Friday, September 11, 2015

APPROACHING CAPACITY AT THE GME!

We thank God, and the many who have worked tirelessly to spread the word about the Global Missions Experience, for what promises to be a full house for GME 2015! Twelve Christian universities and campus ministries are bringing groups, and all beds in cabins are now full. And, there were 200 requests to stay in HUT's Global Village. Space is still available for those who are willing to bring and stay in tents or make their own arrangements with hotels in Batesville. 

At the event, we will have 11 different classes designed to enable students from every major to use their career paths in the mission field.  There will be over 25 learning stations, from well drilling to film making, sustainable agriculture  to coffee shop conversations, answering skeptics to health care emergencies. These are interactive stations where you learn unique skills with practical applications in the real world. We have 5 dynamic keynote speakers representing 4 different continents. Kent Brantly will even be there Thursday and Friday! There will be nightly campfires with missionaries sharing about their experiences… And everyone will get to participate in a real-life market simulation.

Monday, August 10, 2015

GME? What's that?

Long time, no... type!

With the days winding down until GME, I feel like it's about time to get this blog up and running again. I hope that if you're reading this, you've been praying for this year's Global Missions Experience already! If not, I hope you soon realize what a large undertaking it is and begin to add it to your prayers, for something this big can only come together under God's guiding hand.

Let me use this post to explain what GME is. I feel like many people simply don't know what it is (and that's okay, I didn't either before this year!). This year, it will be held at Camp Tahkodah and HUT (Harding University Tahkodah) about 45 minutes from Searcy. The location varies among Christian colleges from year to year, but Harding has the reigns in 2015. It will be September 17-20. This year's theme is Relentless. Formerly known as the World Mission Workshop, the Global Missions Experience is an extended weekend, Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning, full of learning, growing, and experiencing! We expect over 1,000 participants consisting of mostly college students (but younger and older people are welcome too) from numerous Christian universities around the country. The goal of GME is to inspire within young people the desire, and ultimately the commitment, to serve as long-term foreign missionaries for some of their life. Whether you're initially interested in the foreign mission field or not doesn't really matter; what matters is that you've got a desire and drive to see God at work in the world and want to know how you can better play a part in that. Our God relentlessly pursues us, His children. Because of that, we are called to relentlessly pursue not only Him, but all of His children in the world as well. Come experience God's never-ending mission

At GME, there will be classes geared toward all areas of interest and majors, helping students the learn how to live missionally with whatever gifts, skills, talents, abilities, and interests God has given them. And of course, they'll be taught by experts in their field. 
The weekend will consist of several renowned keynote speakers who have served as missionaries in different parts of the world. They will be speaking on different aspects of "Relentless." 
Throughout the day, different groups of students will participate in different activities, including the aforementioned classes, Discovery Bible Studies, Learning Stations (hands-on skills learning that will be beneficial in the mission field), and even an opportunity to shop for food in a market simulation and prep a meal with a "family." 
The nights will wrap up with Campfires, a time in which students will go to different places based on where they may be interested in serving and hear from missionaries who have served in these places. This will be a great time for inspiration, conversation, and networking. 
There will be daily worship time together in the morning and evening with the services led by students of varying Universities.
The weekend will conclude with a worship and communion service on Sunday morning, and everyone will be sent their separate ways, hopefully with a new mission field and relentless pursuit of God and His people in their minds.

I hope this has helped you get a better grasp of what the Global Missions Experience is all about. And, of course, I hope this has inspired you to register! There will be lots of promotion going on at Harding and other schools in the coming weeks, so get excited. We've got a HUGE crew of committee members and volunteers who all want to help make this a success. You can register at globalmissionsexperience.com If you have any desire to help or have any questions, feel free to email us at gme@harding.edu! Please share this post to help get the word out... More blogs to come soon!

May you be blessed & bless others.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Display Registration Page Now Up

Are you recruiting future workers for your missions program? This year's GME displays will be prominently located around the interior of the Tahkodah dining hall where all participants will pass through two to three times daily. We invite all those who desire to raise awareness for their particular missions project to reserve a display table. There are currently twelve spots available on a first come first serve basis. 


Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Dr. Kent Brantly to Speak at the GME 2015

We just received confirmation that Dr. Kent Brantly has accepted to speak and participate at the Global Missions Experience 2015. He will be at the event Sept 17-18, will address all participants, and will also meet with students interested in doing medical missions work.

Brantly was one of two Americans transported back to the United States from West Africa in August after contracting the Ebola virus. He began a two-year term in October 2013 working as medical director for Samaritan's Purse Ebola Consolidated Case Management Center in Monrovia, Liberia. Brantly was released from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta Aug. 21 after blood tests came back negative for the virus. Since then, he has had numerous media appearances and speaking engagements.

Registration is Now Open

Registrations are already beginning to trickle in as participants commit to coming to the Global Missions Experience this fall Sept. 17-20. As you register you will be able to select housing preferences to sleep in nicer climate controlled cabins, cabins with bunks, or in Harding University Tahkodah's global village. Harding University will be having a large registration drive Wednesday, April 29, 2015.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Our Keynote Speakers for Global Missions Experience 2015

This fall Harding missions students and faculty will host the Global Missions Experience at Camp Tahkodah September 17-20, 2015. Our theme this year is RELENTLESS. We are praying that attendees will be moved by God's relentless grace so that they will pursue him, his mission, and commit to attempting to answer the relentless cries of the world. We have given much thought and prayer to the task of selecting keynote speakers for this event.

Here's a sneak peak at the Keynote topics and speakers…

Thursday Evening: Scott Karnes (Ireland) "Relentless God"— From the beginning, God has relentlessly sought to reconcile his creation to himself. He is the God of mission, the God who is determined to recover the lost.

Friday Morning: Alan Howell (Mozambique) "Relentless Pursuit"—Moved by God's grace, out of profound gratitude and for His glory, we respond by seeking God, his will and his mission.

Friday Evening: Dr. Bob Lawrence, "Relentless Cry" – God hears the relentless cries of the lost, the oppressed, the poor, and those who are in need. We who seek to be attuned to his heart, hear the cries, and desire to participate in his response.

Saturday Morning: Adrian Teo (Singapore) Relentless Mission– The Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing and the gates of Hades will not be able to stand against it. Wherever God's people partner with him in his mission with relentless effort and determination, working by his power, guided by His Spirit, the Kingdom grows and blesses the masses of the world.

Saturday Evening: Greg Mckinzie (Peru), "Relentless Now"— When we come to understand the relentless demonstration of God's grace and the urgency of his mission to the world, we come to the threshold of our own decision. Will we will relentlessly spend our lives in this mission?