CHRISTIAN CONFERENCES: MOMENTARY HIGH OR LASTING IMPACT?

You love it. But you know it won’t last.

The joy of worshipping with hundreds of other believers. The excitement of sensing God’s presence and hearing him speak. The buzz of meeting and sharing with fellow Christians.

The sensations you feel at a Christian conference – they can’t last. Because, in the end, we must go home. We still worship with other believers, sense God’s presence, and share with others. But that spiritual high was momentary.

So, what’s the value of those few days together? Is the large Christian conference a quick shot to boost us until the next fix, or can it have lasting impact? Indeed, such important questions have been asked about the worth of leadership conferences, missions conferences, inter-church gatherings, and even academic conferences.

In this Conexión blog, we investigate the ongoing influence of last year’s IFES World Assembly.

By listening to feedback and testimonies from attenders, we’ll consider six ways in which the conference has impacted them, well beyond its momentary high.

THE MOMENTARY HIGH: LAST YEAR’S GLOBAL CONFERENCE

Every four years, the IFES World Assembly brings together delegates from over 160 national student movements. It’s an exciting time to reflect on campus ministry, foster partnerships, and discern God’s leading.

In August 2023, around 850 participants were hosted in Jakarta for eight days by Perkantas Indonesia.

Students, staff, and board members enjoyed the expected elements of a good Christian conference: stirring worship, moving testimonies, and buzzing conversations. As the conference closed, participants shared how ”touching” the theme was and that they were “encouraged” in their witness.

In many ways, the conference content offered promising prospects for the momentary high to have lasting impact. The theme centred on remaining resilient and the whole program was marked by a deep honesty that was far from “a transient bubble of glory-story hype”.

However, the feeling of being touched, inspired, or encouraged is just that – a feeling. So, we reached out to participants to see if their feelings had translated into practice. What impact had they observed over the last twelve months?

LASTING IMPACT 1: A LARGER VIEW

One of the inescapably impactful elements of World Assembly was encountering the world and gaining a larger view of it and God’s work within it.

Reflecting on the conference, staff from UCCF Great Britain noted that “it offered their staff and students a much broader and deeper vision of IFES ministry around the world”. Similarly, CUI Ireland shared that “we had our eyes opened massively to the wider IFES world”. It was a momentary high that has had a tangible and ongoing effect, with the movement stepping forward to host the next World Assembly in 2027.

For many participants, their view expanded as they heard first-hand of the sacrificial suffering and defiant faith of fellow students and staff in hostile contexts.

Frida, a board member of Credo Sweden, recalls, “One of the things that touched me most during the World Assembly was meeting people from sensitive countries, those who were willing to risk their own safety to bring students to Christ.”

Mae, a supporter from ISCF Grenada, agrees: “I was tremendously impacted by the stories of our brothers and sisters in countries where publicly acknowledging that you’re a follower of Jesus is often a death warrant. What moved me was their declaration that they would not have it any other way.”

LASTING IMPACT 2: A VIEW TO SHARE

A natural outcome of this larger view of student ministry in the world was to share it with others. Frida shared it in her church, whilst Mae told her Christian friends and invited them to pray (see below).

Students also passed on what they’d experienced to their campus groups. Zuzana, from VBH Slovakia, gave a presentation about World Assembly to her movement. She incorporated two videos sent to her by delegates from the USA and Indonesia (whom she’d made friends with through her small group). This seemingly small step embodied what staff from IVCF Canada observed about the conference – that “relationships across movements were born and strengthened.”

LASTING IMPACT 3: PRAYER FOR OTHERS

Happy, a Perkantas staff worker in Indonesia’s Surabaya region, has also seized the opportunity to pass on her enlarged view and develop new relationships – through prayer:

I invited my students, as part of the IFES family, to pray for student ministry in another region and country once a month. It’s really helped me to keep in touch with my new friends from World Assembly. This prayer helps my students to know student ministry as a global ministry, beyond their regional or national movement.”

Having been touched by the testimonies of persecuted believers, Mae (ISCF Grenada), encouraged a few friends from IFES Caribbean to join her in praying for them: “It began with us praying for those brothers and sisters, and it has since evolved into praying for movements in IFES and for countries experiencing war and natural disasters”.

“I can’t say I’ve managed to pray every day for students and staff in those nations that are hostile to Christians, but I pray for them more often than I did before World Assembly.”

LASTING IMPACT 4: STRENGTHENED LOCAL MINISTRY

Dalin, a student leader in SONOKO Cambodia, believes “World Assembly was a transformative experience that has greatly influenced my approach to ministry over the past year”.

At the personal level, “others’ stories were inspiring, encouraging, and life-giving – they strengthened me and cheered me on in this journey of faith”. For wider ministry, the “insights gained, connections made, and experiences exchanged have enhanced our strategies and initiatives.” What does that look like in practice?

“One new idea we’ve brought back is for our monthly student gathering. It brings together all the small group members from different campuses. But now we’re also inviting non-Christian students to join in, not to preach at them but to build healthy relationships with them and show the gospel in action. So, as student leaders we think carefully about a topic that will benefit them in university life and help them towards putting God first in everything.”

Desi, the General Secretary of BCSU, the national movement in Bulgaria, points to numerous ways in which their ministry has been influenced by what they experienced – from increasing the use of the arts in their programs to building a “welcoming culture” at national events. One of the most significant impacts has been the strengthening of student initiative:

“We saw how student-centred World Assembly was – with students even giving some of the Scripture talks! So, we’ve entrusted more responsibilities to our students and started seeking their testimonies and feedback even more. Now, BCSU students are part of almost every element of our national conferences – emceeing, leading worship, running seminars, and giving Bible talks. We’ve been so blessed to see them grow!”

Natalie, a student leader in CEC Panama, was inspired by a session called The University: What Will We Do There. She reflects: “It was filled with practical tips that have helped me engage with my university – like asking intentional questions to my classmates to find out their thoughts on God and the Bible. Asking questions and listening more has opened the door for me to share my testimony about Jesus.”

LASTING IMPACT 5: ENHANCED GLOBAL MINISTRY

A distinctive feature of IFES World Assembly as a conference is that it’s also a “congress” – it’s the setting where the IFES General Committee convenes so that delegates from affiliate national movements can decide on matters relating to the life and governance of the Fellowship.

An important aspect of the General Committee is the official reception of new member movements – four in 2023. This was particularly impactful for one movement in a sensitive country in the Middle East and North Africa region. The board chair of the fledgling ministry shared about the perils of being a Christian in that land and described their experience at World Assembly as “a time of restoration, being part of a new family”.

Since then, as part of that family, five board members have received intensive training from the MENA regional team. They were able to discuss board roles and responsibilities and explore IFES’s governance training manual.

LASTING IMPACT 6: ENGAGEMENT WITH RESOURCES

In fact, World Assembly served to expose participants to a wide range of IFES resources and programs available to them beyond the conference high. On return to their national movements, many have opted to utilise such ministry tools.

Erica, a university professor and IS/IVCF Cayman Islands board member, was inspired by sessions that considered how universities can be influenced by the presence and worldview of Christians. She says that it was “as a follow up to the World Assembly experience” that she took the Engaging the University (ETU) e-course and learned much about how to impact her campus.

Desi and BCSU were also stirred by conference sessions that focused on engaging the university. They were challenged to become “more present” on campus and started the introductory ETU e-course with a group of students. They also incorporated ETU into the annual cycle of their mentoring program.

Nayra, now volunteer staff with CCU Bolivia, heard about IFES’s Logos and Cosmos Initiative amidst the buzz of World Assembly. At the time, she was just one month away from graduating in architecture, wondering how to integrate her faith and future profession. She explains: “I applied with fear and hope – and I was accepted! I will now be learning to challenge and unify my faith with the science I studied.”

The relationship between science and faith was also a topic of interest for Dominique, General Secretary of GBUSS Senegal. With the various resources available, he tells us he’s been inspired to pursue independent learning.

SEE THE CONTENT, GROW THE IMPACT

Watch talks and testimonies that have helped the momentary high of IFES World Assembly 2023 to have lasting impact.

WATCH NOW

AN INFLUENTIAL CONFERENCE

In these six ways (at least), World Assembly influenced not only heads and hearts in August 2023, but also lives and ministries in the twelve months since. Therefore, the results of a recent survey of IFES national movements are not surprising: when asked “What were some ways that the IFES Fellowship helped you and your movement to thrive in 2023?”, more than 40 movements named World Assembly.

Some – like GBEU Switzerland and GBEEG Guinea – focused solely on World Assembly. But the majority noted it as part of a wider array of support. GBECA Angola mentioned it alongside digital resources, governance training, and regular email communication. UCU Columbia valued it in conjunction with training in graduate ministry and scripture engagement.

This highlights a final lesson to draw from our investigation: the large Christian conference will have lasting impact when its momentary high is embedded within a framework of support networks, resource ministries, and ongoing relationships.

Whether it’s an enlarged view of God’s work that’s being enthusiastically shared with others, a new impetus for prayer, fresh inspiration for ministry, or a deeper hunger to engage with people and projects, the Christian conference can have a vital influence on local, national, and global ministry as part of a wider strategy.

So, as many nations prepare to gather in South Korea for the fourth Lausanne Congress in September, as many IFES movements plan national and regional conferences for the year ahead, we can be hopeful. By God’s grace, the joy, excitement, and buzz that will be momentarily enjoyed can have lasting impact for God’s kingdom.

PLAN FOR LASTING IMPACT

Questions to consider when planning your next Christian conference:

How will the event give participants a larger view of the world and God’s work within it?

How can your content and line-up of speakers fully embody your organisation’s values and mission?

In what ways can the program facilitate new, organic, and prayerful relationships that will last beyond the conference?

Can your conference include a brainstorming, discussion, or decision-making element that will influence future ministry?

What practical ministry models, resources, and tips can participants take away to adapt and apply in their own contexts?

How can your program link to, showcase, and signpost resources and support to help participants grow in faith and ministry in the weeks and months ahead?

How will the conference fit within your overall ministry strategy? How can it reflect on what’s gone before and lay the groundwork for what’s ahead?