By Rory Dulock | Staff Writer
Baylor’s Missions, Service and Public Life is hosting Missions Week next Monday through Thursday. During the week, there will be free events, giveaways and information on how students can serve around the world.
Sarah Nelson, assistant director for missions, said Missions Week is a chance for students to learn about what different mission organizations are doing and how to get involved.
“A lot of times, students want to help, they want to do things, but they don’t always know how,” Nelson said. “So, we bring that to campus. We have over 30 global organizations that will be here for most of the week and then a local day when we bring in our local partners.”
Nelson said Missions Week publicizes a variety of options for how to serve.
“[Missions Week] is just a chance to explore different things — from jobs [and] internships to volunteering and the creative things — [organizations are] doing around the globe,” Nelson said.
To kick off Missions Week, there will be a dinner from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday.
“We have global organizations coming [to the dinner]. Students are invited,” Nelson said. “There is a RSVP link on our website so we make sure we have enough seats. It’s just a chance to kind of have more conversation in depth around the table as we eat dinner together.”
Dallas sophomore Jack Compton said he doesn’t know a lot about missions, but he is excited to learn more about them at the dinner.
“I’m excited for the meet-and-greet dinner,” Compton said. “I will be able to talk to the different organizations. Plus, free food is always a great thing to have.”
From 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Nelson said there will be tabling at Fountain Mall. Tabling gives students the chance to interact with the different mission organizations.
“They will get a little stamp card. As they visit tables, they will get stamps that gives them free vouchers for the food trucks that are out there,” Nelson said. “Each event that they attend will go into a drawing for some really awesome prizes at the end of the week.”
Nelson said there will be a variety of panel sessions happening all around campus Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s neat topics, like health care around the globe, education, business and missions,” Nelson said. “Missions is for everyone, not just ministers. We’re all ministers in some way. We can all serve. We have internships with a purpose, so if you’re looking for an internship, we have [organizations] that are specifically looking for different interns.”
Compton said he didn’t know there were opportunities for students to get involved locally or around the globe.
“The opportunity to network for potential internships and service opportunities around the globe is intriguing to me,” Compton said. “I’m interested in talking to these organizations that represent good causes around the world.”
Missions Week closes with the local organization day on Thursday.
“Sometimes, while we dream of those big ideas, those are not what we can do while we’re in class,” Nelson said. “So what we can do is serve our local community. We have local community partners that have volunteer opportunities for students so that you can jump right in and start serving.”
Nelson said she encourages students to “take a little dip in the water” and check out the events during Missions Week to find which service opportunities best fit their passions.
“I think that everybody can do something,” Nelson said. “Whether it be small, short, little pieces, everybody can do something, so join in.”
For a complete schedule of Missions Week events and a list of the attending organizations, check out Baylor’s Missions, Service and Public Life website here.
