Excitement oozed out from my phone handset as I talked to a Japanese speaker about the theme for this fall’s CPI National Conference. I could tell he was smiling and he was very excited as well. “Do Mission” sounds somewhat odd in English but it is great Japanese English. Japanese often use the phrase DO ___. In an Ishinomaki shopping mall I recently saw a sign saying “DO MALL.” We had stumbled on a timely and great theme for the conference.
Several leaders asked me what the theme “Do Mission” means. It means we want to return to the basics of the Great Commission and the God-given strategy of church planting. The evangelism and church planting torch is not being blazed enough in Japan. We want to emphasize DOING mission not just talking about it. So we continue to focus on Kingdom vision and practical application. The CPI conference is for anyone interested in seeing the church multiplied in Japan. Attendees are missionaries, pastors, church leaders, and students. We expect between 300-500 participants from all over Japan and the world.
Pray that the presenters, discussions, and participants would all re-grasp and rekindle the priority of the Great Commission in their lives and ministries. We want them to be more deeply focused on extending evangelism, reproducing disciples, developing leaders, and multiplying churches that transform communities around the world. Pray that we may all raise the torch in this country of spiritual darkness. Pray too that everyone will go home with glowing embers to inflame their every corner of ministry.
CPI CONFERENCE SPECIAL PRAYER NEEDS (10 weeks and counting)
1. Pray that we may follow God for this conference and he graciously meets all who attend.
2. Pray for John, leaders, the operations team, and volunteers as they prepare for the conference.
3. Pray that God would fill one key position related to registration processing.
4. Ask God for skill and energy as the team faces a rapid number of registrations this month.
5. Ask God to especially equip those 40-50 people making presentations at the conference.