Since its founding, Pensacola Christian College has produced graduates who make a difference and influence their world for Christ. Mission Prayer Band, started during the infant years of the College, has helped point students to missions. This weekly gathering inspires students to have a heart for missions wherever they go.
Fields “White to Harvest”
Since its beginning, Mission Prayer Band has been mission-focused. In the 70s, students chose Acts 1:8 as their theme verse: “And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” The theme verse hasn’t changed in the 50 years Mission Prayer Band has met.
Every Monday, students flock to the MacKenzie Great Hall. Meetings begin with prayer and a visiting guest speaker. Speakers give reports from their mission fields and share testimonials of God’s goodness. After the reports, students will pray for specific missionaries and their needs on the field.
“We all share the same burden for missions and sharing the gospel.”
Rebekah Small (Graduate Assistant), who has gone to Mission Prayer Band since her freshman year, has appreciated spending her Monday nights with other believers. “The people who attend Mission Prayer Band are a wonderful family,” she shared. “We all share the same burden for missions and sharing the gospel.”
“Mission Prayer Band feels like my small home church,” shared junior Shae Jackson (Missions, IL), secretary and treasurer of Mission Prayer Band. “Everyone wants to be there, everyone is excited about serving God in missions, and the whole atmosphere is very welcoming. I have made wonderful friends through Mission Prayer Band. In addition, I’ve made great connections with missionaries and mission agencies that I will probably have for the rest of my life.”
The Heart Behind the Mission
Bible faculty member Dr. Brian Bucy has sponsored Mission Prayer Band for almost four decades. Inspiring others for global ministry has always been his goal. “I want students to be aware of global ministry needs and opportunities,” he said. “It’s important for them to know how to intercede for needs on the mission field.”
“I want students to be aware of global ministry needs and opportunities.”
At the end of each meeting, students write notes to missionaries letting them know their needs are being prayed for. “This is always an encouragement [for those missionaries],” Dr. Bucy shared. “I’ve even had some tell me later that they will print out the notes and post them on their walls at home.”
During September, students and faculty who participated in the Youth Outreach Ministry summer teams speak in Mission Prayer Band. The first guest for Mission Prayer Band this year, Mark Goetsch, spoke about his team’s work in Romania. Coach Goetsch detailed his group’s three main goals: encouraging missionaries, reaching the lost and strengthening believers, and challenging team members to continue living for missions even after the trip.
“Missions will stretch you,” Goetsch reminded students. “I believe being stretched in ministry teaches you the potential [of what] God can do with your life if you are willing.”