Staff at the General Conference (GC) located in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, recently gave more than US$19,000 to a mission project in a sensitive region during this year’s Mission Week.

GC staff have personally given more than US$130,000 to mission projects since 2015, supporting work from the Canadian Arctic to West Africa and from the Middle East to northern Asia. There was no Mission Week in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed the office. Past projects have included sending church planters to an unreached city, purchasing a brick-making machine for use on a hospital construction site in Southeast Asia, and helping refugee children access education in the Middle East.

“You know that the workers of the General Conference are committed to mission when they consistently, year by year, support local mission projects personally,” said Rick McEdward, GC secretary.

Mission Week is an annual event that began in September 2011, featuring internationally themed meals in the cafeteria, a silent auction, a Skype call with a missionary, and mission videos in the auditorium during the noon hour. Later, a specific mission project was adopted, and the Mission Bazaar was introduced.

While the bazaar helps make the week memorable and adds some excitement to a typical week in the office, the majority of the funds raised from the project come from personal employee donations. Mission Week projects are often located in sensitive regions, and having a project shared only with employees inside the building means more information can be shared openly.

The bazaar features international items donated by GC staff and collected during their travels. Many staff have served as international missionaries and donate items accumulated during their service.

Mission Week is not the only time employees are invited to support a mission project. Every spring, during the GC week of prayer, employees are invited to support a special project. Last spring, employees contributed more than US$13,000 to help launch a community project in a center of influence in Southeast Asia.

"Mission week is one of my favorite times of the year, but we know mission isn't a once-a-year event—it's global and ongoing,” said Rick Kajiura, Communication director for the Office of Adventist Mission, whose team plans the programs and events for the week. “My heart is touched by the support from this building because I know that what they are giving here for the special project is that extra they are finding after the regular support they give through their local churches.”