Beyond These Walls 2025

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.

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

Poverty is more than just a material issue, and those affected 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.

How can you be a faithful Wesleyan Christian in a hostile environment? When geopolitics of the world, new laws of the country, Russophobia and anti-western rhetorics dominate people’s lives, Wesleyan Christians learn how to move forward against the current. Being nominal Christian is not the option. We are called to become stronger and multiply.

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.

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.

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?

From its roots in the beginnings of the founding of the United States, Methodism has understood its mission to be "spreading scriptural holiness." This mission lit a fire for every Methodist circuit riding preacher to move out from their place of comfort and spread the gospel throughout the American frontier. Once Methodism had spread all the way West to the Pacific Coast, they instinctively began sending missionaries across the world to continue their mission. This workshop will outline the meaning and significance of the Methodist mission to "spread scriptural holiness" and show its relevance for evangelism and missions today.

Majority world Christianity is familiar with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. They experience the gifts of the Spirit and the miraculous on a regular basis. They minister deliverance from demonic powers, healing, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. "Charismatic" Christianity is normative in the 2/3's world. Why is it not so with the church in the West? Why do we not minister deliverance, healing, and the power of the Spirit with such regularity and fluency? Dr. Bellini understands the problem as a worldview problem. The operating worldview in the West does not account for the "invisible" world of angels and demons. It does not allow for the daily supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit. Learn more about worldview, spiritual warfare and deliverance so that you may be equipped to demonstrate the power of the gospel and set the captives free.

Majority world Christianity is familiar with the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. They experience the gifts of the Spirit and the miraculous on a regular basis. They minister deliverance from demonic powers, healing, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. "Charismatic" Christianity is normative in the 2/3's world. Why is it not so with the church in the West? Why do we not minister deliverance, healing, and the power of the Spirit with such regularity and fluency? Dr. Bellini understands the problem as a worldview problem. The operating worldview in the West does not account for the "invisible" world of angels and demons. It does not allow for the daily supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit. Learn more about worldview, spiritual warfare and deliverance so that you may be equipped to demonstrate the power of the gospel and set the captives free.

We’ve heard it hundreds of times, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth measuring.” But what should we measure when it comes to global missions? Are we measuring activity or outcomes? In this session, Kurt Kandler – author of “If You Really Want to Help” – will share his insights on effectively measuring impact on both sides of the bridge.

How do you move missions from a program of the church to the heartbeat of the church? This shift won’t happen without intentionality. The first step in a church's journey is to create a strategic missions outreach plan.  The goal of the workshop is to present core principles and key practices in developing a customized mobilization plan that spans local, national, and international mission outreach. 

We will uncover four key shifts that must be made to have high mission outreach (local and global). And we will explore six key strategies that when implemented, move missions from a program of a church to the core DNA of the church.  This will begin to help conference participants answer questions after attending Beyond These Walls-- What next? Where do we go from here?  How?  

How is your church responding to God's call to love and welcome immigrants in your community? This workshop invites you into the welcome journey—a transformative process rooted in Scripture and God's heart for immigrants. We'll explore the Biblical foundation for loving immigrants and how this understanding leads us to both kollaō (deeply connect) with immigrants and practice philoxenos (Biblical hospitality). Through powerful stories and practical steps, we will discover how the Church can embody God's love by creating pathways of welcome. Join us to discern how your church can actively reflect the love and justice of Jesus, making space for immigrant newcomers to experience true belonging and connection.

Discover how the Chalmers Center, creators of the best-selling When Helping Hurts, has partnered with churches worldwide to train thousands of leaders and reach over 3 million people living in poverty. This is your opportunity to explore how these resources can transform your ministry and community.This interactive workshop is designed to equip church leaders in the Majority World with tools to address poverty and foster sustainable change. Learn about the Chalmers Center’s Christ-centered training and resources, including programs that equip leaders to proclaim the gospel in both word and deed, apply biblical principles to care wisely for those in poverty, organize savings groups to empower families, and encourage entrepreneurship to improve livelihoods.

Are you measuring success by seating capacity or sending capacity? We believe that a thriving church is raising up and sending out workers into God’s local and global harvest field. This workshop will provide practical ideas that you can implement immediately to increase your church’s sending capacity and strengthen its culture of sending. Let’s finish the task that Jesus empowered the church to complete.

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.

This workshop explores distinctively Wesleyan ways of engaging with culture in our day and age as a way of encountering God and fulfilling the church’s mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe. In scripture, we see both Paul and Jesus looking to the culture of their day and age, drawing upon its symbols and metaphors, and using them redemptively to point toward the Kingdom of God. With healthy caution, John Wesley and the early Methodists held a similar posture. Christians today need not fear culture, or retreat from it, but should engage it with courage in the process of discipleship and Christian formation.

What does it look like to journey with our Muslim friends in discovering Jesus? In this workshop, you’ll hear stories (funny and serious), lessons learned, and practical insights from 18 years of ministry among Muslims. Learn to adjust expectations for what the journey to Christ might look like, and take away a simple resource that can help you discern signposts where God might be at work in a friend’s life.

The best programs make people in poverty the protagonists of their own stories. We’ll introduce you to real world examples of innovative programs you can integrate into your church or ministry's community outreach programs. Models include: Food Co-ops, Earn-it Projects, Christmas Markets, Work Shuttles, Award for Performance, Childcare Co-ops, Discounted Provider Networks, Mentorship & more."

Through this breakout, pastors, missions leaders, and next-generation leaders will explore practical ideas on how to engage your students in God’s work in the world through missions. From living everyday life on mission to local missions to global missions, this breakout will help you build processes and systems to help move the students in your ministry from the sidelines to the frontlines of missions.

Come and experience how to move the mission needle in your church. Learn how to mobilize others toward reaching your near neighbors and those who are unreached. Experience the steps that must be taken to move someone in the congregation from the sideline to involvement. 

Church Planting in the majority world is filled with great testimonies of God at work across the globe, however, cross cultural church planting is filled with challenges and question, as well.  Retired GMC Pastor Rurel Ausley from Crosspoint GMC, newly elected GMC Bishop, Kimba Evariste, and Africa Regional Director for One Mission Society, Chuck Rapp will discuss the powerful outcomes that have been created by this transformational partnership in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Come to the workshop to learn what happens when the local American church partners with a seasoned missions sending agency and the majority world church and the power of the Holy Spirit.  You will learn practical lessons about church planting in the majority world and also how you can develop similar partnerships for your local church or conference.  

Church Planting in the majority world is filled with great testimonies of God at work across the globe, however, cross cultural church planting is filled with challenges and question, as well.  Retired GMC Pastor Rurel Ausley from Crosspoint GMC, newly elected GMC Bishop, Kimba Evariste, and Africa Regional Director for One Mission Society, Chuck Rapp will discuss the powerful outcomes that have been created by this transformational partnership in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Come to the workshop to learn what happens when the local American church partners with a seasoned missions sending agency and the majority world church and the power of the Holy Spirit.  You will learn practical lessons about church planting in the majority world and also how you can develop similar partnerships for your local church or conference.  

Church Planting in the majority world is filled with great testimonies of God at work across the globe, however, cross cultural church planting is filled with challenges and question, as well.  Retired GMC Pastor Rurel Ausley from Crosspoint GMC, newly elected GMC Bishop, Kimba Evariste, and Africa Regional Director for One Mission Society, Chuck Rapp will discuss the powerful outcomes that have been created by this transformational partnership in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Come to the workshop to learn what happens when the local American church partners with a seasoned missions sending agency and the majority world church and the power of the Holy Spirit.  You will learn practical lessons about church planting in the majority world and also how you can develop similar partnerships for your local church or conference.  

All too often, the process of finding and vetting global mission partners falls into two categories – people someone in our church knows or places on a map. But as stewards of our church’s resources, global mission leaders must do more. In this session, Kurt Kandler, Executive Director of the 410 Global Outreach Network, will share a comprehensive approach to thoroughly vetting global mission partners, ensuring that the partner and the church are aligned in their mission, values, and strategy.

With over 1.5 million international students in the U.S. and 5.8 million immigrant-origin students shaping higher education, the church has a unique opportunity to engage, disciple, and send them as witnesses for Christ.

Our mission is clear: INVITE, DISCIPLE, and SEND university students to impact the nations. Through the ETHNOS Strategy, we ensure that every student is embraced, equipped, and empowered to share the Gospel wherever God leads them.

By Engaging students with the Gospel, Establishing them in faith, Equipping them to use their gifts, and Exporting them as ambassadors of Christ, we transform migrant believers into a global mission force. The world is at our doorstep, and down the streets, will we rise to the call?

Come and discover how you are naturally made to share Jesus and how you can equip others to do the same. This workshop will be interactive, equipping and probably a bit amusing as we learn the ways we instinctively share our faith (and the ways we don't!) Our aim is for you to leave with tools to try this at home with your communities and churches, as we seek to equip the church to make disciples fruitfully in any context. 

Developing a health missions program in the local church is hard and it can be tricky. But, we know it is important so we want to get it right.

In this workshop, we'll explore a proven model for increasing the engagement of congregations in the task of sharing the Gospel worldwide.

We'll explore fresh models of agency - congregation - ministry collaboration in cross-cultural ministry.

And we'll address a workable plan to help people in a local congregation move from being spectators to owners of the cause of disciplemaking.

For generations, ministries have struggled to connect with emerging generations. Add in the ever-increasing reality of unbelieving and non-churched people, and the church faces a crisis of hand-off. Where are young adults? And who will lead the church when current leadership runs out of steam? Come learn the unexpected strategy for intentionally developing young people as disciples and leaders 

Healthcare professionals of today face stresses that have previously been unknown in nearly every segment.  Moreover, there are hardly any members of the healthcare community who have not encountered the tremendous stress of dealing with patients, their family members, and colleagues amid these overwhelming and tragic circumstances. 

It is with these stress and impacts in mind that the 8-lesson group training program ‘Care for the caregiver’ was developed by Companions of Grace International (COGI). Using large group learnings, small group sharing and peer-to-peer sharing, it focuses on equipping Christian healthcare professionals to deal more effectively the the difficulties they face in their daily lives at work, at home, and within their communities. The program is presently rolled out in five countries through partnerships with three major Christian Healthcare organization and some key churches - more countries are joining the ever-expanding network.

This session at the conference is a taster of the full 8 module course. The session identifies some of the causes and consequences of stress that a healthcare professional faces. It also provides insights into to why healthcare professionals fail to seek for help themselves or often uncared for. A significant portion of the session will focus on selected concepts/ skills taken from the full course and a roleplay demonstration of one of them. The role play will demonstrate to participants the skill and tools and how the program provides a therapeutic experience to participants. A question answer sections will also be included.

Women are the fastest-growing force in the global church, uniquely positioned to transform communities and expand God’s kingdom. Through this dynamic and interactive session, we will explore how their relational strengths, spiritual gifts, and leadership can ignite discipleship movements with lasting impact. Join us in this powerful global movement—be part of equipping and mobilizing women to fulfill the Great Commission and change the world!

Co-Presenting with Rev. Enrique Hernandez-Vigil. In recent years, the focus of mission has shifted from just evangelism to a deeper emphasis on disciple-making—a practice at the heart of Jesus’ Great Commission. History shows that healthy, multiplying churches thrive where disciple-making is central. Yet, many U.S. churches overlook the powerful role that Spanish-speaking congregations play in this mission. In this workshop, you’ll discover how your church can partner with Hispanic leaders for the mutually-beneficial work of helping church members grow to be lasting disciples of Jesus. You’ll explore how shared biblical principles, seen in the Global South church movements, can fuel growth and impact in your own community. Through this session, you’ll be equipped, inspired, and ready to collaborate with Latino leaders in ways that strengthen the Church and advance the mission of disciple-making.

Co-presenting with Kyle Frohock. In recent years, the focus of mission has shifted from just evangelism to a deeper emphasis on disciple-making—a practice at the heart of Jesus’ Great Commission. History shows that healthy, multiplying churches thrive where disciple-making is central. Yet, many U.S. churches overlook the powerful role that Spanish-speaking congregations play in this mission. In this workshop, you’ll discover how your church can partner with Hispanic leaders for the mutually-beneficial work of helping church members grow to be lasting disciples of Jesus. You’ll explore how shared biblical principles, seen in the Global South church movements, can fuel growth and impact in your own community. Through this session, you’ll be equipped, inspired, and ready to collaborate with Latino leaders in ways that strengthen the Church and advance the mission of disciple-making.

Women are the fastest-growing force in the global church, uniquely positioned to transform communities and expand God’s kingdom. Through this dynamic and interactive session, we will explore how their relational strengths, spiritual gifts, and leadership can ignite discipleship movements with lasting impact. Join us in this powerful global movement—be part of equipping and mobilizing women to fulfill the Great Commission and change the world!

As Wesleyans,  we take to heart John Wesley's statement that 'the world is our parish.'  How we do international ministries in the new expression of Methodism needs to be new and fresh.  Not falling into old patterns, through international partnerships we are seeking to be as 1 Cornithians 3:9 partners together for the work of God.  The Mid-Texas Conference has three international partnerships around the globe.  Come hear how they and their partner conferences are working together by building mutual, strategic relationships to spread the gospel.

Have you ever felt that missions can become more about doing than being, about building instead of connecting? Based on John 15 and the Greek word meno (abide), this workshop explores how a simple yet profound shift — embracing a ministry of presence — can transform the way we engage in missions.

Learn how "abiding" redefines missions from transactional to transformational, emphasizing relationship over results and connection over construction. Discover how abiding in Christ inspires a new way of serving, where being present with others becomes the most powerful expression of love and partnership.

Through personal stories, scripture reflection, and practical insights, this session will challenge you to reimagine missions as a journey of abiding, both in Christ and with the people you are called to serve. Whether you’re a seasoned missionary, a short-term volunteer, or simply curious, this workshop will encourage you to prioritize presence and leave a lasting impact that flows from the heart of abiding.

Most of us spend more time at work than with our families, at church, or any other activity; so how do we steward what God has started in this season of revival, and commission our people to live out the great commission across all spheres and industries within the marketplace?