By Jenny Noyes

New Wineskins conferences were birthed on New Wineskins Missionary Network’s 20th anniversary back in 1994 and have continued triennially ever since. This is our 9th conference over the past 25 years. These are some of the quotes from attendees from previous New Wineskins Global Mission Conferences.

"Life-changing! I have a follow-up appointment to discern if God is calling me or if I am to be a sender."

"Eye-opening! The conference inspired a call to serve in global missions, to add to our short-term teams, and to reach out to my Muslim neighbor."

"Energizing, thought-provoking, and insightful! It was wonderful to meet other mission-minded people. I’ll serve with new energy on the mission field."

"Phenomenal! This is my first time here and I’ve been powerfully moved, recognizing my call to be a missional, rather than a comfortable, believer."

You may have heard a bit about the upcoming New Wineskins conference, but what exactly is it and why should you attend?

The New Wineskins conference is a global missions training conference that attracts mission-minded Anglicans from all over the world. Attendees learn about what God is doing in and through Anglicans worldwide, get to know those serving in foreign mission fields, and hear first-hand how they can be part of taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth!

The most recent conference, held in April 2016, gathered over 1,000 people from 50 nations. The next conference will be held Sept. 26-29, 2019 at Ridgecrest Conference Center in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

Because Anglican Global Mission Partner (AGMP) agencies bring their field missionaries home to participate in the conference, attendees can meet and build relationships with these front-line warriors. This is one of the things that make the New Wineskins experience so unique. Here are some benefits of attending:

• True partnerships are formed when people discover where their passions for mission intersect.

• Churches benefit most when they bring a team and return home with a renewed vision and a missional plan to implement.

• Many missionaries trace their initial calling to an encounter they had with the Lord or another Christian brother or sister at a New Wineskins conference!

Top 10 Things to Expect From Attending the New Wineskins Global Mission Conference 2019:

• Learning from 18 keynote speakers from all over the world on the progress of the fulfillment of the Great Commission

• Finding your missional passion by attending one of 20+ pre-conferences.

• Choosing from over 120 Mission Awareness Presentations (MAP Talks) on topics including unreached people groups, discerning a missional call, human trafficking, relief and development, refugee outreach, Bible translation, and reaching people of every age group, ethnic group, and religious background.

• Hearing testimonies of the great and wonderful things that God is doing in every corner of the globe.

• Worshipping the Lord in lively unity with people from many different nations and even singing in different languages.

• Praying together for the 2.1 billion people still unreached, for the Persecuted Church, and for God's people to reach out in love.

• Receiving prayer for ministry anointing, healing, and boldness to obey God's call to go far and near.

• Interacting with exhibitors from over 50 mission agencies, seminaries, and outreach ministries from around the world.

• Bringing your children, teenagers and college-aged students to participate in age-appropriate missional programs.

• Networking and building friendships over meals and conversations in rocking chairs for Kingdom purposes.

These are ten things to expect. What many people don’t expect that happens over and over is God breaking our hearts for what breaks His heart! Our theme this year is Better Together, so we anticipate a real emphasis on moving missions forward through collaboration and partnership.

So, whether you are a “Dummy” who knows nothing about New Wineskins conferences or an “Expert” having attended many times, all of us should plan to meet God at the New Wineskins conference this September 26-29, coming with open hearts ready to hear how God is calling us to GO!

Ultimately, the New Wineskins' experience is hard to convey in words, so you'll just have to join us this fall! All the conference details and registration information can be found at newwineskinsconference.org. Registration continues until September, but Early-Bird prices expire this Sunday, March 31 so register today!