The summer has started, and while the kids are off school and million of Britons are preparing to get away from the UK - to enjoy the sun; a group of passionate BMS workers are preparing to go on mission trips for the sake of the Lord.
This summer BMS is going to send out three mission teams to Spain/North Africa(16-31 July), Brazil(1-30 August) and India(2-22 August). The organisation has been earnestly praying for the amazing work that God will perform through them.
Every year after the mission trips, all delegates come back and tour across the UK to share their overseas mission experiences to churches and schools. Even though it is just a small group of people that go out to mission, through sharing, it becomes everyone's experience and it broadens the horizons of all who are willing to listen.
BMS has been organising long term and short term missions trips(up to two years is considered short-term). They are divided into Action Teams, Summer Teams, Church Teams, Medical Teams, Volunteer Programme . Each team carries their own characteristics. For example, Medical Team consists of the all the medical workers like dentists, surgeons, anaesthetists to carry out medical work in the hospitals and local clinics.
Currently, BMS has already begun planning out the Church Teams for next year. It aims to send five Church/Association Teams out during 2005. Over Easter, one team will serve in Thailand and another in India/Nepal. During the summer, it plans to send a further three teams to India, Lebanon and Uganda. The application closing dates are Friday 30 July 2004 for the Easter teams, and Friday 1 October 2004 for the summer teams.
The Church Teams programme provides mission opportunities for the UK Baptist churches to take a team from within their church fellowship or regional association to work with BMS partners worldwide. It challenges churches to become more actively involved in world mission.
The BMS World Mission personnel and partner organisations work in over 30 countries worldwide, mostly in six major areas: church planting, development, disaster relief, education, health and media.
Janet Quarry, Manager for Mission Personnel says, "Going short-term is exciting. Going overseas for a longer period of time is even more so! You then get to thoroughly understand a language, culture and people and it's one of the most satisfying and fulfilling things you can do with your life."
