Week's events explore integration of passion, academics, and God's mission in the world
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02/09/12
Associate Provost Juan Martínez leads discussion
Mission Week 2012, sponsored by the All Seminary Council,
was designed to be an opportunity for the Fuller community from all three
schools to dialogue about “Your Passions in God’s Mission.”
It seemed to have done just that.
Filled with workshops, forums, film screenings,
coffee breaks, and panel discussions—all surrounding various “missional”
topics—Mission Week 2012 gave students, staff, and faculty an
opportunity to better understand how they fit into God’s mission.
Some of the topics discussed during Mission Week 2012 were: How your church can reach out to the local
mosque; how to prepare for the mission field; how to minister to trauma victims; what can churches do about human
trafficking. That’s to name only a few.
Provost Douglas McConnell urged students at an opening
panel discussion to rethink the way we understand cross-cultural
ministry.
“The term 'cross-cultural' can seem one-sided many times,
giving the impression that 'we' are going into ‘their’ culture,” McConnell
said. “When in reality, we want
to be ‘intercultural,’ and learn from each other."
The opening panel discussion gave students a
chance to glean from the wisdom each panelist had to offer, said Mark Sherman,
first-year School of Intercultural Studies student.
“It caused me to think critically not
only about what my passions in God’s mission are, but also how I should apply
them in the future,” he said.
Sherman also valued the opportunities during Mission Week to
dialogue with people from various contexts and ethnic backgrounds about the
topics at hand. There was a diverse representation of speakers and attendees who brought to the
table many different experiences and opinions. 
“It would be very difficult for someone
to walk away without having learned something new about themselves, their neighbors,
and God,” Sherman added.
After a week of dialogue on the integration of mission, passion and academic pursuits, the Fuller community gathered
for one last event—Global Worship Night.
As the finale to a week focusing on “Your Passions in God’s Mission,” the gathering filled Travis
Auditorium with students, staff, and faculty participating in
multilingual worship.
Said Ashley Buchheit, a student and member of the Mission Week planning committee: “It was a great and beautiful way to
end Mission Week.”