November 4, 2015

Why Leadership Connexion?

Why Leadership ConneXion?

By Greg Strannigan, Pastor of Local and Global Outreach, Abundant Life Church, Damascus, ORgreg-strannigan-mission-connexion

As a Missions Pastor, I’ve found Leadership ConneXion to be a valuable resource, both professionally and personally.

Mission ConneXion Northwest is great for a 30,000 foot view of missions.  Worship, inspiring messages, networking and practical workshops all provide synergy to mobilize people for the Great Commission.

The purpose of Leadership Connexion is to drill down on a more specific topic that is strategic to the cross-cultural or justice conversation.  The format is an all-day intensive on the Friday of Mission ConneXion Northwest weekend, January 15 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (no worries – lunch is provided).

The featured speaker this year will be Steve Moore, the founder of Keep Growing, Inc. and the CEO of Mission Exchange.  He will be unpacking his book, “Who is My Neighbor? Being a Good Samaritan in a Connected World.

The question is – “When does God expect me to take responsibility for the needs of others?”  In Jesus’ day, the term “neighbor” was a matter of geography.  That is not the case today.  Thanks to Google and the connectivity of the Internet, we have access to more information than we can ever hope to process.  This is especially true when it comes to human need.

The impact of globalization makes the world smaller.  The problem we are wrestling with is not the lack of information about the needs of others.  It is information overload, which too often produce compassion fatigue.  Psychologists call this the “drop in the bucket effect.”  If we feel overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, we often don’t do anything about it because we don’t think it will make a difference.

How do we prevent better information about what is happening in the world from becoming burdensome information that overwhelms us, instead of empowering us to action?

Steve Moore writes, “In our global village, answering this once straightforward question, ‘Who is my neighbor?’ has never been more complicated.  But I believe there are answers to this question that empower each of us to leverage our giftedness and resources in our areas of God-ordained passion and live in the sweet spot of a fulfilling and fully engaged life.  This liberating life-style is free from the guilt of inaction and the messiah complex of over-commitment.  It is not limited to missionaries or aid workers or professional spiritual first responders.  It is for ordinary people like you and me.”

If you want to be right in the middle of what God wants you to do in the world – make Leadership ConneXion a priority.

Register Now for Leadership Connexion 2016:

Early Bird Registration thru Dec 31, 2015:  $50 for Individuals, $25 for Students with ID

Registration beginning January 1st 2016:  $65 for Individuals, $30 for Students with ID