The Summer Mission Team Leader Conference (SMTLC) is the apex of a summer mission team leader’s preparation for their summer mission. It is the only in person venue through which we prepare our trip leaders. In the fall they receive online resourcing and guided orientation. Throughout the winter and spring we send emails to coach them through next steps and provide updates. But the SMTLC is concentrated preparation and training packed into one long weekend in January. This year, just under 300 summer mission team leaders attended our conference in the Dallas area.
At SMTLC our leaders sit across the table from those who have lead similar trips for 10, 20, or even 30 years and gain invaluable practical wisdom. In the main sessions they receive the vision, heart, and spiritual formation necessary to lead, from our ministry’s executive leadership. They attend seminars on a multitude of topics like “Evangelism in Different Cultures”, “Taking Summer Mission Back to Campus and Beyond”, and practical topics like planning their schedule, debriefing their team, or tracking the budget. Their teams have time to meet and plan together and ask questions of our national leaders real time in person.
This was Becky’s second year as the conference director. She was the person who brought all the elements of the conference together. From leading our Design Team and Program teams who plan and execute the schedule, content, to all the communication with the summer mission team leaders, speakers, emcee, to directing our operations and production teams. She was at the strategic helm of it all, and she did a fantastic job! Beside being a part of the design team again which means all hands on deck for the whole conference, Scott lead our crisis preparation component, a seminar coaching leaders how to review applications, and a US summer mission breakout time.
It’s an incredible conference that always leaves us in awe of what God accomplishes! One first time leader commented afterward, “I loved this conference so much! The entire theme of God’s faithfulness was so evident and I really left empowered and equipped to do my job this spring as well as feel more confident leading a summer mission.”
Thank you for partnering with us to prepare these leaders who will lead over 100 trips with nearly 2,000 college students this coming summer!
PRAISE & PRAYER REQUESTS!
Praise God that He provided all of our year end financial needs!
Please continue to pray for our summer mission team leaders as they review applications, amidst their ongoing campus ministry responsibilities.
Pray for students as they take steps of faith to apply for a summer mission trip.
Pray for us as we learn some new rhythms in this season of life and with our roles and responsibilities that are involving a lot of travel. Pray for stamina and rest at the right moments!
“For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” Psalm 57:10
THE SLAMERS 