It sometimes surprises me that I’ve been to every CBF General Assembly since 1993. When I do the math – on my fingers just now – I calculate that this summer will be my 17th General Assembly. Kind of amazing to me- considering how incredibly young I am. 🙂

I was 6 months out of seminary my first time in ’93 and did not have a clue about this brand new “CBF”. But what I was struck with was the incredible passion for missions. I was moved by the Missions Commissioning service that year in powerful way. The next summer in ’94, my husband and I made a public commitment to full time missions service during the invitation following the Commissioning service. Two years later – that Friday night Commissioning Service included us. Our new CBF family blessed us, laid their prayerful hands on us and sent us out to be the presence of Christ in another culture. A sacred moment – incredibly moving, it felt so holy that it was even a little bit scary. All these years later , I still struggle to find words to describe it.Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in this yearly service of blessing in a number of ways – as one of CBF’s field personnel reading scripture, as a staff member planning the service behind the scenes, I even got the incredible opportunity to speak one year. But no matter where I sit in this service – no matter how familiar I am with what is going to happen on the platform -I never cease to be moved by the power of it. This yearly tradition of celebrating God’s calling – and our role as God’s people in setting apart and sending out – it is holy ground. I can’t imagine not being there.
This year’s Commissioning service – like last year’s – will take place on Wednesday night before the official beginning of our General Assembly. It will be at South Main Baptst Church in Houston on July 1. The host church’s musicians will present pre-service music beginning at 7:00 p.m. with the actual service beginning at 7:30. Many of our current CBF field personnel will be involved in leading us in worship – through music, words, sign language and dance. We will celebrate, bless and send out our 6 new field personnel, recognize the Spirit’s work through one of our new ministry networks and worship God together as our missions personnel from around the world lead us. And we will again have the chance to consider God’s call in our own lives. And how we might respond.

I’ll be there – my 17th time – And even though I know what is on the “program” , I am counting on being surprised again by the Spirit- by the powerful experience of laying prayerful hands on my new colleagues and sending them out, by the joy of blessing and being blessed. I trust it will, as always, be moving, challenging, sacred…maybe even a little bit scary. It is holy ground, after all.
Hope you’ll meet me there.