Conferences

During July 13-16, 300 Perspectives volunteers and staff gathered from across the nation for the first Perspectives National Conference in eight years. The conference was a time for encouragement with vision plenary sessions while also having practical training breakouts. It was also a family reunion. The conference planning team included Melissa who was in charge of the entire hospitality experience for participants. I was so proud of her leadership to think through her goals, a number of details, project plan ahead of schedule, and finish under budget. We are thrilled to have this opportunity.

The plenary sessions provided high level vision and encouragement. Leadership designed this time to be refreshing and encouraging to participants. The event was a relational press release for Perspectives vision mission, and values statements newly formed. Our personal relationship to Jesus and mobilization were themes revisited throughout the week. In the coming months we'll be highlighting these through the Hoffman Holla.

The breakouts and workshops provided practical tools and discussion on running local classes. The various roles of coordinator, facilitator, administrator and instructor all had sessions designed to help them do their job better. I (Adam) personally enjoyed sessions on the curriculum and the aspiration of kingdom diversity. I also lead a session on team work throughout an area and region.

Lastly, the conference was a family reunion - in at least two ways. The conference attendees were a lot of people who've been committed to Perspectives for years. It was great to see people with connection for decades be able to see each other to reconnect. It was also the single time for 2016 that our Perspectives Leadership Team family will gather. Being in the same room as National staff and our counterpart Regional Directors in other regions brings about a sense of teamwork and alignment that online meetings can't produce.

At the end of June, Adam with Elise Dockery, Regional Administrator, attended the National African American Mission Conference (NAAMC). The African American faith community is largely focused on national and local issues that still need attention. However their voice among the nations speaks louder because of their relatable experiences.

African Americans can be a mighty mission force and have a strong heritage. The first American to travel an international boundary for the gospel was George Liles - who left before mission statesmen William Carey or Adoniram Judson. Lott Carey and others have been major forces. Yet, today only a few hundred African Americans serve long term overseas among unreached peoples.

We are looking to partner with and serve African American communities as they rise up to the global nature of the Great Commission where there is a disparity of access to the gospel. We want the mission movement within America to better represent the way the Kingdom of God resembles, rather than the elderly white males who have dominated mission structure leadership. We are also intentionally building up African American (and other minority) leaders within Perspectives - to the Glory of God.


Prayer Requests

• Pray for the 10 Fall classes launching in the Southeast this August.
• Pray for the teams looking to launch Spring 2017 classes that will begin planning in August.
• Pray for Melissa teaching Lesson 1 in Miami August 21st.
• Pray for our leadership of Perspectives to the coordinators and 11 staff on our regional team.
• Pray specifically for the Raleigh-Durham class that Melissa and I are coordinating this Fall