The final day of the M19 Conference concluded with plenary speakers Ed Stetzer and General Superintendent Fili Chambo.

Stetzer spoke on the theme Restore during the morning plenary session. He admitted that sharing the gospel has “fallen on hard times” but encouraged the participants to allow God to work through them to embrace a renewal of evangelism in their everyday lives. He said this happens when the church remembers what the core of the gospel is truly about.

“The gospel is not ‘you do;’ the gospel is ‘Jesus did,’” Stetzer said.

He went on to explain that when the people of God answer the call to evangelism and embrace holiness, they will intertwine themselves in the lives of those outside of the church.

“Holiness is not separation from sinners; it’s separation from sin,” Stetzer said.

Additional workshops were offered between plenary sessions, and several presenters said it was obvious that the participants were hungry for resources and tools to creatively engage in missional outreach. 

Charles Christian, managing editor of Holiness Today and Grace & Peace, noticed this during a workshop he led on using writing to serve the church.

“I was pleasantly surprised by how many people were interested in developing as writers and who were interested in contributing to the ministry of writing for the church,” Christian said.

David Sharpes, lead pastor at College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe, Kansas, led a panel discussion on the practical applications of bivocational ministry. He too noticed the number of participants with a desire to spread the gospel through new and creative ways.

“I am always fascinated to hear the challenges but also the creativity that comes out of the challenges that are presented in this particular workshop for bivocational ministry,” Sharpes said. “It encourages my faith to see people not get discouraged by what’s happening but say ‘God’s still got a call on my life, and I’m going to pursue this no matter what that looks like,’ and to move forward in that way. It’s exciting to me.”

Chambo closed the conference with a message on the theme Mission. He said that participating in the mission of God starts with seeking an intimate relationship with God.

“To know God is to enter in an intimate relationship with God,” Chambo said. “It is by faith that we enter into relationship with God.”

Chambo went on to say that a personal relationship with God is not only possible, but it is vital in living a holy life on earth. 

“Holiness is not the project of the church; its God's project,” Chambo said. “[Through God] it is possible to live a holy life in this world.”

He ended the night with a call to go and make disciples in the nations, but to always remember who is sending them.

“It is important to remember whose mission we are a part of,” Chambo said. “It's not the mission of the church; it's God's mission … It is the sending God, the sent God, who sends us.”