A Conference Focused on Mission

What can mission look like today? That’s the question churches explored at the second annual Moving Forward
in Faith conference hosted by Resonate Global Mission and Diaconal Ministries Canada Nov. 14-15 at Kings Christian Collegiate High School in Oakville, Ont.

“We wanted a conference that put Jesus and mission at the center—and one that would encourage and refresh many church pastors and leaders,” shared Beth Fellinger, Resonate’s regional mission leader for Eastern Canada.

She noted that in her and Resonate’s work equipping Christian Reformed churches for mission, regional teams like hers have seen that many churches want to reach out to their neighbors and communities but are not sure how to do so.

That’s why Resonate and Diaconal Ministries Canada teamed up to provide a space for churches to come together and explore what mission can look like in their various contexts through workshops, worship, time for fellowship and connection, and keynote sessions led by Danielle Strickland, a respected author and cofounder of multiple ministries and movements.

This year’s Moving Forward in Faith conference brought together 210 people, including groups from churches and young adults who registered for a special young adult stream. Together they explored the theme “Church Released” based on Matthew 6:10: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” a petition in the Lord’s Prayer.

Throughout the conference, believers had the option to participate in several workshops led by ministry leaders practicing mission every day. These workshops provided opportunities to visit with local ministries and their leaders or to focus on topics such as building community partnerships; equipping and empowering deacons for mission, creation care, and ministering with refugees and immigrants; opportunities to explore mission with Resonate; and more. 

“The workshops featured opportunities where someone who had already identified a passion could learn more about developing their gifts—and where those who were wondering where God might be calling them to serve next could explore some opportunities,” shared John Wildeboer, director of Diaconal Ministries Canada.

He said the response and feedback from the conference has been encouraging: “Weeks later, we are still hearing about the connections that were made and are following up with those who want to continue to grow their leadership and impact the communities around them.”

Pastor Rich Grift from CrossPoint CRC in Brampton, Ont., brought a group of church members to the conference. He said he appreciated not only the main speaker and worship opportunities but also “the conversations held during the drive to and from the event as church leaders.”

Linda van Andel, a deacon at Hope CRC in Port Perry, Ont., attended the conference with six other deacons and elders from their church. She said she especially appreciated the bus tour workshop that included visiting Kerr Street Mission and Clearview Church and learning how they are “reaching out and changing lives in the community.”

“It was an encouragement to our team to take chances,” she said. “One deacon said, ‘Be available for God, even when he takes you to uncomfortable places.’ It’s eye-opening to hear the process others have gone through to create successful community-focused programs. I really appreciated seeing firsthand how these programs were managed.”

Fellinger said that Resonate and Diaconal Ministries Canada hopes participants who attended the conference will bring back what they learned to their churches and “begin to build the plan to implement missional change.”

“It was a time for many churches to reengage with the focus of mission,” she said. “So many have been distracted by so many issues that being reminded of the main thing was important.”

Videos and summaries of the plenary talks from Moving Forward in Faith are being made available on The Network (see  Part I, and Part II).