Getting The Most From Your Missionary Speakers

During an On-Mission Celebration, participating church families will meet and hear real, live, and exciting missionaries.
Each church needs to prayerfully consider how to get the most from every missionary they encounter.

Focus on What Really Matters
Anticipation of life-changing decisions as the result of God speaking though guest missionary speaker is often forgotten. Anticipate and prepare for effective extending, receiving, counseling, and follow-up of people making pubic and/or other indications of personal decisions during the OMC.

• Offer commitment times for each OMC session.
• Give special attention to organizing commitment times.
• Discuss how commitment times are to conducted with your guest missionary prior to each session.
• Have appropriate decision cards for each OMC commitment times. (An example of an OMC decision card can be found in the OMC Follow-up section of the On-Mission Celebration Planning Resource.)

Contact Your Missionary Speakers Early
As soon as you receive your list of missionaries assigned to you by the IMB, NAMB, and your state Baptist conventions contact them and discuss the following:

• Provide them with helpful information regarding your church family (mission statement, missions involvement, size, location, age of audience, etc.).
• Confirm day and time of the service where they will be speaking.
• Discuss any travel or other hospitality issues related to their visit.
• Share your desired outcomes regarding their presentation to your church family.
• Discuss audio visual needs and availability.
• Would you like for them to bring a display to set up in your church facility during their visit?
• How much time will they have for their presentation?
• Order of service.
• Which translation of the Bible do you read from?

Introduce Missionary Speakers To A Variety of Age Groups
A common complaint among missionary speakers is they are not utilized enough by churches

• Have them speak to Sunday School classes or other small groups.
• Conduct a brief interview during children's worship.
• Strategically plan interaction with high school and college students.
• Have them conduct a Question & Answer time with those making earlier commitments to or expressed interest in long and short-term mission service.
• Plan special events for each session of your OMC.

Vary The Settings
Your church auditorium will not always be appropriate for your guest missionary's presentation. Give special attention and consideration to the venue your day or evening OMC sessions will be held.

• Fellowship halls
• Homes of members
• Community park or other public setting.