By Wade and Chelsea Weeldreyer, SAMS Co-Directors of Missionary Care and Mission Engagement
In September, SAMS missionaries, senders, and staff gathered with 1,500 other Christians at the New Wineskins Hope for the Nations Conference in North Carolina. Over several days, we celebrated God’s redemptive work around the world and asked the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers into his field.
One simple refrain that emerged again and again, from plenary speakers to casual conversations, was this: God is on the move.
Indeed He is, and the 11th annual New Wineskins conference brought this into focus in fresh ways.
Here are a few glimpses of the ways that SAMS saw God on the move…
We saw God on the move as seasoned missionaries and individuals exploring missions shared meals together, shaping one another with questions, a listening ear, and times of sharing.
We saw God on the move as conference-goers stopped to chat at SAMS’ mission exhibit. The Spirit works through the ordinary, and many individuals stopped to connect with us because they noticed our world map, the coffee station, or, simply, a SAMS missionary practicing the ministry of presence.
We saw God on the move through our SAMS Celebration Dinner speakers – four missionaries who invited us to rejoice in how God is active in Europe, the U.S., North Africa, and Southeast Asia; and to imagine the ways in which God invites all of us to join Him in His global mission.
We saw God on the move through “divine appointments,” such as when a retired air traffic controller met a Southeast Asian global leader seeking someone to serve alongside the local church using exactly those skills. (Connections like these invite us into postures of prayerful curiosity about how God will move next!)
Finally, we saw God on the move through missional partnerships that already exist around the world. Through these partnerships, members of the body of Christ can gift one another with mutual discernment, encouragement, and joy.
In step with this, we welcome you to join SAMS in prayer in the following ways:
- Pray that missionary inquirers can move forward in mutual discernment with their home churches, with a sending organization such as SAMS, and with a receiving church wherever God leads.
- Pray that missionaries will continue to receive encouragement from the conversations, prayers, and interactions that they experienced at New Wineskins.
- Pray that senders experience much joy in their refreshed and increased connection with missionaries and the workings of God’s mission around the globe.
If you were at New Wineskins this year, we hope that you, too, are reflecting on the ways in which you sensed God on the move. Perhaps you experienced a renewed sense of discernment, encouragement, or joy along the way. We pray that the Lord meets you and blesses you where you are. And, if you were not at this year’s conference, you may decide to mark your calendar for the next one: September 20-23, 2028!