Missions Conference at Union Church on October 2-9

Union Church, a pillar in the downtown Rockville community since the 1800s, is hosting a week-long Missions Conference on October 2-9 featuring a movie, live music, keynote speakers and a ministry fair. The Conference will be held at 3 Elm Street. Admission is free and open to the public. Dress is casual.

The Missions Conference will kick off on Sunday, October 2 at 6 p.m. with a showing of End of the Spear, a movie about the true story of Operation Auca, during which American Christian missionaries attempted to evangelize the Waodani tribe in the tropical rain forest of Ecuador. Five male missionaries were speared to death, but the story has a “happy” ending.

On Wednesday, October 5 at 7 p.m., Valerie Elliot Shepard will be a guest speaker. She was born in in Shell Mera, Ecuador, the daughter of famous Christian missionary parents, Jim and Elisabeth Elliot. As described in the above movie, End of the Spear, Jim Elliot and four of his colleagues were speared to death. Widow Elisabeth and daughter Valerie continued to live in Ecuador, and were invited to live with the same tribe that killed Jim. Over the years, most of the tribe became Christians. Several years ago, Valerie released a book about her parents, Devotedly: The Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot.

On Friday, October 7 from 5 to 9 p.m., the evening will begin with the opening of a Ministry Fair consisting of displays by many domestic and international Christian missions ministries. At 7 p.m., The Love On Band from Ellington will lead praise and worship. At 8 p.m., Dr. Uchenna Anyanwu will share a powerful message about peacemaking in the context of acute violence, and building bridges between Christians and Muslims in the USA.

The Missions Conference will conclude on Sunday, October 9 at 10 a.m. The Sunday worship service will feature the Overflow Legacy band from Word of Life at Schroon Lake, New York and a missions-minded message by Dr. Scott Sundquist, President of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Massachusetts.

For details and directions, please contact Union Church at 860.875.2559 or visit www.UnionChurch.community.