WMU explores defining moments at missions celebration

PHOENIX (BP)—“Defining Moments” along the missional journey will be the theme of the Woman’s Missionary Union missions celebration and annual meeting, June 11–12 in Phoenix.

Missionary speakers include Kelly and Brandi Parrish, church planters serving with the North American Mission Board in Denver; Jacob and Jessica Dahl, church planters serving with NAMB in Washington; and Ross and Dena Frierson with the International Mission Board.

Focused times of prayer will be led by Carlos Ferrer, executive vice president and chief financial officer of NAMB; Edgar Aponte, vice president of mobilization for the IMB; and Ken Weathersby, vice president for convention advancement for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.

Onsite registration opens at 2 p.m. June 11, with conference options beginning at 3 p.m., including 10 speed conferences that run 20 minutes each. A reception to greet Sandy Wisdom-Martin, new executive director of national WMU, will be from 4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. prior to the first general session at 7 p.m. A special celebration of the 20th anniversary of lives being transformed through Christian Women’s Job Corps, a ministry of WMU, will be part of the evening session.

General sessions will be at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. June 12. In addition, 14 conferences will be offered during breakout sessions from 11 a.m. to noon and 4 to 5 p.m. Topics range from strategic prayer, to working across generations, to ways to create community among volunteers, in addition to conferences led by NAMB and IMB missionaries.

Advance screening of movie about Charles Mulli

At 6:30 p.m. June 12, there will be a special pre-screening of “Mully,” a movie about Charles Mulli, a man born into poverty in Kenya. At age 6, he was abandoned by his parents when they left in search of a better life. He grew up begging on the streets and became a Christian as a teenager. At age 17, he walked more than 40 miles to Nairobi to seek employment.

He found work and met his future wife, Esther. He became a wealthy entrepreneur and respected community leader, and the couple had eight children. In 1989, he believed God laid it on his heart to help other children living in poverty in Africa. He sold all his property and businesses in order to provide street children in Africa with shelter, medical care and education. Since then, Charles and Esther Mulli have taken guardianship of more than 12,000 abandoned children.

Following the movie, the Mullis will be available onsite for a question-and-answer session and to meet participants at the missions celelbration.

The WMU missions celebration and annual meeting will be at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel Ballroom at 100 N. 1st Street, just prior to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, June 13–14.

Anyone attending the WMU event is encouraged to bring supplies for hygiene kits that will be put together by children participating in SBC child care during the week. These kits will go to Arizona Baptist Children’s Services to benefit the individuals and families it serves.

For more information or to register online, click here.