Join ACMI’s 2024 conference from June 6-8 for stirring content and dialogue with virtual content and networking as well as live engagement hubs! Gather with the ISM community, churches, students, and marketplace leaders to be equipped and encouraged across cultures and continents!
Details
Theme: Welcoming Internationals Together: Church & ISM Collaboration
Venue: Virtual with Live Engagement Hubs. Will you host one this year?
Workshops: Watch for the request for workshop proposals coming soon!
Andy Pearce from ISI will serve as this year’s conference director! Andy has been on staff with ISI for 23 years and currently serves as Director of Church Partnerships. His passion is coming alongside churches in order to help equip the Body of Christ for cross-cultural engagement and fruitful international student ministry.
This conference will provide strong equipping and networking for the ISM community while also seeking to improve church collaboration and involvement. Our desire is to help churches grow in vision and skill for ministering among international students in strategic partnership with you and the students.
Plenary Session Themes
Plenary 1 - Discover the internationals among us - Did you know that if diaspora peoples (those living outside their native homelands) were a country, they would be the 4th most populous?! Some move by force (wars, famines, etc) and others by choice (to pursue jobs, education, and more). And as these immigrants, refugees, international students, and others move, they can both spread and receive the gospel. The need to offer meaningful welcome and hospitality to them is too large for any of us to tackle alone, but when churches & international student ministries come together, we can shape the future of global leaders and influencers across the street and around the world.
Plenary 2 - Connect across cultural barriers - How can you cross cultural barriers wisely to build healthy relationships? Cultural intelligence is a valuable skill to help equip the Body of Christ for effective cross-cultural communication, witness, and discipleship. Relationships thrive when cultural intelligence is applied individually and corporately among those who are adapting to life in a new land. Churches and international student ministries each bring unique resources and gifts to the table. In loving, insightful collaboration with one another and with our international friends themselves, God uses us all for the furthering of His Kingdom.
Plenary 3 - Share Kingdom life & stories - What does partnering with internationals as co-laborers look like? Churches, international student ministries, and the internationals themselves demonstrate the Kingdom in the way we live life together and serve one another. Kingdom life encompasses all of our daily activities from home life to work, service, worship, rest, and play. This Kingdom lifestyle shows value for every part of the Body in all of our stages of growth and it includes telling His story, sharing your story, hearing their story, and watching God write new stories. When God’s servants walk alongside one another, Kingdom life grows and ministry among internationals flourishes.
Host a Hub or Plan a Party in 2024!
Grow your local ISM by hosting an in-person gathering during the conference! These can be any size. View the planning guide to learn more and sign up to host a live engagement group.
