Aiming to assist many

churches, Mission ConneXion returns next month

    PORTLAND — In conjunction with Luis Palau’s Innovative Evangelism Conference last month at the Red Lion Inn at Jantzen Beach, hundreds of local church and ministry leaders were brought up to speed on planning for another big event that annually focuses on evangelism worldwide.
    A Nov. 11 promotional luncheon at the inn gave a preview of the seventh run of the free-admission Mission ConneXion Northwest Jan. 15 and 16 at Crossroads Community Church in Vancouver, Wash.
    The annual event rotates among several large churches. Last January it drew an aggregate attendance of almost 15,000 people to Sunset Presbyterian in Portland.
     Jonathan Martin, a member of the pastoral staff at Good Shepherd Community Church in Boring, and Bill MacLeod, the event’s founder and chairman, emphasized how Mission ConneXion aims to help local churches focus on international evangelism.
   “We want to be about helping every church in our area take the Great Commission seriously,” said Martin.
   “We want to have the local churches in the spotlight,” added MacLeod. “We just want to be the catalyzing agent.”
More than 400 churches took part in Mission ConneXion’s last run and youth attendance is growing especially, they said.
    Theme for the 2010 event is “Reconciling Nations.” Keynote speakers are:
   • Bishop John Rucyahana of Rwanda, known as a leader in the realm of forgiveness, peace and reconciliation. (www.
mustardseedprojectorg)
    •Joseph D’souza, international President of Denver, Colo.-based Dalit Freedom Network and president of the All India Christian Council (www.dalitnetwork.org)
    •Bob Blincoe, U.S. director for Frontiers, a Christian outreach to Muslim populations (frontiers.org)
    • Richard Twiss, a member of Rosebud Lakota/Sioux tribe and co-founder and president of Vancouver, Wash.-based Wiconi International (www.wiconi.com)
     In conjunction with Mission ConneXion Northwest, a separate Leadership Intensive is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 15 at Crossroads Community Church for $65 per person. Designed for church mission teams and pastors, it offers a choice of two tracks — one led by Marty Shaw of Global 360 missions; the other by Molly and Rick Friesen of Peacemaker Ministries. For information, e-mail to P.Leinweber@WorldVenture.com.
     Mission ConneXion will be preceded by prayer at the church 7 to 8 p.m. Jan. 14.
     For more information, go to www.missionconnexion.com.