North American Mission Leaders Conference 2008
24-27 September 2008
Denver, Colorado USA
Historically, CrossGlobal Link (formerly IFMA) and The Mission Exchange (formerly EFMA) have jointly sponsored a tri-annual conference for North American mission executives.
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The primary administration of the conference alternates between CrossGlobal Link and The Mission Exchange. The 2008 event is being managed by The Mission Exchange. This year, the event has been renamed the North American Mission Leaders Conference.
The purpose of the 2008 North American Mission Leaders Conference is to challenge assumptions, broaden perspectives, and stimulate actionable dialogue among Great Commission leaders regarding how we relate to the Majority World harvest force.
There is a growing desire among our members for something other than traditional conferences populated by subject matter experts whose contribution is limited to formal presentations in the context of a plenary session. Strong interest has been expressed in more interactive learning opportunities that involve both peer-to-peer dialogue as well as participant-to-presenter Q&A. We are structuring our plenary sessions in such a way as to incorporate all of these elements. Three of the remaining plenary sessions will include moderated panel discussions combining short presentations by panel members with participant-driven Q & A dialogue.
Instead of traditional breakout sessions or workshops, we will hold a series of issueÌ¢âÂåbased conversation groups that facilitate peer-to-peer learning opportunities. The conversation groups will be limited to a maximum of eight to twelve people to increase the opportunity for participation. Each group will have a facilitator whose role is to keep the dialogue moving and on topic but not to make a formal presentation. There will be multiple groups meeting on the same topic at the same time to compensate for the small number of people (twelve maximum) per group. The Evangelical Missiological Society will conduct a series of workshops that run in parallel with the conversation groups.
Majority World leaders of mission networks contributing input are:
- K. Rajendran, India Mission Association
- Timothy Olonade, Nigerian Evangelical Mission Association
- Bob Lopez, Philippine Mission Association
- David Ruiz, WEA Mission Commission and formerly with COMIBAM.
In addition, we plan to bring the ideas and input of thirty to fifty Majority World leaders from both grassroots and national movements representing both church and mission structures by way of video interviews.
Both CrossGlobal Link and The Mission Exchange have opened the doors of membership to local churches. We recognize that while local churches have always been primary stakeholders in the Great Commission, globalization has allowed church leaders to pursue a wider range of decentralized initiatives that at times circumvent traditional mission structures. It is essential we include local church leaders in this wider conversation.
To attend the conference, register online by clicking on the conference link at either www.TheMissionExchange.org or www.CrossGlobalLink.org. The secure online registration will accept major credit cards as well as provide a link to the hotel where you can book your room. If you don’t want to register online, look for the PDF file registration form download on the conference site where you can print the form and fax it to: 1-770-457-0037 or mail it to: The Mission Exchange, 4201 N Peachtree Rd, Suite 300, Atlanta, Georgia 30341 USA.
For questions about registration or the event in general call 1-770-457-6677.
