Missions Conference RECAP: So, Where Can You Fit In?
Our church was very blessed to hear from five of our missionary families during our August 9-10, 2025 Missions Conference. We received wonderful updates about their ministries, plans for the future, and most importantly - each missionary provided clear practical ways that each of us can “fit in” the world of missions. Here are highlights from each of the missionaries:
Forest Dawkins is our missionary to international students at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and Hawkeye Community College (HCC): He kicked off our missions conference Saturday evening after we all enjoyed a delicious burger fry and potluck dinner. Forrest shared many stories about the international students with whom he has worked and to whom he is currently ministering. He also shared during the Children’s Church on Sunday. Forrest encourages us to “fit in” to his ministry with international students by:
· Helping with dinners for international students by providing food and/or helping to serve
· Spending time with international students, whether it be inviting them out for coffee or lunch, inviting them into your home for a meal, or hosting a group bonfire/cookout at your home (previously hosted by a small group in our church at the Berghuis home). Did you know that only 25% of international students are ever invited into an American home while studying in the U.S.? ☹
· Taking students to the airport
· Taking students shopping or to appointments
· Providing additional financial support for Forrest and Julia, especially as they are spending more time at HCC as well as at UNI and would like to be supported full-time.
· Praying regularly for them, their ministry, the international students on the campuses, and for those international students who have returned to their home countries.
Noah and Jessica McCauley serve with Youth with a Mission (WYAM) in Orlando, Florida: Noah and Jessica (along with their son Jace) provided greetings during the first service on Sunday. They continue to challenge and help students and young adults to participate in missions around the world through training and short-term missions trips. Noah and Jessica said we could “fit in” to their ministry by
· Joining a prayer team for the various missions trips that are sponsored by YWAM. Check out https://ywam.org/ to learn more.
· Visiting the WYAM campus in Orlando to get an up close and personal look at their ministry.
· Encouraging youth from our church and others to serve short-term with YWAM.
Dan Andrews is our Regional Minister to the Upper Mississippi Region (UMR), NABC: Dan spoke during the first service as well and shared more about his role as the Regional Minister in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin. His primary role is to help support the North American Baptist Conference (NABC) pastors in the UMR. However, he challenged our church from the book of Acts to promote Biblical accountability, support church planting, focus on world missions, care for the hurting, and care for churches. Here are ways we can “fit in”:
· Pray for the five churches in our region who are without a pastor (Steamboat Rock Baptist Church being one of them)
· Continue to pursue church planting as God leads
· Ask Dan to receive and then pray over his weekly prayer update emails
· ASK God! As Dan said, “Many prayers are unanswered because they were unasked!”
Shan Reed is a former NABC Missionary to Japan and is the brand new NABC Mobilization Director! She shared during the Pathways Class about her 25 years of missionary service in Japan – focusing on reaching her community, women, and youth for Christ. We all enjoyed seeing pictures of and hearing stories about the people and groups with whom she has served. On September 1, 2025, Shan began a new ministry as Mobilization Director with the NABC. You can learn more about her new role here: https://nabconference.org/2025/07/global-mobilization/ Shan shared that we can “fit in” by praying for:
· Japanese Christians to get to know their friends and neighbors, so they have opportunities to share the Gospel
· Yuri Nakano, Shan’s missionary colleague who will continue to serve in Japan
· Shan’s new role as the NABC Mobilization Director
· More youth to be involved in missions
Randy Schmor is the Director of the NABC Gateway Program, NABC Central Europe Field Director, and Previous Interim Vice President of Missions, NABC: Randy concluded our missions conference in the 2nd service by providing updates on his respective ministry areas. He then challenged us to “fit in” by:
· Encouraging our youth to participate in an NABC Gateway FUSE Mission Trip. These trips are for youth ages 17- mid-20’s to encourage them to serve and then consider a career in missions. More information can be found at: https://nabonmission.org/get-involved/nab-gateway/fuse-teams/
· Nurturing a missions-related environment in our church where we as individuals and collectively as a church are focused on missions. Our congregation can be involved in missions in rural Iowa, the Midwest, the United States, and all over the world! (Not one of these areas, but all of them!) Based on Ephesians 5, Randy explained that we should be a church where:
o Love is the foundation, where we love God and our neighbors
o We are one body of believers as each of us do our part
o We function as a family/household both locally and globally
o The church is part of a mysterious/hidden plan where both Jews and Gentiles hear the Gospel and all of us participate in missions. This variety helps us reach cross-culturally to others, even though we are challenged to create diversity and unity at the same time.
Randy concluded by saying if our church focuses on these four qualities (especially the last one), we will be a sending church and very much involved in missions.
SO, where can YOU “fit in?”
BIG Thank You’s!!!
Thank you to our five missionary families who took the time, effort, and expense to participate in our missions conference! Thank you to those of you who contributed to the love offering to help defray their travel expenses. This was very much appreciated by our missionaries! Thank you also to those of you who hosted Shan and Randy in your homes. Several missionaries also spoke of how much they enjoyed fellowshipping with the other missionaries at our conference.
Our conference would not have been successful without the support of our missions team and their spouses. They all coordinated various aspects of the conference. 😊
Joan Blair (and Steve) * Terry Jensen (and Barb) * Arnie Luiken (and Linda)
Pastor Terry Schoenfeld (and Karol) * John Siert (and Janet) * Sandy Trampe (and Bill)
Thank you to Lisa, Bryce, and John for the many ways they helped support the conference – from announcements in the bulletin, conference program, Sunday morning announcements, audiovisual support in the fellowship hall, missions-themed worship services, and much more! A big thank you to Robbyn Diamond for creating the graphic design of the conference slide and program!
If you missed the Saturday evening burger-fry, you missed some delicious burgers! Thank you to Roger Sutton for providing the wonderful grill and frying such wonderful burgers along with his son Nathan. Thanks also to Cathy for helping that evening and for setting up the fellowship hall. Jan Launstein’s wonderful, home-made, sweet rolls were such a treat that we all enjoyed during the Pathways class while Shan Reed spoke. Thank you, Jan!
by Joan Blair - Leader, SRBC Missions Team