What is the value of a global conference?

While it might be easy for some to say that the time, money and effort could be better used in other ways, the evidence of momentum and synergy that flourishes in an in-person gathering is undeniable.

Last month 24 Canadians got on airplanes and travelled to Chiang Mai, Thailand. They spent from four to ten days at the Simply Mobilizing Global Conference and associated training opportunities offered in conjunction.

What was the result of their investment of time, money, and effort? While it’s impossible to encapsulate all that happened, here are some snapshots of what God did as we worshipped and learned in community with over 300 delegates from almost 70 different countries.

• A younger leader saw global peers leading in ways that encouraged them to take steps that had seemed impossible before. Now a youth mobilization team is coming together for Canada.
• A dream to launch Simply Mobilizing in the Caribbean that has encountered many challenges, was reinvigorated by the discovery of Caribbean connections that had previously been unknown.
• Korean Americans are collaborating with South Africans to launch Simply Mobilizing in Georgia (the country!) as a result of connections made by Canadians.
• A Canadian leader with global experience heard God’s nudge in a time of prayer and received immediate confirmation of that nudging from three other teammates who had been praying together.
• A contingent of delegates from a restricted access nation challenged all of us to greater faith and courage by their bold commitment to the Kingdom of God.
• Lots of learning! Stories, examples, observations, trainings, exhortations… so much learning!
• A stalled diaspora initiative was reinvigorated over a meal, as misunderstandings were clarified, relationships were strengthened and commitments to unity and shared action were made.
• Translation challenges with global impact were surfaced and connections were made to move the projects forward.
• So much encouragement! Global worship, scriptural exhortations, personal words of affirmation and more…
• A leadership transition happened in real time because we were all focused together on shared priorities in such a way that it became clear what the next steps should be.
• A denominational leader, ‘drinking from the firehose’, as he explored the ministry of Simply Mobilizing gained great understanding of the potential for this to impact his denomination and has made concrete plans to move towards implementation.
• Two more diaspora language initiatives are being launched for their church communities in Canada.
• A church pastor explored all that Simply Mobilizing has to offer and is opening the door for these courses and programs in his local church.

And so much more!

From networking meals to training sessions to workshops to worship to coffee break encounters to plenary speakers, each facet of the conference added together to produce an outcome that is far greater than the initial investment made.

In the weeks, months, and years to come, the synergy and momentum gained will continue to roll out in significant ways. Plans are being developed for local and regional gatherings to connect with the whole Simply Mobilizing family and share the impact of our time in Thailand. Watch for invitations to an event near you soon!

*This article was originally published on the Simply Mobilizing Blog and has been republished with permission. You can find the original article here: Synergy & Momentum

Lorna Johnston is the Diaspora Ministries Leader at Outreach Canada. She leads two national teams -- Simply Mobilizing Canada (SMC) and Loving Muslims Together (LMT). She works with teams of diverse and experienced leaders and ministries across Canada to alert and activate the church in Canada to the changing opportunities to engage God's mission right here in Canada.