O’FALLON – Following the completion of a building partly designed for the purpose of housing mission teams, First Baptist O’Fallon (FBCO) now offers lodging and training for weeklong or weekend mission trips.
For years FBCO has sent mission teams out across the US and the world. Now, it’s ready to expand its efforts in proclaiming the gospel by accepting groups looking for low-cost missions opportunities, according to Brandon Kiesling, First Baptist’s associate pastor of gospel proclamation.
“Our new local missions strategy combines the efforts of our own church members and outside mission teams to reach our community for Christ,” Kiesling says. “My goal is to invite MBC churches to participate in this with us and inspire them to think how they could do something similar in their mission fields.”
FBCO will provide housing, food, ministry supplies, training, and activity planning at no cost to mission teams while they work in O’Fallon.
Kiesling, who heads the suburban St. Louis church’s missions planning, says the expanded strategy is beneficial for both FBCO and visiting groups.
Incoming teams, he says, provide “more people to reach our local context with the gospel. Second, we connect with other like-minded believers in one effort to see people come to Christ.”
“Third, we encourage and equip other churches to reach their own neighborhoods after returning home. And, fourth, we provide a low-cost and low planning mission opportunity for churches who may not have the resources or bandwidth to do this on their own.”
FBCO’s new family life center includes lodging, classroom, shower, recreation, and kitchen space. The church also has a number of local partnerships to aid in planning mission projects. In addition, groups will get training gained from the church’s own local, domestic, and world mission activities. FBCO will also provide volunteers to work with teams in the field.
With a population of 100,000, O’Fallon is Missouri’s seventh largest city. Within its boundaries are over 20,000 homes that offer a diverse cultural and economic mix. For several years FBCO has been working to touch every O’Fallon household with the gospel through its Engage O’Fallon campaign.
“We want to reach our neighbors for Christ,” Kiesling says. “Just as important, we want to pour into churches, with the hope they’d return to their fields and do the same.”
“FBCO is blessed to be active in a number of local mission efforts in and around O’Fallon,” Kielsing says. “Mission teams will have opportunities to engage in homeless ministry, food pantry ministry, community outreach, prayer walking and other mission projects as opportunities arise.”
Training will also enrich short-term missionaries. “Mission teams will be provided training in various subjects of missions/evangelism (prayer, evangelistic methods, apologetics, etc.). These training sessions will be spread throughout the week and be in one-hour segments.”
Kiesling says that between field and classroom work, a mission trip in O’Fallon will provide groups “a very robust week.”
As FBCO began planning its new building, the concept to aid other churches originated from the associate pastor’s frustration as a young man in finding affordable mission opportunities.
“I served as a bi-vocational pastor in a rural town when I was in college,” he remembers. “I desired to mobilize our people but simply didn’t have the resources or time to pull off mission trips. My vision for this is to provide a low-cost and effective mission trip for local churches that may not have the ability to send a team across the nation or around the globe.
“I also desire to provide a template for local ministry that can be replicated by these teams when they get back to their own mission field.”
The new facility offers multiple classrooms for lodging and meeting spaces, six showers for teams, and a kitchen staffed by FBCO members who will cook and serve meals for visiting churches.
Groups will need to provide their own transportation to and from FBCO and during their event. Teams will also supply their own bedding—such as air mattresses, cots, sheets, pillows—clothing, and personal care items.
Available dates in 2024 are: May 13-19, June 17-23, and July 22-28. Other dates will be considered. Though Kiesling envisions short-term projects as usually 3-7 days, he says FBCO is flexible to needs for shorter or longer trips.
Teams can range from 10 to 20 people and consist of families with young children, older students, or seniors. Because the building is ADA compliant, Kiesling says FBCO will do its best to accommodate team members with special needs.
To request more information or plan a trip, visit www.firstofallon.com/engageofallon or call Kiesling at the church at 636-272-4838.