A favorite memory for Lancaster Bible College alumni across the decades, the 2024 Missions Conference is planned for Feb. 6-8 on the Lancaster campus. This year’s theme is “90 Years on Mission Around the World | Rooted in the Past—Preparing in the Present—Building for the Future,” which will introduce participants to the many ways LBC graduates are making global impact.

Without regular classes in session, students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends have the opportunity to soak in the rich content of the multi-day event. At each day’s main session beginning at 9:10 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, alumni from across the decades will share their experiences of serving the Lord around the world. The public is invited to attend these daily morning sessions. Additional events for students are planned throughout the week, and multiple missions agencies will also visit campus to share information about their ministries. These representatives, many of whom are LBC alumni, each have space around Good Shepherd Chapel.

Dr. Ed Scheuerman, Professor and Director of Intercultural Studies, leads the annual Missions Conference alongside student leaders. As the college celebrates its 90th anniversary during the 2023-24 academic year, Dr. Ed, as he’s affectionately known on campus, reflects on how the missions event has carved out a place in LBC history.

“The annual missions conference always gives us as a college community the opportunity to get back to the Bible’s message about WHY missions exists,” he said. “In short, missions exists because God’s heart is for all of His world to glorify His Name. My hope is that each attendee will get a better understanding of how he/she needs to be involved in seeing Jesus proclaimed to ALL the world.”

Some of the student events that will make the 2024 Missions Conference powerful and memorable include a Monday evening kick-off activity called “The Hidden,” which will seek to center students’ thoughts on the persecuted believers throughout history and around the world. To illustrate this reality, the entire campus will serve as a fictional “police state” that is antagonistic toward Christianity, with students representing the believing citizens of that state. Students will collect clues that will lead them to safe Christian contacts on the journey to connecting with a safe house church, where they will be part of a devotional and prayer time. But, just as with persecuted Christians worldwide, students will constantly need to be on alert for the secret police.

Several breakout sessions are also planned throughout the week and will feature LBC alumni serving in missions as well as the many representatives of the various missions organizations visiting campus for the conference. Some of these breakout session topics include the following:

• What I learned at LBC that shaped my heart for missions—LBC alumni panel
• Why, how and practicing prayer that is missional minded—Prayer session
• Praying for countries with a lack of the gospel—Prayer session
• Why should I care about missions?—Small group session
• The difficulties of going overseas—Ministry panel discussion
• Different ways of worship around the world—LBC alumni panel
• What can I do to support missions while not overseas?—Small group session
• Lessons learned from missions for life—Small group session
• Sports missions opportunities—Small group session
• Praying for MKs (missionary kids), TCKs (third culture kids) and current students overseas—Prayer session
• I feel called, what’s next—Small group session
• Breakout sessions by academic major

Excitement for the conference will also build during a few preview events leading up to the event. On Jan. 25, Student Missions Fellowship will provide a glimpse of the conference during an evening of prayer. Then on Feb. 1, LBC alumni will return to their alma mater for a special panel discussion.

While students of varying majors at Lancaster Bible College become involved in missions, LBC’s Intercultural Studies program intentionally prepares students who aim to serve in missions capacity as a career or ministry choice. The mission statement for the ICS program is to “equip servant leaders to be effective cross-cultural communicators, compassionate examples and committed disciple-makers of Jesus Christ.”

Through this major, students learn more about God through a blend of Bible curriculum and major courses, all designed to provide a deeper understanding of what it means to be a missionary, regardless of where God’s calling lies. Students also have the opportunity to serve abroad through missions trips, service projects and cross-cultural internship opportunities.

The courses within LBC’s Intercultural Studies program equip students to develop a heightened awareness of the distinct needs and customs of other cultures, become prepared to serve cross-culturally in a variety of settings, such as churches, schools, government programs, social services and more, and learn about the first-ever missionary: God.

Further Reading: Being “on mission” with God’s mission is nothing new at LBC. From its founding in 1933, Lancaster School of the Bible students were introduced to missionaries who spoke on campus, often invited and hosted by the school’s first president, Henry J. Heydt.

Students in this major also have ample opportunity to test their skills in other cultures. The college organizes Journey Teams to give small groups of students the chance engage in service projects all over the globe. Students also get the chance to apply their classroom knowledge in the field, through internships and practicums that can be completed both nationally and internationally. Likewise, the student organization Student Missions Fellowship brings mission-focused students together in fellowship and prayer.

Students in this program can choose to add a master’s degree to their bachelor’s degree in five years total through LBC’s unique 4+1 program. Upper-level undergraduate students begin taking master’s classes while still on campus to pursue a Master of Arts in Ministry or Master of Arts in Biblical Studies.