Kurt Kandler - Good intentions aren’t enough...

Good intentions aren’t enough. Everyone wants to see extreme poverty alleviated, but too often, well-meaning e=orts, especially from the North American Church, fall short.

Poverty is more than just a material issue, and those a=ected are more than a set of problems to be solved. True change requires a comprehensive shift in thinking on both sides of the bridge and an understanding that we must do ‘with’, not ‘for’, the poor. Kurt Kandler, author of "If You Really Want to Help," will lay out a fresh blueprint on how to change the paradigm of how the Church engages the global poor.

Is the Great Commission really only relevant to those that are on the “mission-field”? Is it only relevant to the 0.01% of all Christians that are vocational missionaries? What about the rest of the church, the other 99.99% who are not on the mission-field? Is their job to simply fund their endeavors, to tithe, write a check, or support via prayer? The largest missions opportunity for the church today is not only the 10/40 window, but also the 9 to 5 window. In this session Rob Lim will empower us to consecrate, configure, catalyze and commission the marketplace saints for this season of outpouring.

An intense fire is unstoppable; it is difficult to control and even harder to extinguish. This is the kind of fire we need, especially in missions. If it is not quenched or worn down, the fire will continue to burn, steadily growing in intensity. At a certain point, it will surge uncontrollably, rapidly expanding from a small, contained flame into an all-consuming blaze that fills the entire room. This sudden transformation is known as a flashover. Similarly, the Holy Spirit can ignite a flashover in our lives, sparking a powerful, transformative impact wherever we go.

When we talk about world missions, we tend to talk about world evangelization. We put the focus on the conversion experience. We want people to get saved. But what if our mission is supposed to be more than that? In the Great Commission, Jesus extends the mission of the church far beyond evangelism. Yes, conversion is crucial. But is it enough? What if there are other questions we need to be asking? What kind of world does the Great Commission envision? What would the world be like if the Great Commission were fulfilled? What if the mission of the church isn’t just global evangelization? What if the mission of the church is global holiness?

Endless strategies for evangelism, countless curriculums for growth, and an ever-changing view on culture’s readiness for church can distract us from where ministry really begins, the one vital place where all ministry has to start. It begs the question, is laying it all down the place where it really all begins? Surrender may be the first step to any step with Jesus. For those who lead in ministry, and for those who are recipients of it, surrender just may be the tipping point for it all. Through personal experience and Biblical example, Sarah will invite us to make this vital step a constant focus.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus gives a clear and powerful promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This power is not merely for personal strength or comfort—it is the divine empowerment to take the message of Jesus beyond our walls and into the world.

The question for us today is this: Are we truly leaning into the power of the Holy Spirit as Jesus intended? Are we allowing this power to shape us, guide us, and move us to be witnesses in our local communities, our broader regions, and to the ends of the earth? 

The Acts 1:8 Church is one that doesn’t just experience the Holy Spirit but actively empowered to walk in His power, advancing the mission of Jesus in ways that transform lives and communities. It’s a call to trust, a call to action, and a call to step into the fullness of the Spirit’s work.