Shoulder to Shoulder Together!

Greg Strannigan
Pastor of Global Outreach, Abundant Life Church, Damascus, Oregon

My first exposure to Mission ConneXion was the year when Steve Saint spoke.  I had never heard of Mission ConneXion, but I knew the story of Nate Saint and the ultimate sacrifice that he made in the jungles of Ecuador, so I was interested in hearing his son speak.

I didn’t know what to expect – in fact, I don’t recall having any expectations at all.  I appreciate good teaching and the end of the day, not only was Steve Saint’s presentation amazing, but I was struck by the quality and size of the event that had hosted him.   The worship, the workshops, the vendors and displays – I had no idea that a missions conference of this caliber and magnitude was right here in my own back yard.  I made a mental note to take advantage of this opportunity and attend the following year.

After several years, Mission ConneXion had established a track record of quality and trustworthiness with me.  The speakers were consistently inspiring – my heart was stirred as I heard about what God is doing around the world.  The booths were always encouraging.  The people were friendly and incredibly helpful.  The networking of ministries was positive and productive.

As a Pastor of Global Outreach, one of my ministry priorities is education and awareness of all things missions.  I realized that Mission ConneXion offered more missions education and awareness in one weekend (and at a higher quality) than what I could provide for the church in a year.

I determined to leverage Mission ConneXion as a resource for anyone who was interested in missions and cared to listen.   The year that Bill Job (sp?) spoke, I brought our Business As Mission group.  Bill’s relationship with Jesus was so refreshing and authentic.  His message was nothing short of life-changing for us a group.  We still refer to his ministry on a regular basis.

Because Mission ConneXion This means the enquiry won’t have a negative impact on your credit score agencies . is done with such excellence, I wanted to help out and serve however I could.  I knew that an event like this doesn’t just happen in a vacuum – that there’s much planning and preparation (sounds suspiciously like work!) that has to be done behind the scenes.  I have been blessed, both personally and professionally, by Mission ConneXion.  I didn’t want to just be on the receiving end of things – I wanted to give back.  So, I became proactive and got involved.

It still amazes me that Mission ConneXion is free of charge to attend, because there is nothing free about pulling off an event of this scope.  The church that I serve has given financially to Mission ConneXion because we see the value of strategic partnerships.  This is especially true in missions.  Working together, we can do things that simply would not be possible on our own.

Jesus prayed for the unity of believers, so that the world would believe.  When we as the church work shoulder-to-shoulder together for the purpose of equipping and mobilizing people to reach the world for Jesus, good things happen.  But don’t take my word for it – check it out for yourself.

Go Groups Propel Mobilization!

By Jeff Reed, Founder, Go Groups

Do you want to go into missions but don’t know what to do next to get there?  The GO Group was established in 2012 to help people navigate the process of transitioning to long or short-term cross-cultural missions.  The group’s founder had seen a group doing something similar at Oregon State University and suggested the idea to the leadership at Mission ConneXion Northwest (MCNW).  They loved the idea and felt it was well aligned with their goal to effectively mobilize God’s people into missions.  The GO Group is meant for those who have been in missions, are interested in missions work, or who know the Lord has called them to work on the Mission Field.  The passion and goal of GO Group is to provide mutual support, accountability, mentoring, networking and prayer for each member as they pursue God’s direction for their lives.  The goal of this community is that each member would be effectively mobilized into active cross-cultural ministry and join a different group – the GONE Group!

We’ve found several ways to accomplish the goal of effective mobilization.  We meet one-on-one to help people work through goals, next steps, questions and hurdles, and ways others have effectively worked through this process.  We also meet as a group once a month and invite experienced missionaries to share their stories and experiences, and to provide insights into the practical aspects of preparing successfully for missions endeavors.  Networking and brainstorming between members helps everyone to troubleshoot their situations and we always stop to lift one another up in prayer in ways specific to our ministries and goals.

Mission ConneXion Northwest has been a significant support in establishing and growing the GO Group.  In January 2012 Mission ConneXion Northwest (MCNW) agreed with the GO Group founder that there was a need for a community like GO Group in the Portland Metro area and they helped launch GO Group at the January 2012 MCNW event.  Many people expressed an interest in this endeavor and as a result GO Group PDX had its first gathering in March 2012.  As a result of MCNW’s partnership with the GO Group has not only survived but thrived and has been able to have a huge impact around the world in the ministries of those launched through the GO Group.  Since that time Mission Connexion has been a crucial partner in the ongoing growth of the GO Group and has been critical in connecting the GO Group with other partners such as The Journey Deepens and Perspectives on the World Christian Movement classes.

The very nature of the GO Group is dynamic because people are being launched into cross-cultural ministry and quickly transition from the GO to the Gone Group.  At any given time we have between 15-25 active members brought to us through MCNW, The Journey Deepens, Perspectives and word of mouth from those who have been or are part of the GO Group.  Since the GO Group was established, many members have been mobilized into long-term missions, short-term mission trips, and have become involved in local cross-cultural works in the Portland area.  Members have gone to a myriad of nations in Eastern and Western Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific.  Some have increased their work in the US operations of international missions work.  Others are actively preparing to leave for the field in the next several years and there are current members who are leaving within the next year for Africa, Nepal and Papua New Guinea.

As a result of members active transition to cross-cultural work the GO Group is constantly on the search for new members that need the support and encouragement that GO Group provides.  GO Group is not aligned with any mission agency or church and as such it is strategically able to provide support for what God is speaking into your life without bias.  We want to help you to go wherever the Lord directs you, whether in local cross-cultural work, or in a distant land.  The GO Group wants to see you effectively reaching people for Christ here and around the world.