NW Valley Times

Mission ONE president Olivia Mulerwa emphasized the importance of long-term missions during her speech at the Missions Conference hosted by Grand Canyon University. She highlighted the significance of building trust and making a lasting impact through service. Mulerwa stated, “Short-term missions aren’t a bad thing... But a call to missions is so much more than that. I am suggesting that the command that God is giving us to make disciples is bigger and a lot more demanding for more of us than going on a short-time mission.”

The conference, themed "Welcome Home," aimed to prepare students for missions work, with Olivia Russ, the head leader of GCU’s Global Outreach Missions team, emphasizing the goal of spreading God's name worldwide. Russ stated, “...we do missions for the purpose of seeing the name of God proclaimed throughout all nations.”

Njenga Maina, Global Outreach Manager, highlighted the impact of the conference on students' faith and their understanding of missions. Maina posed the question, “Why does God want us to be involved in this?”

In addition to theological discussions and worship sessions, the event included a diverse array of worship songs in different languages. Maina emphasized the importance of experiencing multicultural worship, stating, “Some churches sing in different languages, and we get to join them and celebrate Jesus.”

The conference was attended by students from various majors, including Sarah Reinhart, a junior nursing major, who expressed interest in serving on a medical mission in the future. Mulerwa shared a cautionary tale from her experience in Uganda, urging students not to approach missions with a patronizing attitude.

Mulerwa also advised against getting caught up in flashy displays in churches, stating, “You will never find a purer form of worship than the worship of people who have nothing but Jesus.” She recounted a successful mission collaboration in Kenya where a school was built with community support.

The Missions Market provided students with an opportunity to support mission endeavors through fundraising. Maina encouraged attendees to participate, saying, “...the Market is a place to support somebody who is trying.”

The Missions Conference aimed to inspire students to engage in long-term missions with a focus on building trust and making a lasting impact in communities worldwide.