A connection made at last year's Mission Connection led Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Conway to South Florida, where church members spent a week sharing the gospel and serving alongside a local ministry partner.

The experience is one example of what can happen when Arkansas Baptists gather with missionaries and church planters to learn about opportunities to engage in missions.

Rox Horton, who serves on staff at Woodland Heights, participated in Mission Connection last year with others from the church. The gathering, held the Sunday before the Arkansas Baptist State Convention's annual meeting, gave them an opportunity to hear from church planters and missionaries serving in communities around the world.

One of those missionaries was Pastor Moises San Martin, who serves in South Florida.

Hearing San Martin's story led Horton and others from Woodland Heights to learn more about the ministry. The church later participated in a vision tour and eventually partnered with San Martin's ministry on a mission trip this past summer.

During the trip, members of Woodland Heights participated in street evangelism and helped lead Vacation Bible School in the evenings alongside the local ministry.

“It was just a great partnership that God really brought together that started with the Mission Connection,” Horton said.

The church plans to return next year, continuing a partnership that Horton said has had a significant impact on Woodland Heights.

The experience also brought together church members with varying levels of missions experience, from those who had never participated in a mission trip to those who had been involved in missions for years. Through the experience, Horton said, God used the partnership to disciple church members and deepen their passion for reaching people around the world.

“God really just discipled us and gave us a heart for the nations through Mission Connection,” Horton said.

That kind of connection is at the heart of Mission Connection, which returns Oct. 18 at First Baptist Church in Rogers.

The event is designed to connect Arkansas Baptists with missionaries and church planters, allowing attendees to hear firsthand about ministry opportunities and ways they can participate in the Great Commission.

Mission Connection 2026 begins at 5:30 p.m. at First Baptist Rogers. Dinner will be provided at no cost to registered attendees.

Featured missionaries and ministry leaders will be from locations across the United States and around the world, including South Florida, Detroit, Kenya, Dominican Republic, Pittsburgh, and Nepal.

“If you're looking for places to serve, how God may be wanting to use you to reach the nations, I encourage you to participate in Mission Connection and to let God guide you as to where He may want your church to go,” Horton said.

For more information or to register, visit absc.org/missionconnection.

Photo: Attendees of the 2025 Mission Connection hear from speakers and learn more about ministry opportunities and ways they can participate in the Great Commission.