make a 15-minute, 10- to 12-slide presentation summarizing your interview and conclusions. The slide presentation will be graded for content but also for presentation method/creativity. Your presentation should be a creative teaching moment. Make sure your presentation is organized for clarity and creativity.

For this assignment, I chose to interview Sister Miriam Santos, a trusted and longstanding leader within our church community. She currently serves as the Head of the Outreach and Missions Ministry, a position she has held for the past three years. Sister Miriam has been a member of our congregation from its conception and has consistently demonstrated strong spiritual maturity, a servant's heart, and a deep passion for missional work. Under her leadership, the ministry has grown significantly in both scope and impact, extending its reach to include local urban communities, disaster-stricken areas, and international mission partners. I chose Sister Miriam for this interview because of her direct involvement in shaping and executing the church's mission on a practical level. Her firsthand experience in both leadership and ground-level ministry provides a rich and insightful perspective into how our church's mission is being fulfilled. Moreover, her ability to connect with both church members and the wider community makes her an ideal representative of how the mission is lived out in time.

As a Senior Pastor, one of my essential responsibilities is to ensure that the church remains aligned with its core missionto love God, serve others, and make disciples both locally and globally. To explore how this mission is interpreted and lived out among our leadership, I recently sat down with one of our most dedicated ministry leaders, Sister Miriam Santos, who has served as the head of our Outreach and Missions Ministry for over seven years. Our conversation was insightful and deeply encouraging, shedding light on the various dimensions of our church's mission and how it is being actively pursued.

When asked about the church's mission, Sister Miriam was quick to respond with clarity and conviction: "The mission of our church is to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community and beyond. It's about more than just worship servicesit's about real, lived-out faith." She explained that the core message behind our mission is rooted in Matthew 28:19-20, the Great Commission, which calls us to go and make disciples of all nations. This theological foundation informs all the church's strategies, programs, and resource allocations.

To fulfill this mission, the church has designated specific activities and a portion of its annual budget to both local and international initiatives. Locally, funds are allocated to feeding programs, youth mentorship, prison ministries, and urban outreach. Globally, our church supports three mission partners in Southeast Asia, two in Africa, and contributes to disaster relief efforts through partnerships with our church organization, International Bible Way church. Sister Miriam noted that roughly 15% of the church's annual budget is earmarked for missions and outreacha tangible reflection of our commitment.

I was particularly interested in understanding whether the church had experienced what many leaders refer to as "mission drift"when an organization strays from its original purpose. Sister Miriam admitted that about two years ago, the church unintentionally began focusing more on internal events and programs that catered to members' preferences rather than their spiritual growth and outreach. "It wasn't intentional, but we noticed our calendar was packed with fellowships and socials, and very little community engagement was taking place," she shared. The pivot came during a leadership retreat, where the pastoral team and ministry heads reflected deeply and prayerfully on the church's direction. That gathering led to a renewed commitment to outreach and a trimming of non-missional programs to refocus on what truly matters.

Sister Miriam's personal alignment with the church's mission is unmistakable. She recounted a touching story from last year when the church organized a health outreach in a low-income neighborhood. "I remember praying with a mother of five who said she hadn't felt hope in months. In that moment, I knew I was exactly where God wanted me to be," she said, holding back tears. For her, the mission is not just an organizational goalit is her calling.

Her role as the Outreach and Missions Ministry head allows her to design, implement, and oversee programs that tangibly reflect the church's mission. One of the recent projects she highlighted was the "Adopt-a-Community" initiative, where the church partnered with a local public school to provide school supplies, parent workshops, and weekly Bible studies. "That project has been one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done," she said.

Despite the many successes, Sister Miriam was candid about the challenges. One of the primary obstacles is volunteer fatigue and burnout. "People want to help, but life gets in the way. Sometimes, it's hard to sustain long-term engagement," she explained. Her team has addressed this by rotating volunteer schedules, providing better training, and incorporating times of spiritual renewal for those involved. Another challenge is limited financial resources, especially during times of economic uncertainty. However, she emphasized that even in scarcity,

creativity and prayer have opened doors.

When it comes to engaging members, Sister Miriam relies on a combination of testimonies, personal invitations, and visibility. "We tell stories. We show pictures. We bring people on-site. That's how people catch the vision," she said. Her team also uses small group discussions and ministry fairs to get members excited and involved.

In terms of assessing impact, Sister Miriam mentioned several indicators they watch: the number of people served, testimonies collected, volunteer retention, and most importantly, signs of spiritual transformationbaptisms, new small group formations, and testimonies of changed lives. "We can count meals and donations, but it's the stories of hope and faith that truly reflect success," she added.

Collaboration with other ministries is central to Sister Miriam's work. She regularly meets with the leaders of Worship, Youth, and Discipleship to ensure that all departments are aligned in purpose. "We don't want silos. We want synergy," she explained. This spirit of collaboration has led to joint events such as worship nights in the park Or service "Under the big top" at the circus and integrated discipleship efforts for new believers encountered during outreach.

Feedback from the congregation is gathered through informal conversations, anonymous suggestion boxes, and annual surveys. Sister Miriam noted that one of the most helpful insights came from a young member who suggested using social media more effectively to promote outreach events. "That small comment led us to revamp our communications strategy, and engagement shot up," she said with a smile.

Looking ahead, Sister Miriam envisions the church launching a community center that operates during the week to provide tutoring, counseling, and job training. "Imagine a place where people experience God's love not just on Sundays but every day," she said. She believes that with consistent vision casting and prayerful planning, this dream can become a reality.

This interview with Sister Miriam Santos provided a vivid snapshot of how our church's mission is not just written on paper but is being actively lived out through our leaders and ministries. Her passion, honesty, and strategic insights reminded me that the mission of the church is alive in the hearts of its people. It is not confined to Sunday sermons or annual reportsit is embodied in every outreach program, every prayer spoken over a struggling neighbor, every meal served to someone in need, and every soul reached with the love of Christ.

What stood out most was how deeply interconnected her personal calling is with the broader church mission. It reminded me that effective ministry is not born merely from organizational structure, but from individuals who believe in the vision and are willing to pour themselves out in service. The mission of our church thrives when leaders like Sister Miriam lead not only with their skills but with compassion, authenticity, and spiritual conviction.

Moreover, our conversation emphasized the importance of regularly assessing where we are in relation to our mission. Drift can happen subtly, even with the best of intentions, but intentional reflection, as demonstrated by the leadership retreat mentioned, can help steer the church back on course. The mission must be something we revisit continuallynot to reinvent it, but to reaffirm our alignment with it.

In addition, Sister Miriam's responses highlighted that the mission is not carried out in isolation. It requires collaboration across ministries, input from the congregation, and a willingness to adapt to the changing needs of the community. The dream of a community center is not just a vision for the future; it is a challenge for us in leadership to consider how our mission can be more fully realized in practical, sustainable ways.

Ultimately, this interview served as a reminder that the church's mission is not stagnant. It grows, it evolves, and it deepens as we grow in Christ and respond to the world around us. As Senior Pastor, I am deeply encouraged by the dedication of leaders like Sister Miriam. I am also reminded of the weight of responsibility we carry to steward the mission wellnot just as leaders, but as a body united in purpose. Going forward, I am committed to fostering more conversations like this, continually seeking God's guidance as we work together to be a church that is truly missional in both word and deed. May we remain faithful to our calling, rooted in Christ, and always looking outward with hearts ready to serve.