Missionary Renewal — An AGWM Family Reunion

As the hot Missouri sun sets, missionaries and missionary kids (MKs) crowd Andy’s Frozen Custard on North Glenstone, Springfield, Missouri. Amid this Midwest scenery, we hear stories of post-Christian secular families coming to Christ in Europe, unengaged people in the Amazon hearing the gospel, and church plants spreading across the Pacific. Missionary kids from around the world laugh and joke about their unique experiences. “[MR is] like a big family reunion,” says Erik Erickson, a missionary to West Africa.

Each June, hundreds of Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) workers and missionaries-in-training gather in Springfield, Missouri, for a week of worship and recalibration, prayer and celebration. Returning missionaries debrief their experiences on the field and missionary candidates learn from those who have gone before.

Through services, sessions, and fellowship, the Holy Spirit draws the missionary body closer and unites them around a shared vision. AGWM leadership prays that each member of the AGWM family leaves refreshed and ready to establish the Church among all peoples everywhere.

Seeking God Together

“How many souls — will end up encountering the love and grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ because we’re making a decision in our generation to say, ‘We’re not satisfied,’” Executive Director John Easter encourages in a Thursday morning service.

The morning and evening worship times are often the focal point of every MR. In these gatherings, missionaries worship, hear from powerful speakers, and seek a Holy Spirit refilling.

“The altar time has probably been the most beneficial for me,” says a missionary to a sensitive Asia Pacific area.

“When I hear the testimony that [the speaker] gives, it just refills my faith,” says Lisa Sears, who serves alongside her husband, Josh in Brazil.

After the morning session, AGWM’s five regions — Asia Pacific, Africa, Eurasia, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean — hold afternoon breakouts to discuss their region-specific opportunities and fellowship over shared regional experiences. Missionaries reflect on the challenges, victories, and vision of establishing the Church in their corner of the world.

Regional breakouts and fellowship are especially valuable for new missionary candidates. “Getting a chance to connect with veterans and the community-building time is very refilling,” says Grace Tillman, an East Africa missionary. “It’s really cool to learn about specific things to your context and where you’re serving,” adds her husband, Chase.

Between services and sessions, there is ample time for fun and fellowship. Over coffee or lunch, or a late-night desert, missionaries connect with the people who understand mission life best: other missionaries. “I love the fact that I am able to see my friends,” says Josh Sears. “It recharges my batteries — we’re a family.”

Renewal is just as refreshing for the 277 MKs who attended this year. MR is a critical time to build a community with other kids who know the MK life. “Our kids understand each other,” states Josh Sears. “Watching my kids make new friends and connections in different continents, that’s my favorite thing.”

International Society of Missionary Kids (ISMK), AGWM’s MK ministry, fosters a life-long faith and sense of calling through the week of services, games, events, and field trips. The ISMK leaders are MKs themselves. They prayerfully plan the week with the unique needs of MKs in mind. “I’m impressed with the intentionality with our kids,” says Kayla Erickson, a West Africa missionary and mother of two. “They are also being poured into and refreshed and trained and having fun.”

Renewing Hope for the Future

The final night of Missionary Renewal is a celebration of hope for all God is doing and will do through the AGWM family. Thursday night, June 26th, AGWM commissioned one hundred new career missionaries serving in 34 countries

This new generation of missionaries represents the Assemblies of God’s ongoing commitment to reaching the world. “Continue, Lord, to empower our fellowship in this movement to do all we can to evangelize,” Easter prays to open service

After a powerful word from Reverend Rob Ketterling, the candidates gather at the front of Springfield Central Assembly’s sanctuary. Across the altars, families, mentors, network leaders, and AGWM leadership lay hands on new candidates and bless their missionary journey. “They go with our prayers, our partnership, and with the power of the Holy Spirit,” says AGWM Mobilization and Development Director, Sarah Jump

Missionary Renewal is the hinge of AGWM’s annual family rhythms. Each year, MR brings the missionary body closer. Missionaries returning from the field are refreshed and re-equipped to carry on God’s mission. New missionaries are prepared for mission and welcomed into the AGWM family. Together, missionaries leave MR to continue establishing the Church among all peoples everywhere.