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The Canadian National Foursquare Convention just concluded its meetings in Calgary, Alberta. I enjoyed the privilege of attending this event and connecting with our northern neighbors as we celebrated our common cause of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. This gave me the opportunity to applaud their hosting of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and to congratulate them for winning the Olympic gold medal in ice hockey. They liked the fact that they beat the Americans for the title—we had fun with that. I was also able to share the incredible opportunities before us to link arms in our quest for the harvest.

Daniel Brown, the guest speaker, issued a challenge as he concluded his Wednesday evening message. He said, “Unless we mobilize more leaders, we will fail.” It was a sobering moment of reality. The answer is obviously not to push unprepared people into the limelight or to rush to give people authority or position unduly. The answer is to embrace the challenge that Jesus left with us. He could have told us to pray for revival. Instead, He told us to pray for more laborers. That focus has never been more important than today, and I have made raising up healthy, reproducing leaders the first of five targets as we move into this new season.

This letter is written to highlight our critically important time at Connection 2011 in Columbus, Ohio, May 30–June 2. I invite you to pray about our gathering under the theme: “Accelerate—The Whole Gospel to the Whole World.” This note is intended both to encourage you and to challenge you to join us in Columbus!

Plan to make every effort to be a strategic part of the vision-casting that will determine the future of our movement. The time is now; the responsibility is ours. We believe that our time together has been uniquely ordained by the Lord and that we will leave with a strong, compelling, and clear view of our collective mission. We want and need you there! You are integral in God’s design to help stem the tide of declining passion in the American church.

Debbie and I have felt your strong partnership in these first seven months of formally leading from this office. Everywhere we go, people say that they are taking up the cause of the gospel. We won’t raise the white flag of surrender!

In fact, many national leaders from around the world will converge in Columbus with us. They are coming to lift up our hands. They, too, believe in the message highlighted by our theme and are committed to the mission. We can do this, but we must do it together. We are becoming a global family, not just in name but also in kingdom partnership! Hallelujah! Please join us in Columbus. Even if you haven’t planned to come, pray and see if the Lord will make a way!

While we’re there, we will be taking a special offering for our global efforts. We have raised the bar of expectations. With our global partners, we are targeting the goal of planting the Foursquare flag in the 87 countries where we do not have a sustainable presence. We’re asking the leaders of the 21 nations who presently send missionaries and the U.S. Church to focus their efforts on reaching the “whole world” and “accelerating” those efforts. To that end, we are targeting ONE MILLION DOLLARS to come in above our current giving to advance the cause of Christ.

Please take a moment to read an open letter from Pastor Richard Casteel, chairperson of the Missions Committee, who represents a group of pastors who first issued this challenge. In Columbus, we will take an offering and collect the Faith Promise pledges to begin this journey.

Your prayers and support mean the world to us! May the Lord give you the greatest season of fruitfulness yet in the ministry assignment to which He has called you and for which He has anointed you.

is a freelance writer and editor. She lives in Orlando, Fla.
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