A New Experience

Harding University hosted this year’s Global Missions Experience, Sept. 21-24. As with every event, the purpose of the experience is to inspire God’s people to a passionate pursuit of the highest calling and to equip with resources, opportunities and understanding. Theme? Unashamed: Sharing Faith in the Face of Persecution.

Each Harding-hosted GME follows a similar structure with keynotes, learning stations, classes and simulations. But each GME is a new experience for so many. Aside from a new theme, new speakers and an ever adapting dynamic.

Zach Burgan, male student coordinator, said he believed God’s Spirit presided over the event in a metaphysical way that had affect on the weekend in ways that they probably wouldn’t be able to pinpoint entirely.

“But if you ignored that part completely, even if you just looked at the individuals that were working in the event, it’s very clear to me that there were a lot of weakest links and a lot of those were at the top, at a place where you would think the heaviest load would be.”

Kayla Rogers, female student coordinator, said she saw God’s fingerprints all over it from the beginning.

“I can’t even tell you how many times we had a question or needed a response from someone and it would come within the same time frame in which we were meeting or petitioning God for it. God was so kind to be gracious in providing pathways to connect with students and teachers from all over the country, as well as presenters from all over the world.”

On the last night as Zach observed people coming forward to make their thumbprints on the mural as a symbol of commitment to serve God’s mission in those areas, he said it was never clearer to him how little he had to do with it.

“I was able to just step back from myself… and when I finally did it, I allowed God to fill that space and see that God had moved in so many different ways, in so many individual stories to bring people to a moment like this. Not that it would be the end either, but that they were specifically brought to this place and this moment for a reason and that they branded that moment with a commitment.”

As the crowd of individuals making commitments continued to pour toward the front of the last evening’s assembly, two individuals stood out to Kayla.

“A sweet memory I hope never to forget was so small but so good: One person walked up to his friend, after committing to missions on Saturday night, and they embraced with a spirit of reconciliation and joy that I’ll never know the full detail of but made the entire everything worth it.”

Whether a new experience for some or a renewal experience for others, God is still working to stir His people to His purpose in all parts of the world. I think with this we can say with confidence, in the words of Christian songwriter Chris Tomlin, greater things are yet to come. God isn’t finished moving yet.