SEDALIA – Missouri Baptists can register online now for the annual Royal Ambassador (RA) Congress, April 22-23, held again this year at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia.
“The 2021 RA Congress turned out better than we could have imagined, after being cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic,” Missouri WMU RA/Challenger Consultant Travis Webb said. “More than 90 boys representing more than 20 churches were in attendance. We are excited to see how this event will grow each year as we continue to encourage churches to bring boys in grades 1-6.”
Online registrations are being accepted through April 7 at a cost of $14 per person at mobaptist.org/wmu/ra-congress/. Online registrants also have the opportunity to purchase a t-shirt for $8. After April 7, attendees may register at the door for $19.
When registering, groups can sign-up for Saturday breakfast and lunch, and for lodging on the Fairgrounds, either in the Youth Dorm or at a campsite. Groups can also make their own lodging arrangements at a local hotel.
“Much of the RA Congress activities will take place in the Agriculture Building located on the Fairgrounds, including check-in and on-site registration,” Webb said. “In this same building, groups can visit the Congress store and eat meals they’ve signed up for. The Agriculture Building will also be home for the opening and closing worship rallies, at which the boys will say the RA Pledge, engage in child-level worship and hear from missionaries and other speakers.”
In addition to utilizing the Agriculture Building, RA Congress will also use the Varied Industries Building, the Sheep Pavilion and various outdoor spaces located throughout the Fairgrounds.
Saturday morning will feature boys competing in events like camp craft, softball throw, soccer-goal kicking, basketball hot-shot, football punt-pass-kick, pellet guns, archery and more. Webb said groups are encouraged to build RA Racer cars, line gliders, and sailboats to bring for competition. More information on these projects is available at www.royalracers.com.
In each event, boys are competing against other boys in their grade for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons. Trophies will also be awarded to the top three overall boys, and a traveling trophy will go to the group that wins the most ribbons, group sizes will be factored in. The trophy currently resides at Corticelli Baptist Church, near Russellville.
Each year RA Congress adopts a ministry on which to focus. The project this year is Pure Water Pure Love (PWPL), which was started by the Brotherhood Commission to provide filters and other sources of safe drinking water for IMB missionaries.
PPWL is now a compassion ministry of WMU and has expanded to provide water projects for regions and villages around the world. Providing safe drinking water for a community is an effective way to share the gospel.
Webb encourages attendees to be creative in raising money for PPWL, which they can present at the door upon checking-in and registering. The boys and leaders will also be given an opportunity to give to this worthy cause when “the bucket” is passed at the closing worship rally.
The Missouri State Fairgrounds is located at 1601 W. 16th St. in Sedalia. Online registration, a map of the Fairgrounds, as well as a tentative agenda for the RA Congress are available at mobaptist.org/wmu/ra-congress.
The RA program is provided by WMU, and is offered to boys in grades 1-6. Through the RA program, boys participate in activities, study the Bible, learn about missions and learn how to live on-mission themselves. The activities also often appeal to boys not attending church, and their unchurched dads.
Missouri WMU offers relevant mission-related education for preschool through adults, which can be previewed online. The organization wants to encourage all believers to learn about missional living, how to apply the power of prayer, to give to missions and to serve.