A MISSION
TRADITION
Acts 1:8 Illustrated
by Diana Davis
Start a tradition at your
church: an annual Missions Fair! It's an ideal combination of education,
inspiration and fun, and will inform members about missionaries and missions
your church supports locally and around the globe.
A unique annual theme is
used to make each year's fair unforgettable. Fun, interactive exhibits
represent every area of your church's mission involvement: International
Missions, North American Missions, State Missions, Associational Missions, and
your local church mission projects, such as mission trips, organizations,
church plants, benevolence ministries, etc.
Need some Mission Fair
theme ideas?
“The Greatest Glow
On Earth” - Create a big top circus atmosphere, complete with tent,
band, 3-ring circus, and circus-themed exhibits.
"My Missions
Dollar" - Calculate how much of your church's mission dollar is spent
on each exhibit area. As people visit exhibits, cut the appropriate cents off
their "missions dollar" to visually show how it's spent.
“Missions
Drive-In” - Prepare a short looped video for each exhibit. Older
children carry a steering wheel to "drive" small groups to each area.
“Missions
Safari” - Guests board "tour buses" (several rows of chairs) for a
fast-paced missions tour in a jungle setting. An animated tour guide narrates,
crocodile-hunter-style, while costumed representatives of each missions effort
stroll past the bus. Example: G.A.s chatting about their nursing home visit,
costumed African drummer, architect for new church plant holding plans.
"Time for
Missions" - Clocks are everywhere. Ring chimes every three minutes to
move attendees from exhibit to exhibit
"Missions In
Fashion" - The exhibits are glitzy but the main feature is a
fast-paced missions fashion show. An enthusiastic announcer describes missions
while creatively costumed "models" walk the runway. Example: for prison
ministry, an "inmate" in uniform carries prison bars and a Bible.
"Light Your
World" - Exhibits use an assortment of lights. Overhead lights are
dim, with a footprint pathway leading to each exhibit.
"The Tomorrow
Show" - All exhibits are designed as "sets" for missions talk shows,
with ongoing live interviews, with scripted teen interviewers, video cameras
and lots of lights.
"Mission Museum
Classic" - Tuxedoed docents give scripted tours through museum-style
exhibits. Use art, collections, "live" mannequins, and classical music, of
course!
"Where's
Monty?" - The entire fair is a search for Monty, the missionary,
through the exhibits. Conclude with a challenge by "Monty" about missions.
"Fly To
Missions" - The "concourse" area has tickets, music, food and
entertainment. Exhibits are set around the parameter, with rows of chairs to
simulate an airplane where guests view in-flight videos about each mission.
“Techno-Missions” - Use modern décor and lighting and feature
high-tech demonstrations of missions, using computers, audiovisuals,
headphones, etc. "Numbers" Mission Fair - Huge glittered numbers at exhibits
represent an aspect of that ministry. For example, a "35" at the mission church
exhibit denotes their number of members. Exhibits use number-related games,
i.e. a jar of 5,370 jellybeans to challenge people to guess how many IMB
missionaries you support.
"Mission Fair
Carnival" - Clowns, balloons and carnival music create the atmosphere,
and exhibits use cakewalks, ball tosses, face-paint, etc. to educate the
crowds.
A planning team
should begin at least six months ahead to plan a first-class event with visual
appeal, fast-paced schedule, themed food and music, and entertaining exhibits.
Contact IMB.org, NAMB.net, your state convention and your local association
office for information and handouts. Prepare a treasure-hunt sheet for
children. Enhance the fair by inviting local, state, national and international
missionaries to attend.
Southern Baptists are
the largest missions-sending organization in the world. An annual Missions Fair
will educate and inspire your church. It's Acts 1:8 illustrated.
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Fresh Ideas© are shared by
Diana Davis, wife of SCBI's executive director.
Email her at jesuslivesindiana@gmail.com