By Orin Kidd, Grace Bible Fellowship, Tangent, Ore.

I first came in contact with Mission ConneXion back in 2001, when it was still called Mission Fest Northwest. My wife, Rosa, and I had just returned to the United States following 23 years of service in West Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), Indonesia. I was at a meeting at Multnomah School of the Bible when I heard about a group of men and women from all walks of life that were planning a major mission conference for churches in the Pacific Northwest. Having expressed an interest in learning more, I was invited to attend the next steering committee meeting, which I did.

It was at  that first meeting that I was exposed to the huge Vision, Mission and Values, of what was to become a very strategic movement. I sensed almost immediately that there was something special taking place and that God was behind it. That first impression was fueled by the experience of seeing those men and women seeking the Lord’s face in humble dependence, many on their knees. That left an indelible impression on my mind. I knew then and there that I wanted to be a part of that movement and, in fact, served on the steering committee for the next 5 years, and have remained connected up to the present time.

Then in 2005, through a wonderful set of circumstances, I was invited to come on staff at Grace Bible Fellowship (GBF) in Tangent, Oregon, as the Pastor of Global Outreach. So after 30 years serving as missionaries with World Team, we “retired” to begin a new ministry in a local church where I have served up to the present.

As a mission pastor my goal has been to enlarge the vision of our church for a lost world, and to see God’s people mobilized and doing their part (locally and globally) in fulfilling the very thing we have all been called to do, make Christ know for the glory of God.

Mission ConneXion has been a major factor in moving our church body toward that goal. For me as a mission pastor, Mission ConneXion is like tapping into a mission goldmine!

Over the years, Mission ConneXion has lived up to all the expectations and more of those early planning meetings. It has indeed been a very strategic movement that God has repeatedly used to effectively mobilize His people and His Church. GBF is richer having tapped into this incredible mission goldmine, and it has been our privilege to get behind it financially.