Converge - Engage, Collaborate, Equip

Schedule

Session #1 – Crisis of Innovation: Is it Biblical?

8:30am – Welcome and Worship in Dublin A-C

9:00am – Mobilization is Innovation with Tim Crouch (Download PowerPoint)

9:30am – International Worker Story

9:40am – Group Discussion

10:10am – Break

10:30am – Crisis of Innovation with Ted Esler

11:10am – Peer 2 Peer Groups (P2P)

Green Lanyard: Metro
Purple Lanyard: Avery
Teal Lanyard: Riverside
Black Lanyard: Post
Pink Lanyard: Dublin D
Orange Lanyard: Dublin A-C

12:00pm – Lunch in the Atrium and Dublin D

 

Session #2 – Alliance Innovating: The Hard Road and Changing World

1:30pm – Changing World with Ted Esler in Dublin A-C

2:00pm – Group Discussion

2:10pm – Alliance Missions Talk Show

2:55pm – Break

3:15pm – Breakout #1

Short-Term Missions Trips: Preparing Well and Adapting to Change in Avery
Prayer for the Nations in Post
Reaching Refugees and Immigrants in Your Neighborhood in Riverside
Engaging Your Community Through Social Media in Dublin D
Spark: Igniting Missions in Metro
Fulfilling the Great Commission Through the Workplace in Dublin A-C

4:05pm – Breakout #2

Coaching and Mentoring New Workers in Riverside
Mobilizing Youth for Global Missions in Metro
Welcome and Develop College Students for Kingdom Impact in Frantz
Kingdom Collaboration Outside the Four Walls in Post
Jump-Start Meaningful Conversations in Avery
Creating a Culture of Innovation in Missions in Dublin D

5:00pm – Dinner on your own

7:45pm – Optional: Project ReImagine Dessert Reception in Dublin D

Session #3 – Innovating Church & Mission Engagement

8:30am – Welcome and Worship in Dublin A-C

8:50am – now. Campaign Goals – Why? How? What’s Different? with Tim Crouch (Download PowerPoint)

9:20am – New Location Update

9:30am – One New Worker: Raising New Workers with the International Placement Office

10:00am – Prayer for Candidates and Group Discussion

10:30am Break

10:50am – Church Testimony

11:10am – See, Engage, Go with Paul Huneycutt

11:45am – Orchard Alliance

12:00pm – Lunch Provided

Session #4 – Innovate in Your Context

1:15pm – Q/A with the President in Dublin A-C

2:00pm – Church Mission Engagement with Ted Esler

2:30pm – Peer 2 Peer (P2P)

Green Lanyard: Metro
Purple Lanyard: Avery
Teal Lanyard: Riverside
Black Lanyard: Post
Pink Lanyard: Dublin D
Orange Lanyard: Dublin A-C

3:10pm – Break

3:25pm– Breakout #3

The How & Why of Church & IW Partnerships in Dublin A-C
Cultural Awareness for Meaningful Impact in Dublin D
Innovative Funding for Ministry Innovations in Metro
Inspiring and Mobilizing Marketplace Professionals for Missions in Avery
Why Alliance Missions in Frantz
Ethnodoxology: Engaging Local Arts and Culture to Reach Your Community in Riverside

4:15pm Breakout #4

Prayer for the Nations in Post
Short-term Mission Trips: Preparing Well & Adapting to Change in Metro
Reaching Refugees and Immigrants in your Neighborhood in Dublin A-C
Engaging Your Community Through Social Media in Avery
Creating a Culture of Innovation in Mission in Riverside
Jump-start Meaningful Conversations in Dublin D

5:00pm – Dinner on own

7:30pm –Optional: Orchard Workshop and Ice Cream Social in Dublin D

Session #5 – Now.what

8:30am –Welcome and Worship in Dublin A-C

8:50am – IW Story

9:00am – Identifying Innovation Targets with Ted Esler

9:30am – Peer 2 Peer (P2P)

Green Lanyard: Metro
Purple Lanyard: Avery
Teal Lanyard: Riverside
Black Lanyard: Post
Pink Lanyard: Dublin D
Orange Lanyard: Dublin A-C

10:15am – Break

10:30am – Breakout #5

Mobilizing Youth for Global Missions in Avery
Coaching & Mentoring New Workers in Dublin A-C
Kingdom Collaboration Outside the Four Walls in Dublin D
Welcome & Develop College Students for Kingdom Impact in Post
The Beginner’s Guide to Engaging in Alliance Missions in Metro
Creating a Culture of Innovation in Mission in Riverside

11:20am – Breakout #6

Cultural Awareness for Meaningful Impact in Riverside
The Why & How of Church & IW Partnerships in Dublin A-C
Inspiring and Mobilizing Marketplace Professionals for Missions in Metro
Innovative Funding for Ministry Innovations in Post
Ethnodoxology: Engaging Local Arts and Culture to Reach Your Community in Dublin D
Jump-start Meaningful Conversations in Avery

12:05pm – Lunch Provided

Session #6 – Take it Home

1:30pm –New Global Alliance Forces with Tim Crouch in Dublin A-C (Download PowerPoint)

2:00pm– Breakout: Updates From Around The World (Choose 1 of 6)

– Latin America: Partnering on the Ground and in Global Mission in Avery)
– Asia & Pacific: New Opportunities and Needs (mm and aXcess presenters) in Post
– Asia & Pacific: New Opportunities and Needs (CAMA and Envision presenters) in Frantz
– Africa: Creative Strategies in Newer Northern Locations in Dublin D
– Europe: Immigration, Internationalization. And War Drags On… in Metro
– Middle East and Central Asia: Some Hot Spots and Hard Places in Riverside

2:35pm – Breakout: Updates From Around The World (Choose 1 of 6)

3:10pm – Breakout: Updates From Around The World (Choose 1 of 6)

3:45pm – Closing Missions Service in Dublin A-C

Breakout Tracks and Sessions

Spark: Igniting Missions with Brenda Rodriguez
Mission is driven by a fundamental command from our Lord to reach and disciple people from all walks of life. The prevailing spiritual lostness among humanity and the reality that many have little to no gospel access serves as a constant reminder of the urgent task at hand. We all have a significant role to play in prioritizing outreach to the hard places so that all may come to know God’s grace. Let’s discuss the important roles our churches have in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Offered once: Monday, 3:15 p.m. in Metro

Why Alliance Missions? with Omar Niebles
For over 130 years, The Alliance has passionately worked towards completing Jesus’ commission. Alliance Missions international workers carry out the work through four specialized structures. Each have a unique purpose, but each share a common vision of seeing gospel access for and from all people. Come and learn why the C&MA engages in God’s mission through the structures and strategies that we have.

Offered once: Tuesday, 3:25 p.m. in Frantz

The Beginner’s Guide to Engaging in Alliance Missions with John Sappia
In this seminar, we will look at resources available to help your church stay aware, pray for, give to, support, and participate in what God is doing around the world through Alliance Missions.

Offered once: Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. in Metro

Short-Term Mission Trips: Preparing Well & Adapting to Change with Lori Loux and Eva Brandt
Short-term mission teams that are well prepared will result in greater outcomes for your host, the individual team members, and your church. We will look at key factors to consider when developing or revising your team training as well as how you can successfully send a team in the present world context. Whether you serve at a small church or a large church, you will gain helpful insights that will lead to impactful experiences for your short-term teams. 

Offered twice: Monday, 3:15 p.m. in Avery and Tuesday, 4:15 p.m. in Metro

The How and Why of the Church and IW Partnerships with Alan Rathbun and Andy Geffers
There is a shift going on in Alliance Missions that is a win-win for churches and international workers (IWs). Learn what it is, why it matters, and how to enjoy partnership with Alliance IWs all year round.

Offered twice: Tuesday, 3:25 in Dublin A-C and Wednesday, 11:20 a.m. in Dublin A-C

Prayer for the Nations with Hannah Cockerham
Most of us do not need to be convinced that prayer is important, yet many of our churches, ministries, and personal lives have little to no intentional prayer rhythms. God has designed the world where our prayers change outcomes. Come to this breakout and leave with a new prayer strategy for your church that will impact your community and the nations.  

Offered twice: Monday, 3:15 p.m. in Post and Tuesday, 4:15 in Post

Mobilizing Youth for Global Missions with Sharon Vanvlymen
Mobilizing youth is deeply important for Kingdom impact. This breakout will focus on how to encourage and motivate students towards living on mission through intentional short-term missional experiences.

Offered twice: Monday, 4:05 p.m. in Metro and Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. in Avery

Coaching and Mentoring with Michelle Unwin and Charles Chapman
When someone shares an interest in or call to missions, what should you do? Led by Charles Chapman, AM candidate development specialist, and Michelle Unwin, director for the international placement office, this workshop will address how to guide and disciple future international workers and how to develop a plan to mentor and coach them in your local context.  

Offered twice: Monday, 4:05 p.m. in Riverside and Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. in Dublin A-C

Cultural Awareness for Meaningful Impact with an Alliance International Worker
All of Jesus for All the World—like never before, we are neighbors to the peoples of the world, but gaps exist in how we relate. Duane Elmer wrote, “You can’t serve someone you do not understand, and you can’t understand others until you have learned about, from and with them” (Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility). This practical session will help bridge cultural gaps and enable us to bring Jesus to the world around us.

Offered twice: Tuesday, 3:25 p.m. in Dublin D and Wednesday, 11:20 a.m. in Riverside

Reaching Refugees and Immigrants in Your Neighborhood with Shelly Crouch
God is sending the nations to us! All around us, people are coming to our neighborhoods from every corner of the world. Explore ideas and learn how to meet and serve new neighbors with the gifts God has given your congregation. See that no church is too small to make a huge Kingdom impact!

Offered twice: Monday, 3:15 p.m. in Riverside and Tuesday, 4:15 p.m. in Dublin A-C

Welcome and Develop College Students for Kingdom Impact with Amy Roedding
Discover best practices gleaned from Alliance churches on how to engage college students in your area, encourage them to join the Alliance family, and connect them to Alliance ministry and missions! Many are looking for a place to belong, and your church, through simple practices, could be the place they find community and become future workers.

Offered twice: Monday, 4:05 p.m. in Frantz and Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. in Post

Innovative Funding for Ministry Innovations with Trey Martin
Do you have a ministry innovation but don’t have the funding to make it happen? Learn how to structure your outreach ideas and other ministry innovations so they can be attractive to community foundations, family foundations, and corporate sponsors. Then, learn how to identify and approach these entities to fund your ministry dreams.

Offered twice: Tuesday, 3:25 p.m. in Metro and Wednesday, 11:20 a.m. in Post

Engaging Your Community Through Social Media with Eli Pfau
For many churches, social media is not at the top of the priority list. Time and resources are limited, making the thought of posting anything valuable feel daunting. But what if it’s easier than you think? Join us as we explore together how small steps on social media can lead to a big impact in your community.

Offered twice: Monday, 3:15 p.m. in Dublin D and Tuesday, 4:15 p.m. in Avery

Kingdom Collaboration Outside the Four Walls with Paul Huneycutt and Gus Frangos
Come learn how Envision Director Paul Huneycutt and Cuyahoga Landbank President Gus Frangos worked together to impact neighborhoods across Cleveland, Ohio. Discover practical ways to assess resources, recruit partners, and collaborate for real impact in your neighborhoods and cities that will open the doors for Kingdom impact.

Offered twice: Monday, 4:05 p.m. in Post and Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. in Dublin D

Inspiring and Mobilizing Marketplace Professionals for Missions with an Alliance International Worker
For decades, professionals in our churches have been unintentionally conditioned to believe that their primary, and sometimes only, role in reaching the lost is to write the checks. As the world continues to become more and more antagonistic to traditional approaches to church, evangelism, and missions, being able to be relevant, engaging, and intentional in the workplace is critical to accessing and reaching the lost, both at home and overseas. This will require engaging all of the gifts in the church, especially those of the under-engaged people in our faith communities who spend most of their lives in the workplace.

Offered twice: Tuesday, 3:25 p.m. in Avery and Wednesday, 11:20 a.m. in Metro

Fulfilling the Great Commission through the Workplace with Alliance International Worker
Most people around the world overspend their time in the workplace; yet, in the church, a recent study found that 50 percent of people have never heard a sermon on work, 70 percent have never been taught a theology of work, and 70 percent have never heard a sermon on vocation. Join us to learn more about how we are to reach the lost if we are not meeting them where they are most of the time.

Offered once: Monday, 3:15 p.m. in Dublin A-C

Creating a Culture of Innovation in Missions with Ron and Lisa Ramsey
Relief and development contexts often involve adverse environments and doing things in ways that have not been tried before. In this breakout, CAMA practitioners will share several strategies and principles that undergird a culture of innovation in difficult places where necessity is the mother of invention.

Offered three times: Monday, 4:05 p.m. in Dublin D, Tuesday, 4:15 p.m. in Riverside, and Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. in Riverside

Ethnodoxology: Engaging Local Arts and Culture to Reach Your Community with an Alliance International Worker
Street graffiti. Line dances. Folk songs. Local foods. What do all these have in common? They are forms of artistic communication that are deeply meaningful to communities. Yet so many art forms remain unused (or underused) by churches and in missions. Join us to hear stories about Ethnodoxology—or EthnoArts—a growing movement in Christian ministry and development work around the globe.

Offered twice: Tuesday, 3:25 p.m. in Riverside and Wednesday, 11:20 a.m. in Dublin D

Jump-Start Meaningful Conversations: The Art of Biblical Storying with an Alliance International Worker
Learn a hands-on, interactive method to see and hear God’s Word in a dynamic, relational way. This experience-based workshop will give you practical tools for home groups, children/youth gatherings, sermons, ESL ministries, mission outreach, or even a friendly coffee meet-up. Learn to share God’s stories in a non-threatening, seeker-friendly way that initiates deep, meaningful conversations that will result in transformed lives.

Offered three times: Monday, 4:05 p.m. in Avery, Tuesday, 4:15 p.m. in Dublin D, and Wednesday, 11:20 a.m. in Avery

Featured Speakers

Ted Esler

At Converge 2024, we will be hearing from keynote speaker, Ted Esler (president of Missio Nexus and veteran global leader), about the innovation crisis in churches and missions ministries. Ted will walk us through a biblical basis for innovation and help us understand what innovation can look like in our unique settings. We will explore how we can innovate in our churches and how The Alliance is innovating in missions around the world.

Tim Crouch

Tim Crouch took on the role of vice president for Alliance Missions of The Christian & Missionary Alliance on February 1, 2014. Tim’s role, along with regional and ministry location leaders, is to provide leadership to over 700 U.S. Alliance IWs (with aXcess, marketplace ministries, CAMA, and Envision).

Tim’s heart is to see Alliance Missions help make gospel access available for peoples of the world that lack it, and to flow from peoples who’ve gained it to others who still wait.

 

Converge Team

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Mark Byrom
Exec. Pastor of Outreach & Care
Alliance Church Appleton
Appleton, WI
[email protected]

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Hannah Cockerham
Director of Missions Mobilization
The Alliance Northwest
Portland, OR
[email protected]

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Chee Woo Leong
Missions Committee Co-Chair
Community Christian Alliance
Granada Hills, CA
[email protected]

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José Ahmed Perez
Lead Pastor
Catedral de la Esperanza
San Juan, PR
[email protected]

 

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Jim Sappia
Director for Global Link
C&MA National Office
Reynoldsburg, OH
[email protected]

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Grady Bushey
Executive Assistant to Executive Pastor
& Missions Coordinator
Essex Alliance Church, VT
[email protected]

 

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Rayna Strong
Administrative Assistant for
Global Link for the C&MA
Reynoldsburg, OH
[email protected]

 

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Susan White
Converge Leadership Team
Salem, OR
[email protected]

Friends of Converge

Hotel Information

Embassy Suites Dublin
5100 Upper Metro Pl, Dublin, OH 43017

Airport Shuttle Information

We are grateful First Alliance Church from Columbus, Ohio has again offered to provide airport shuttles to the hotel. This year we have specific times the shuttle will run. Seats are first-come first-serve, though flight times will be considered if needed on hotel to airport shuttles. Due to the amount of those traveling by air and the distance between the hotel and airport some attendees may have a wait, and we were not able to accommodate everyone’s flight times. Uber’s are available at the airport for anyone who is outside the offered shuttle times or those who do not wish to wait. Transportation outside the offered shuttle is not provided or reimbursed by Converge, we apologize for this inconvenience.

Pick up and drop off at the airport will be at the luggage claim area at CMH. The van has the church name, First Alliance Church, on the side.

If your flight gets changed please email Rayna Strong at [email protected], and plan on getting on the next shuttle unless you are contacted.

 

  • 10:30 AM
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  • 12:30 PM
  • 3:00 PM
  • 4:30 PM
  • 6:00 PM
  • 7:30 PM
  • 10:00 PM
  • 11:00 PM
  • Midnight

  • 2:30 PM
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  • 5:30 PM
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  • 3:30 AM
  • 5:00 AM
  • 6:00 AM
  • 8:00 AM
  • 9:00 AM
  • 10:30 AM
  • Noon
  • 2:30 PM
  • 4:00 PM
  • 5:00 PM

Resources

Locate all your Converge resources here.

Download Resources
Have questions? Email the Global Link team for more information.