Registration is now open for Missions 21!
Missions 21, hosted by Empower International Ministries, is a day-long gathering for people from U.S.- resident ministries/missions that work internationally (mostly Africa) on family, child welfare, mental health, and gender issues. There are many of us working independently on these issues or running orphan projects or schools that touch on these issues. But while we may have the support of our local churches, we rarely have a chance to meet each other, network, and share resources and experiences.
We hope to make this an annual or bi-annual event. Please spread the word! Share this blog post, or go to our Facebook page and share our posts about the conference.
The gathering will be held:
June 23, 2018
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Trinity United Presbyterian Church
13922 Prospect Road
Santa Ana, CA 92705
Registration fees are $40 in advance, $50 at the door, and will cover lunch, snack breaks, and a booklet with information about each ministry represented. A reduced “scholarship” rate is available if the cost poses a burden for you. To register, simply click and go to this online form, and fill it out. Pay your registration fee on our website.
To pay, go to our donation page. Where it says “Add special instructions with your donation, put in “Missions 21.” The advance registration fee is fully refundable until June 21. Cancellations or no shows after that will be charged the cost of the lunch.
The gathering will include:
Networking activities:
A directory of participants and a booklet with brief descriptions of the various programs and bios of the individuals attending. (Even if you cannot attend, we can include you in this booklet.)
Opportunity for each ministry present to tell about your organization.
A table on which to display your materials, photographs, etc.
Content:
Empower’s African Program Coordinator, Pastor Frank Tweheyo, will present a general session on the “African” side of working cross-culturally with U.S.-resident ministries.
Break-out session presentations on topics of interest, such as cultural issues in our target countries; insights from missiology; working with Muslims; Empower’s materials on attachment disorder, trauma recovery, and biblically-based gender equality; and pragmatic topics such as marketing, tax issues, fundraising, and social media, etc.
The registration form (access it here) will ask if you’d like to be considered as a presenter on additional topics. Right now we have scheduled:
- Dr. Karen Torjesen on “Tackling Program Assessments: Rewards and Challenges.” We all know the need to assess the impact of our programs: Karen will talk about her project assessing the impact of a Bible-based anti-domestic violence program in Congo.
- Pastor Frank Tweheyo will talk about teaching gender equality in Africa.
- Linda Ikeda on combating trauma.
- Keri Wyatt Kent on social media marketing.
Again, if you can join us, please click here to fill out the online registration form.
Information for networking
∙ Booklet insert: Please send a one- or two-page pdf (electronic, not paper) with description and contact information for your organization, or for your individual work if you are not part of an organization. Include physical, email, and website addresses; names of relevant people, including the person representing your ministry at the conference). This page will be photocopied and put into a booklet that will be distributed to conference participants and posted on our website. Photos are encouraged.
Deadline for us to receive this at EIM@Fastmail.FM: June 18.
∙ Networking presentation: Please prepare a 10-minute presentation on your ministry work. This will be shared (probably twice) in breakout groups the morning.
∙ Display table. You will have available to you a table on which to display any information, brochures, photos, items, books, etc. You are welcome to sell items, but we cannot be responsible for handling money or monitoring inventory for you.
Accommodations: For those of you who are coming from out of town, I suggest staying at the Best Western Airport Plus Orange County Airport North. They have a shuttle that runs until 11 p.m. from John Wayne/Orange County/Santa Ana airport.
Let us know if you need pick up in the morning of June 23. (If you prefer something more upscale, take a look at what is available online. There are not really any acceptable hotels very close to the church in north Tustin/Santa Ana, but there are many closer to the airport and to Disneyland.)
We hope you can join us!
Thank you, and we are so looking forward to meeting you!
For any questions, please contact Carrie Miles at EIM@fastmail.fm.
Again the registration form can be found by clicking here.
If you know other people who might be interested in attending, please forward this announcement to them. We hope to make this an annual or bi-annual event, so if you cannot make it this year, stay in touch for next.