The Mission Mobilization Center at West Side Church was established in November, 2004, with funds from the West Side 2000 offering. It was opened in February, 2005, in the basement of West Side South, and is staffed by lay director Dave Shupe and his wife Becky. The primary work of the MMC shall be to support the goals and objectives established by the Missions Council and West Side Church. The MMC helps establish the Mission Advocacy teams and support planned Perspectives courses and short-term mission trips.

The MMC will manage mail and communication (in a manner agreed upon by the office and the chair), maintain on-going records of communication with missionaries, create necessary data bases and communication directories, and provide a monthly summary of correspondence to the chairperson and Council at business meetings. They will be the “first line of defense” for communication with our missionaries, team leaders, and church staff. Business meeting agendas will be prepared by the chair and the lay mission director prior to the monthly business meetings. The Center will assist in the distribution of information about missions, the Sunday ”Moment for Missions”, the Missions newsletter, and information for various communications with the information coordinator of the Missions Council. The Missions Council will welcome communication and recommendations from the lay director.

The recruitment/establishment of the Mission Advocacy teams by the MMC and the Missions Council shall be one of the most important and immediate tasks undertaken after the opening of the new office under the new policy and guidelines of the Missions Council. While it would be wonderful to establish enough advocacy groups to support all of our missionaries and their organizations, it may be necessary to have the MMC and Council continue as main supporters of some of these missionaries until such time that support groups can be established.

Annually the MMC works with the Council, the information coordinator, and the vice-chairman of the Missions Council to communicate with all our mission partners both to convey West Side information and to receive information about funding and needs.

Other possible functions of the MMC may be added as needs develop, in coordination with the Missions Council, Mission Advocacy Teams, and the wider church staff and congregation.