Mission is not a task for a select few, but a calling of every believer. Mission is the mode of existence of all God’s people, who are called to participate in the mission of God. The whole Bible tells the true story of God’s redeeming purpose for all nations and all creation, centred on the cross of Christ and his resurrection, ascension and ultimate return. How does living in God’s story for God’s mission impact the whole of our lives including the public arena of everyday life and work?
We are delighted to have Dr. Christopher Wright as the keynote speaker for the missions conference. He will lead three main sessions on:
1. Reading the Whole Bible as the Mission of God
2. Integral Mission and the Centrality of the Gospel
3. Saints in the Marketplace: God and the World of Work
There will also be breakout sessions by field experts and thought leaders in various missions-related topics, including evangelism, prayer and missions, global missions, inter-cultural missions, missions in the age of A.I., next generation and missions, discipleship and missions, missions in the workplace, etc.
Please come and join us as we learn together how we are to live God’s story and serve God’s mission.
Registration Fee (includes lunch): $20* / $30
*Early bird until February 23, 2025 (regular rate from Feb. 24-Mar. 23)
At the Door: $20 (no lunch will be provided)
Sponsored by: New Hope Fellowship, Light Presbyterian Church, Langham Canada, Lausanne Canada and MiCA
Pre-conference for church leaders on Friday, 7:30-9:00 PM at Light Presbyterian Church
Dr. Wright will give a talk on “The Missional Nature and Importance of the Teaching Ministry among God’s People." We will explore three biblical texts / characters, where teaching is given significant “purpose” –– i.e., where some goal or intention is in mind that makes teaching so important within God’s people - both in the Old Testament Israel and the New Testament church - and the implications for how pastors and church leaders need to give priority to this dimension of their calling.
Breakout Session 1
Reimagining Evangelism for a Spiritually Curious World
Jason Persaud
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Earlier this year, Alpha Canada, in partnership with Flourishing Congregations, reported that 72% of church leaders observed an increase in spiritual curiosity across Canada. This session explores how the Holy Spirit empowers believers to reimagine evangelism, moving beyond traditional methods to Spirit-led encounters that meet people where they are. By leaning into the Holy Spirit’s power and presence, Christians can respond to this growing openness with boldness, sensitivity, and authenticity. Join us to discover practical ways to share the Gospel effectively in this unique moment, fostering meaningful connections and inspiring faith in a spiritually curious culture.
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Jason Persaud is the National Director of Church Experience with Alpha Canada, a global evangelism organization. He oversees an incredible team responsible for training, equipping, and coaching churches, pastors, and leaders nationwide in the Alpha course. He has been in ministry for over 32 years, serving as a pastor, home missionary, and itinerant speaker.
Jason holds a Master of Arts in Practical Theology and Leadership from Northpoint Bible College and Seminary. He has been married for 20 years to his wife, Kerri, who is a part of the pastoral team at Hope City Church in Brampton, ON. They have two children, Kaela (17) and Nathan(14).
Gospel Shaped Humility, Partnerships and Pathways into Global Missions
Hyon Kim
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Missional churches that seek the heart of God will hear His Spirit calling for some to be “set apart…. and sent” to cross barriers and serve globally in communities where Christ is least known (Acts 13:2-3). It is a privileged call of hardship and yet incalculable joy for both the church and the ones that are sent. Responding to that call requires gospel shaped humility, partnerships forged in the bond of love, and practical steps that nurture trust and obedience along the pathways into global mission service. This session is geared for anyone who has ever sensed, or hopes to sense, the loving nudge of Jesus in their heart to step out in faith to join God in His global mission.
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Hyon Kim serves with the mission agency, Serving in Mission (SIM) International as the Global Director of People Development. Her passion is to see God’s people growing more like Jesus as they image Jesus in word and deed to the nations. Prior to her current role, she worked as a palliative care physician and assistant professor in the Department of Family Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. Hyon and her husband, Dr. Peter Chu have had the privilege of serving as medical missionaries on numerous occasions in Niger, West Africa. Hyon received her medical degree and training from the University of Toronto, Master of Theological Studies from Tyndale Seminary, and Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
Prayer that Leads to Missions
Aisah Sharifa
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Looking at Matt 9:36-10:4, we will explore the invitation of Jesus to see what he sees, feel what he feels and respond like Him to a broken world.
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Aisha Sharifa was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She loves music, movies, cinnamon rolls and just plain old good times with plenty of laughter. Aisha is the cofounder of The Toronto House of Prayer (THOP) and served as Director for 14 years. She joined the 24-7 Prayer Movement in 2019 and serves as the National Coordinator for 24-7 Prayer Canada and the Northeast Regional Director for 24-7 Prayer USA.
Spiritual Discernment in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Joanna Ng
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Living in this era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the boundaries between human creativity, decision-making, and machine-driven capabilities are increasingly blurred. This talk explores the intersection of faith and technology, focusing on the role of spiritual discernment in navigating the moral, ethical, and spiritual challenges posed by AI. It presents the thesis of DW (Divine Wisdom) > AI (Artificial Intelligence) Drawing from biblical principles, historical wisdom, and contemporary insights, we will address questions such as: How can believers discern God’s will in decisions influenced by AI? What safeguards are needed to ensure that AI aligns with values of compassion, justice, and truth? And how can the church equip itself to shepherd communities in a technologically saturated world? Through theological reflection, real-world examples, and interactive discussion, this session aims to empower individuals and faith communities to engage with AI thoughtfully and prayerfully. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the implications of AI on spiritual practices, the importance of ethical stewardship, and the call to discern God’s presence in a digitally transformed world.
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Joanna Ng is an ex-IBM-er, accredited as an IBM Master Inventor, with 50 patents granted to her name, it was her testimony of co-creating with God. In 2018, she pivoted to innovate as an entrepreneurial start-up founder, focusing on Artificial Intelligence, specialized in Augmented Cognition. She held a seven-year tenure as the Head of Research, Director of the Center for Advanced Studies, IBM Canada, published over twenty peer-reviewed academic publications, and co-authored two Computer Science books with Springer, The Smart Internet and the Personal Web. As a disciple of Christ, she felt God's calling to be a technologist and inventor for Christ, as His voice to guard His truth, esp in AI. She published a Christianity Today article called How Artificial Super Intelligence is Today's Tower of Babel. To mentor other Christians called into different arenas of the world for kingdom ministry, she started a ministry called KOE The Kingdom On Earth Community. Joanna published her two books on faith and discipleship. First book is called Being Christian 2.0 (Oct 2022), the second book is recently launched called Debugging Discipleship (Oct 2024).
God’s Heart for Refugees: Biblical Perspectives and Global Realities
Alison Witt
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We often speak of mission as a passionate God seeking those who are lost. Over 100 million people in our world today are literally lost––having fled their homes and communities due to violence, war, and persecution. The church has an unprecedented opportunity to join the Saviour in his mission to bring these people who are longing for new life into communities of belonging. Come and discover how the things you do everyday - shopping, having meals, your job, your home, and your church can be powerful ministry tools to welcome and love those seeking refuge.
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Alison Witt has been working amongst refugees for the past 19 years. She is the church engagement facilitator for International Association for Refugees (IAFR) Canada and helps lead Open Homes Hamilton- a program that partners with churches to provide short-term housing and support for newly arrived refugee claimants. She and her husband Dave have been married for 34 years and love living in the beautifully diverse North End of Hamilton. They have 2 adult sons and a rambunctious 4-year-old granddaughter.
Breakout Session 2
The City as a Mission Field for the Next Generation
Charles Choe
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Cities are dynamic, diverse, and constantly evolving, offering both challenges and incredible opportunities for sharing the Gospel. This seminar will explore how urban environments can become thriving mission fields, with a special focus on reaching and equipping the next generation. Our goal is to empower young believers to grow as disciples and become impactful disciple-makers in their unique contexts.
This seminar is ideal for pastors, youth leaders, parents, and anyone passionate about inspiring the next generation to make a difference in urban spaces.
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Charles Choe is the lead pastor of Tapestry LA Church, a vibrant Asian-American church in downtown Los Angeles. He has 30 years in ministry. Charles and his Canadian wife Grace live in La Crescenta, California and have three children: Chloe, Noah, and Camden. While Charles has a hectic schedule, he manages to follow his favorite sports teams: the Lakers and the Dodgers. His utmost desire is to proclaim the glory of God as he endeavors to be driven by the Gospel and the Holy Spirit.
Look What God is Doing!
Jon Fuller
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If we are going to join God on his mission, we need to look at what he is doing. In Acts 11, the church leaders in Jerusalem heard that something was going on in Antioch. They had questions but wisely sent Barnabas to check it out. He saw “…evidence of the grace of God…” (Acts 11:22) and stayed to encourage the new movement.
Come join us as we wander the globe looking at the surprising things that God is doing and the surprising people that he is using. Come find your place in the stories of those who are following Jesus in the world.
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Jon Fuller grew up in the Philippines where his parents served as missionaries with OMF International. He and his wife Marilyn had the privilege of returning to the Philippines with OMF to live and serve in a Filipino Muslim community for many years. More recently, Jon has been based in Singapore as a mission leader, traveling frequently in Asia and globally.
In January 2023 Jon took up a new role as Resident Missiologist with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC). As a missiologist, he spends time connecting to church, agency, academy and marketplace leaders around the intersection of church, gospel and culture. He also serves as Executive Director for Our Common Calling (OCC), a partnership of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), Lausanne Ministries Canada (LMC), the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities (CCCC) and Christian Higher Education Canada (CHEC). He is the author of Cross Currents: The Story of the Muslim and Christian Encounter in the Philippines, combining historical research and personal stories to explore the complex encounter between Islam and Christianity in the Philippines.
Jon and Marilyn are blessed with three grandchildren and look forward to teaching them how to stern a canoe, trim a mainsail and shape their lives to the winds of the Spirit.
The Urgent Call for Every Believer to Saturate Mission with Prayer
Maymie Lau
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There is a convergence of Prayer & Mission going on around the world. In this movement of God, He is calling every follower of Jesus to be His Prayer Army! In this session, you will learn how churches, prayer networks, and mission movements come together to advance the Gospel through prayer. You will see how prayer can literally write the headlines of news the next day. We will teach you the practical crawl/walk/run steps of being a Prayer Intercessor. You will also learn how to mobilize prayer intercessors and build a missional prayer culture within your ministry/church.
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Maymie Lau is the Founder and Prayer Lead at Canada House of Prayer––a praying community that promotes and activates prayers for all nations. She also founded PEACE Communities (Canada & USA)––a ministry that equips, inspires, connects and empowers ordinary people to live as disciples, creating networks of disciple-makers, leaders, micro-churches and Kingdom businesses that will saturate their local city with the good news of Jesus. Globally, Maymie is on the coaching team of PEACE Collective and works with local churches in N America, Middle East, and SE Asia.
Your Mission As a Marketplace Influencer
Philip Yan
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Answer the call to lead boldly in your workplace as you participate in God’s restorative mission. You can be an influencer taking part in shaping the workplace culture when you intentionally integrate faith at work with a redemptive mindset. Key learnings from this interactive workshop:
The redemptive framework as applied to how you see the world
Embrace the calling to catalyze gospel impact that resonates Christ’s mind
Reflect on our role and the potential as a change agent
Decide on your actionable priority
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Philip Yan is the founder and director of the Centre for Redemptive Entrepreneurship (CRE) at Tyndale University. The vision for CRE is to equip Christian entrepreneurs as culture-shaping catalysts in advancing their redemptive ventures. A co-founder of two social enterprises, KLINK Coffee and Red Propeller, by selling services and products to employ people with barriers to employment, Philip sees the critical value of addressing service gaps with an entrepreneurial mindset. Additionally, Philip’s creative business at GenesisXD, his passion for young adults ministry, and his serving on several ministry boards have deepened his understanding and experience of the relationship between leadership, ministry, and innovation.
Every Tribe and Nation--Moving from Welcoming to Belonging
Dorothy Pang
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The nations have come to Canada. How do we navigate the challenges of unity amidst flourishing diversity? To engage effectively in this multicultural context, leaders need intercultural competency. This interactive breakout session will explore how your cultural lens impacts cross-cultural interactions and will outline a developmental process for growing in intercultural competency.
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Dorothy Pang is the Director of the Tyndale Intercultural Ministries (TIM) Centre which focuses on helping faith leaders engage more effectively in intercultural spaces. Dorothy brings 25 years of experience in law, business, and executive leadership to the TIM Centre team. She is passionate about creating collaborative environments where diverse peoples can thrive together, engaging with God's world for the sake of his mission. In addition to her law and business degrees, Dorothy is certified in Intercultural Studies and is a qualified administrator of several diagnostic tools including the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and the Intercultural Conflict Styles (ICS) assessment. Dorothy is a dynamic facilitator and public speaker.