The University of Mobile is launching the new Tom Elliff Center for Missions as fall semester begins in August, creating a campus hub where students can grow as Kingdom leaders through missions training, discipleship, service opportunities and partnerships with churches and ministries around the world.
A kickoff event will be held Aug. 28.
The new center will expand opportunities for students in every academic major to explore God’s calling through mission experiences, leadership development, international friendships and practical ministry training.
Great commission hub
The launch marks the beginning of a phased effort to build a Great Commission ecosystem that connects students with missionaries, churches and ministry partners while preparing them for a lifetime of Kingdom impact.
“The Tom Elliff Center for Missions represents the heart of who we are as the University of Mobile,” said University of Mobile President Charles Smith. “Our mission is to equip students through Christ-centered learning and community to pursue God’s calling in their lives. The center provides another intentional pathway for students to discover how God can use their gifts to advance His Kingdom, whether they serve across the street or around the world.”
The center will serve as a gathering place for missionary training, collegiate mobilization, international student hospitality and missional community. Throughout the coming academic year, students can expect opportunities to participate in mission fellowships, leadership training, workshops with pastors and missionaries, local and international mission experiences, and activities that foster friendships with international students on campus.
Austin Holcomb, director of the Tom Elliff Center for Missions and assistant professor of missions, said the center is designed to help students move from simply learning about missions to actively living out the Great Commission.
“Our goal is to provide biblical training and create opportunities that help every student take meaningful next steps to go and make disciples of all nations,” Holcomb said. “Whether that means serving on a mission trip, building friendships across cultures, learning from experienced missionaries or discovering how their profession can be used for the Kingdom, we want students to graduate prepared to serve as ambassadors of the gospel wherever God leads them.”
What students can expect
As the fall semester begins, the Tom Elliff Center for Missions will begin opening doors for students to explore God’s calling through discipleship, missions training, cross-cultural relationships and hands-on ministry experiences.
Among the initiatives planned for the first year are:
— Mission Fellowship gatherings held on Friday mornings for spiritual formation and community. Students who commit to the 6–8 meetings per semester will receive a $500 scholarship that can be applied toward an approved mission experience during their tenure at UM.
— Mission Forum workshops featuring visiting guest missionary speakers and ministry leaders that will address specific topics.
— International Connections group aims to gather and serve students from diverse countries and backgrounds to express Christian hospitality and foster campus community.
— Mission Experience trips are local, domestic and international hands-on service projects with Baptist partners.
— Scholarship and Leadership opportunities to encourage Great Commission involvement across all University Mobile departments.
Experienced mission leaders
During its first year, the Tom Elliff Center for Missions will focus on establishing strategic ministry partnerships, expanding mission opportunities, engaging international students, creating training pathways and developing resources that equip students for faithful service throughout their lives.
Guiding the Tom Elliff Center for Missions is a leadership team with decades of missionary service and global ministry experience. Director Austin Holcomb and senior advisors D. Ray and Amanda Davis have spent years serving through the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, mobilizing churches, training missionaries and helping believers answer God’s call to take the gospel to the nations.
Full story.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Kathy Dean and originally published by the University of Mobile.
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