January 01, 1990 by Amy Duncan

“What is going on out there?” you might wonder as you sit in your office or at your kitchen table and read Mission Frontiers cover to cover. Perhaps the USCWM in southern California and your area of the country seem as if they are in two completely different worlds. How can a piece of the excitement happening at the Center be planted in your city? We have good news for you! There are regional offices and centers all over the U.S. and many new offices will be springing up over the next few years.

On January 19-21 we held our annual Regional Interface Meeting which brought together staff and mission mobilizers from across the country for an exciting weekend conference. There were two “tracks” offered simultaneously. Track A was our “Nuts and Bolts” session for established offices and centers, while Track B, the “Vision Track,” was for those interested in starting new offices or collaborating with us in some way. In the “Nuts and Bolts” session we discussed everything from current regional activities and strategies to administrative issues of how we can better work together and establish structure for the incredible growth God is bringing.

It was so encouraging to see the variety of extremely talented people God has brought together to work with us in our regional offices. We have veteran missionaries, leaders of established Christian ministries, a former CEO of a major hosptial, engineers, teachers, computer scientists and many other gifted individuals.

Dr. Ralph Winter presented a stirring talk on the Parable of the Four Soils. He challenged all of us to be strategic and focus our efforts on the “good soil,” investing our time in discipling others in missions rather than doing everything ourselves. As a result there was a renewed commitment to discipleship, thereby multiplying our efforts all over the country ro raise up laborers for the harvest.

To date we have a total of 11 regional offices and centers across the country. But what about the areas where there are no offices? Regional representatives are the answer! A regional rep is someone who understand and agreees with the purpose of the USCWM and actively represents the USCWM in his or her city or region. Regional reps work closely with the nearest regional office team and devote as much time as they can to the cause of frontier missions. They may even eventually start a regional office or center.

Most centers, offices and repesentatives were born out of PERSPECTIVES classes. Students who finished the class wanted to somehow be involved in the frontier mission movement, and by joining together in prayer and vision, God has led many of them to link up with us and start regional offices and centers. The Mid-Atlantic Office started nearly 10 years ago and is going strong today! Fran Patt who helped establish that office has been an invaluable resource for other offices and the staff here at USCWM.

As you look at the back cover of Mission Frontiers you’ll notice there are both regional offices and regional centers. Regional offices are extensions of the USCWM and focus on the following:

• Offering the PERSPECTIVES courses and training coordinators
• Making books and resource material available
• Helping to foster mission focused prayer networks
• Producing regional newsletters to encourage and inform mission mobilizers
• Involving local mission enthusiasts in the movement

Needless to say it is exciting to be involved with one of these offices!

Regional centers not only perform the same functions as regional offices but they also serve as collaborative centers which provide office space and meeting facilities so that representatives of various mission agencies and mobilization organizations can work together. Most of the regional centers focus on regional ministry, yet the Korean American Center for World Mission has an ethnic focus, and the PROCLAIM Center in Portland Oregon focuses on students.

Track B, the “Vision Track,” was desigined to help mission enthusiasts to get plugged in either as regional reps or get them started in establishing a regional office. The excitement and enthusiasm of these participants was incredible!

The Fahnestocks from Wichita, Kansas, fresh out of a PERSPECTIVES course, were already looking at a viable plan of action to have an office in Wichita, or be a satellite office of a Kansas City Center for World Mission (as yet unformed) in the next 2-3 years.

Pat Coyle from San Antonio, Texas, reported great interest in his area in frontier missions. A bit of a drop in the PERSPECTIVES enrollment caused him to start thinking of ways (such as a regional office) to spread the vision of reaching the Unreached Peoples. For Pat, this also means a change from his bank job to full-time Christian work.

In another Texas city, Mike Cotton says everything is in place for some kind of regional office in Houston, but he is waiting for the Lord's timing and the personnel God seems to be directing and confirming to operate it.

Dock Caton from North Aurora, Illinois, was interested enough to stay for the Staff Orientation Week which followed the Interface meetings! (See page 17.) Forest and Cheri Risch of Clovis, California also stayed for staff orientation and want to plug in with John Schwab in the Central Valley Center for World Mission as representatives.

Definitely the “Die-Hard” Award goes to Dave Sinclair who drove through the night from Grants Pass, Oregon, to come to the meeting!

Are you still just sitting in your office or at your kitchen table? Well, it’s time to get you involved! Are you one of the PERSPECTIVES alumni whose life has been revolutionized by that eye-opening class? Are you a missions enthusiast who wants to be more actively involved yet doesn't have a clear idea of what to do next? Don't feel alone; there are many others like yourself and we want to link YOU up with our regional offices and centers to help you take the next step as you join the movement to reach all peoples by the year 2000!

There are many ways you can become involved. If you have office equipment, fax machines, copiers or computers you can donate them to regional offices! But better yet, why not tithe your time to missions? Get in touch with the regional office in your area and volunteer your services. Our people are flexible and will be more than happy to work around your schedule to allow you to join the team evenings or on weekends.

You might even take some work home! God has gifted you and wants to use you in His plan to establish His kingdom in all people groups.

Here are just a few of the upcoming happenings around the country. You will want to take advantage of them. For details on events in your area, contact your regional office listed on the back cover.

ARIZONA

Phoenix
March 31—Children's Mission Seminar with Jan Bell  April 27-29—ACMC Regional Conference Scottsdale  April 27---PERSPECTIVES Reunion Potluck (for Arizona events, contact Meg Crossman, 602/838-5350.)

COLORADO

Denver
February 23---First “Frontier Mission Fellowship” Mtg.  March 23—“Adopt-A-People Forum”
April 27-29—PERSPECTIVES Coordinator Workshop  May 11—Concert of Prayer with Dave Bryant

LOUISIANA

Baton Rouge
March 16-17—China Alive Seminar

MASSACHUSETTS

New England
March 3---Muslim Awareness Seminar

VIRGINIA

Virginia Beach
March 3---Regent University Regional Mobilizers’ Workshop