NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – “The glory of God is the foundation and focus of mission.” 

That message set the tone for Missions University, where more than 80 Arkansas church leaders were encouraged to move beyond full calendars and build mission strategies rooted in a clear, God-centered purpose. 

The gathering, hosted by Arkansas Baptists at Central Baptist Church in North Little Rock on April 27, was designed to help pastors and ministry leaders develop a clearer approach to missions. Organizers framed the day as a “roadmap,” guiding participants through large-group teaching and smaller breakout sessions focused on specific ministry areas. Attendees selected from tracks such as community missions, missions’ discipleship, and missions’ partnerships, with each session aimed at producing practical next steps. 

Before the opening message, participants engaged in a Bible drill featuring passages such as Psalm 67, Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19–20 and Revelation 7:9–10, emphasizing themes of global mission and worship among all nations. A time of corporate worship followed, focusing on the gospel and the glory of God. 

In the opening session, Dr. Sam Roberts, who leads the Arkansas Baptists’ Missions Team, challenged leaders to rethink how they approach missions. Drawing from his pastoral experience, Roberts said churches often maintain high levels of activity without seeing lasting impact. 

“There was a lot of activity, but we were going nowhere,” he said. 

Roberts said his perspective shifted when he began focusing on why churches engage in missions, rather than what they do. Referencing Simon Sinek’s concept of “Start With Why,” he said a lack of clear purpose can lead to frustration, even with strong strategies. 

“If there’s not a clear understanding by the pastor, by the leaders, by the church of the foundation, the theological foundation for mission, then even the best strategy is going to fall short and it’s going to leave us empty, tired and frustrated,” Roberts said. 

He emphasized that mission originates with God, not the church. Quoting Christopher J. H. Wright, he said the church exists for God’s mission rather than the reverse. 

“Mission was not made for the church. The church was made for God’s mission,” Roberts said. “All of our mission flows from God’s mission. In other words, mission is not ours to define. Mission is ours to join. … The mission belongs to God, and by His grace and for His glory, He has invited us into His mission.”  

The primary purpose of missions is the glory of God. Referencing Baptist Author John Piper, Roberts said, “Missions exist because worship does not. Missions exist because God desires and He deserves worship from all people.” Churches, he said, should not define success primarily by attendance, programs or growth, but by faithfulness to that purpose. 

“Mission is not primarily focused on the growth of the church. Nor is mission primarily focused on numerical success. Mission is primarily focused on God’s worth. We care deeply about the condition of the people’s hearts – their hurts, their pains, their losses. We want the church to engage people in our community. We want to see the church grow,” Roberts said.  

A key theme of the session was the distinction between mission strategy and mission culture. Roberts defined strategy as what a church does, while culture reflects who the church is. He said many churches rely on events and programs without developing a culture where mission is part of everyday life. 

“If you canceled every program, would mission continue?” he asked. 

Roberts outlined several steps for building a mission-focused culture, including prioritizing prayer, consistently teaching and clarifying mission, modeling evangelism and discipleship, equipping individuals rather than focusing solely on programs, defining discipleship clearly, celebrating stories of engagement and aligning church structures with mission priorities. 

He also encouraged churches to use a simple framework built around five actions: pray, give, go, send and care. 

Roberts said churches that focus primarily on programs risk burnout, while those focused on numbers may compromise their mission. 

“But if it’s God’s glory, here’s what it means, you’re going to stay faithful. You’re going to develop faithful, obedient disciples of Jesus, and then mission. Culture is the goal,” he said. “God’s Church does not have a mission. God’s mission has a church. So, let’s lead our churches to build a culture shaped by the glory of God, to use strategies that are guided by God’s glory.”  

Following the opening session, attendees moved into breakout groups, called “lanes,” to begin developing practical strategies for their churches. Breakout sessions included such topics as “reaching the underserved in your community,” “developing a NextGen missions’ pipeline,” and “cultivating partnership prayer.”  

The goal of Missions University was not only to inform but to equip leaders to implement mission-focused practices in their local congregations. Mission culture is the goal. Mission strategy is the tool.   

Events like Missions University are made possible thanks to the generous giving of Arkansas Baptists to the Cooperative Program and the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering.