International Mission Board, and North American Mission Board missionaries that is scheduled through the OMC process.
• A one- to four-day event or can be any associatonal missons awareness event such as a missions fair, or mission banquest that awakens Christians to find their strategic place in missions.
• An associational mission awareness strategy implemented in partnership with state Baptist conventions, the International Mission Board, Richmond,Va., the North American Mission Board, Alpharetta, Ga., and Woman's Missionary Union, Birmingham, Ala.

More than just an event, an OMC introduces international, North American, state, and local on-mission Christians, highlighting the continuing missions opportunities and needs of Southern Baptists. Participants are encouraged to examine their personal on-mission commitments in a festive and energetic atmosphere.

An OMC can be scheduled as an association-wide event or by a group of churches in cooperation together.

An OMC can be a one, two, three, or four-day event.

Why are On-Mission Celebrations unique?
An OMC is an associational mission education event that provides two levels of  involvement. OMCs include associational-wide events and local church events. An OMC is an associational strategy that allows each participating church to customize their experience.

Every church that participates in an OMC will hear and meet missionaries serving throughout the world through the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, and Baptist state conventions.

An association can choose to have a one, two, three, or four-day On-Mission Celebration.

An association can conduct an OMC for an association of unique church families. For example if an association has a cluster of Hispanic churches, why not plan, promote, and conduct an OMC focusing on their needs and culture?

Why should my association conduct an On-Mission Celebration?

• An OMC emphasizes the biblical basis of missions.
• An OMC personalizes missions.
• An OMC leads churches to broaden their mission commitment.
• An OMC strengthens financial support of missions.
• An OMC inspires a deeper commitment to pray for missions and missionaries.
• An OMC leads churches to reevaluate their methods of churchwide mission awareness and mobilization.
• An OMC leads individuals to make life-changing decisions about being on mission with God.
• An OMC educates church members about missionaries supported by and mission opportunities offered through their associations, state conventions, the North American Mission Board, and the International Mission Board.

What Southern Baptists are saying about On-Mission Celebrations?

"OMCs provide an unprecedented opportunity for churches and associations to join God on mission through direct and personalized involvement. They reflect the revitalized partnership with the International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, and state conventions to reach our world for Jesus Christ."
Jerry Rankin, President
International Mission Board

"I now of no other single event which will more powerfully promote missions in the local church, than an On-Mission Celebration."  
Tim Green, Director of Missions
South Canadian Baptist Association, Seminole, Okla.

"Today's church needs a fresh look at God's activity in the world. Through OMC's missions becomes personal.  Participants are confronted with the lostness of the world and challenged to find their place in God's redemptive plan."
Wanda S. Lee, Executive Director
Woman's Missionary Union

Creative ideas for strengthening your On-Mission Celebration.
Associational Special Events are one important key to your On-Mission Celebration's effectiveness in personalizing missions for participants. The following are examples of associational OMC special events:

On Mission Celebration Rally
Description: An energetic associational-wide worship celebration kicking off or ending an On-Mission Celebration. This event combines Southern Baptist missionary testimonies or interviews, a missions challenge from a key note speaker, strategic prayer times, high energy music, and other important elements. Traditionally these rallies were solely used at the beginning of an On-Mission Celebration. In recent years some associations have held rallies at the end of their OMC.

Missions Walk Around
Description: A new title for traditional missions fairs. This event involves highlighting the work and ministry of guest missionaries, your association, mission volunteers from churches within your association, your state Baptist convention, and other Southern Baptist Convention ministries or emphases. A Mission Walk Around gives participants up close and personal experience with missionaries and other missions personnel. Steps in organizing a Missions Walk Around can be found in the OMC Special Events section of the On-Mission Celebration Planning Resource.

Noonday Rally Luncheons
Description: Many OMCs involve host associations having weekday potluck lunches for their guest missionaries. Noonday Rally Luncheons transform each meal into strategic mission personalization events. Imagine inviting pastors and strategic groups to have lunch with your OMC missionaries for every luncheon planned.
Example: Pastors and missionaries on Monday; senior adults and missionaries on Tuesday, and Woman's Missionary Union and missionaries on Wednesday. You can customize your Noonday Rally Luncheons focus audience to meet specific age and unique cultural characteristics of your association.

Other Associational OMC Special Events can be found in the OMC Special Event section of the On-Mission Celebration Planning Resource.

Local church special events are an important key to the success of churches participating in an On-Mission Celebration. OMC's are no different than other important events. In order for church families to attend, there must be elements and emphases that focus on all family members. All churches participating in an OMC must give attention to planning special events that focus on children, youth, and adults.  Each church has a different missionary assigned to them each day of their OMC. Churches should plan to utilize each missionary in multiple speaking opportunities each day.

Example: Monday Children's Cookout with the Missionary at 5:00 p.m. and speaking to adults at 7:00 p.m. Use your imagination in creating multiple touch points with guest missionaries.   

Vary the Setting
Most churches participating in an OMC will have their guest missionaries speaking to those members attending each session in their sanctuary. There are regular reports of extremely poor attendance on weeknights. Attendance is a challenge for Monday and Tuesday nights. Rather than having the missionary in a large room why not in smaller setting? Why not consider having the missionary to speak to a Sunday School class or other ongoing small group in a member’s home. Here is a list of settings to consider: Have a small group such as a Sunday School class host a missionary on Monday or Tuesday evening of the OMC, have the deacons and other key leaders and their families host a missionary for dinner Monday or Tuesday, have the church staff to host  a missionary for a meal, and so on.