Well, the 2022 General Conference has taken place. After four years away, over 500 delegates were excited to join in person. There was also much thought and care given to those attending virtually. All in all, the sense of the event was positive and filled with anticipation. You can view the sessions here but let me tell you my three takeaways from the 2022 General Conference.

1. We are Family.
   We say it repeatedly, but this time it seemed to resonate with me in a greater way. We truly are family. We come from different backgrounds, locations, and histories, but we share a common bond and spirit in the PAOC; we want to glorify God by serving Him with our lives. There is something that happens when the family gets together. They encourage you and support you. An uplifting happens when your brothers and sisters listen to you, sharing how things are going and then rallying around you with encouragement and prayer. Family isn’t a token word; it’s a connection, a bond between what would otherwise be strangers who come together to live up and support one another in their unique journeys. If you’re a part of the PAOC, this is your family.

2. We have a God-Sized Mission.
   The theme of this year’s conference was “beyond the impossible,” and indeed, the Great Commandment, The Great Requirement, and The Great Commission are impossible to achieve without God. The call was clear – only God can help us go beyond the impossible. The PAOC wasn’t formed by people who wanted to stay comfortable and have places to gather and theological education to acquire. The early founders were on a mission and felt the urgency to see the Kingdom of God expand in their lifetime. They were soul winners, full of the Holy Spirit to empower for witness. And we’ve inherited that same mission – reaching lost people through loving them as God loved them. It’s a clear call that needs the power of God to be fulfilled.

3. We Have New Opportunities.
   It isn’t “business as usual” in the PAOC. Although you’d think that people were feeling the weight of the most recent pandemic, pastors and ministers are seeing and seizing new opportunities to reach Canada and the World. Mission Global is focusing on the least-reached in this coming decade. Multiply Network is developing new models of church planting and church multiplication. Mission Canada is re-focusing on university campuses and newcomers to Canada. As the world “returns to normal,” your brothers and sisters in ministry are stepping into new things. It’s true that Pentecostals have never shied away from “new,” and this is evident in stories of churches that are engaging their community, having spiritual conversations with non-believers, reaching children and youth in creative ways and developing ministries to first-peoples. The Holy Spirit is working in this Nation and the world. We are privileged to partner with Him in the work.

Our fellowship has a great future, but it takes all of us leaning in, contributing, sharing, encouraging, participating, and giving. This is an amazing tribe. Let’s keep moving forward together.

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