We inteviewed Deborah Guest- Missions Mobilizer at Lakeview Baptist Church, to learn more about how her church lives missionally. Read her full interview below.

How long have you served in this position?

I’ve been at Lakeside since 1999. I served as part-time staff in children’s ministry from 2003-2005. After going back to teaching, I returned part-time in children’s and preschool ministry during the 2013-14 school year, moving to full-time in 2014. As my involvement in missions grew, and my heart and passions became more evident, we began talking about a change in roles. We began the conversation in 2022 and in 2023 I moved into the role of Missions Mobilizer, while slowly handing off various part of my former role. The transition is almost complete.

What unique things does your church do missionally?

Two things that I think are unique to us are:

• We house Ukranian refugees in three houses Lakeview owns and help them adjust to and become part of the community. One of the houses we had used as storage. With the help of others, we gutted and renovated it. Eventually this house will become a community house for the town supported by Lakeview and  other churches. It will be used as needs arise in the community. Another will be used for missionary housing.
• Lakeview also provides a space for day services for children who have been put into the foster care system but have not yet been placed into homes. The children are on location from 7 am to 7 pm each day, some traveling from as far away as Myrtle Beach. While the church members are not involved hands-on – the church only provides the space – it has been an eye-opening experience for the church family. They have taken advantage of any opportunity they have to provide for the foster children. And there is a desire to eventually see church members and the church as a whole involved in and offering more support for foster care ministries.

What kind of language does your church use to motivate people to missions?

First, we use Acts 1:8 language, and we use it along with the idea of loving your neighbor. I’m intentional in talking about the fact that God doesn’t need us. He wants us. Our part is to obey. He wants us to join Him in His story.

As a staff, we chose a goal or word for each year and this year word is “reach” – 1 Cor 11:1. We emphasize reaching across the church aisle intergenerationally, economically and other differences, and outside the church to those who are different from us.

How are you supporting Sent Ones?

We are going to support Sent Ones on the field. This past two years, members of Lakeview were involved in two different trips where we provided childcare for children of Sent Ones. This allowed them to attend meetings knowing that their children were well cared for. We are planning to go work with a SC Sent One whose home church is Lakeview. They are currently in a new country and involved in language learning, so that is not currently an option.

We keep the Sent Ones with whom we partner front and center with our congregation. We have a missions center that is kept updated with prayer requests and information; periodic phone calls are made, sometimes from the pulpit; videos are traded – from the church to the Sent One and vice versa. Lakeview’s children are involved as well as adults, as they also send videos. There is some financial support as well. One of the biggest things is consistent communication and asking, “what can we do for you?”  

What else would you say to other missions leaders?

Keep going. Lead by example. Most importantly – check your own heart and make sure you are loving the people and not just checking a list of things we think need to be done.