By Philip Wong
This year’s Canadian Disciples Conference (CDC) was held online from January 1-3. The conference welcomed young people from all Canadian chapters. A total of 121 young people attended, an increase of about 45% from last year! God is bringing revival!
The title and theme of the conference was “Power of God.” Many young people today feel discouraged or helpless in the face of worldly influences and increasingly complex cultural challenges. They wonder how to live out their faith and make an impact as disciples of Jesus. The main prayer topic for the conference was to encourage and empower students and the next generation to live as bold witnesses of Jesus and as disciple-makers.
Although the power of God can be understood in many ways, the conference focused on three aspects: God’s power to save, to transform, and to witness. Three young messengers delivered the main messages. Joshua Park (Victoria) spoke first on Romans 1:16–17, proclaiming the power of the gospel to save sinners. His message emphasized our powerlessness against sin and death, but also the hope that where we are helpless, the gospel is the power of God that saves everyone who believes. Because of this, we are not ashamed of the gospel. The second message was given by Elizabeth Jumeau (Montreal), who gave her first ever message. She declared the power of God that transforms our hearts from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh through Ezekiel 36. Many of us develop a hardened heart because of pride and greed, and the world easily draws our hearts away from God. But, God himself draws us back to him through his love for us through Christ, to renew and transform our hearts to love God and be sensitive to his grace and mercy in our lives. The final message on Acts 1:8 was given by Daniel Kim (Vancouver 3) who proclaimed the Risen Jesus’ call for us to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to go out and live as bold witnesses of Jesus.
Six people shared testimonies: Sean (Ottawa), Marie-Eve (Montreal), Marcia (St. George), Cassidy (SAIT), Yohan (Vancouver 2), and David (Ottawa). Each shared how God’s power saved and transformed them, equipping them to witness for Christ. Four workshops were given on four different topics: Leadership by Luke Hong (Montreal), Calling by John Koo (Fraser), Short-term missions by Maria Seo (Hamilton) and Evangelism by Andrew Christopher (Montreal). These interactive workshops encouraged young people to grow as disciples of Jesus, sharing and applying their faith.
The program was designed to give more time for fellowship and prayer. The first day included icebreakers to help participants become comfortable with one another. On days 2 and 3, the daytime programs placed everyone in breakout rooms for games, discussions, and fellowship. These were followed by group prayer times in Bible studies. This natural and meaningful environment allowed for personal sharing and reflection on what they learned.
One major highlight of the conference was its interactive approach. Online events can often feel impersonal, but through prayerful preparation and the beautiful coworking of the planning team, God used this conference to begin the New Year with his word, mutual encouragement, and empowerment for young people to share their faith and grow as shepherd-like leaders. Although this conference was initially intended to be less intense for attendees, it unexpectedly involved more people in the preparation. God blessed every step, raising new leaders to oversee the work and new students to support it. God is indeed raising up new disciples and disciple-makers. May each person who attended receive the power of God to live as bold witnesses of Jesus and make disciples of all nations.
