Stef Liston shares his reflections on the first RM event of its kind in the Far East.

At The Call in October 2023 we publicly announced the Pacific Rim Conference. I remember sensing a wave of excitement in the room and, perhaps, a sense of surprise. How could we, a small family of churches mostly bunched together in one corner of England, host a conference in Seoul, South Korea? How would it all work out?

We weren’t sure, but seeing as our vision beyond Europe is to plant 5 multiplying churches on each continent by 2030, we figured that believing God means you have to start somewhere. We know NEVER to despise the day of small beginnings.

The Pacific Rim refers to the nations that meet the Pacific Ocean - both East and West. We are talking about the Far East of Asia, Oceania and the West Coast of the Americas. Throw in the Pacific islands and you’re about there–a huge area! What do we, as RM, currently have in that region? A family in Taiwan, a church plant in Japan, a church in Seoul, plus a few friends in the surrounding countries. That’s it.

UK arrivals: Fresh-hearted even if a little bleary-eyed

Salvation: We heard how God is moving hearts in Japan

The build-up to the conference involved the usual learning curves that accompany the organisation of any event. These, however, were undoubtedly exacerbated by distance - so to Kit (heading up the UK-side of organisation), and Alex (heading up the Seoul-side), we touch our hats in respect.

When the day came for the UK-based team to leave for Seoul, everything was in place and the apprehension had turned into anticipation. From the start we had hoped to gather around 50 people, and it looked like we were going to hit that number.

We took off from Heathrow and arrived 12 hours later, bleary-eyed but excited. As we checked out the super cool conference venue and started greeting people, we knew deep in our hearts that running this conference was more than just a good idea. In the day or two leading up to the conference, I began to imagine the ‘chemical reaction’ that would occur as we met together in God’s presence. We weren’t disappointed.

We had attendees from America, Hawaii, the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Germany and the UK. One of the best things about the event was that it was multicultural and multigenerational. It was beautiful to see kids running around throughout our time together!

Our times of praise were electric. Hearts were freshly melted in the presence of the Lord. The musicians – Haram, John and Claudia from Seoul, and David, an elder from Hafen Kirche in Frankfurt – were skilfully coordinated by Delphne, a friend from Singapore.

Our time together over the conference was a mix of small group Bible studies, testimonies, interviews, workshops, prayer/prophecy times and sermons. We connected throughout the day and evening over food and enjoyed the phenomenal hospitality and care of the Seoul church. It was also great to witness new friendships form and everyone feeling a part of things.

Time and space restrict me from saying too much more. But I think it’s clear that, because of our time together, our friends in the Far East feel more connected as a global family of churches. And we, too, feel freshly committed to planting and strengthening churches to the ends of the Earth. What will God do next? Watch this space!

‘Seoul’ connections at the Pacific Rim Conference

Stef Liston shares his reflections on the first RM event of its kind in the Far East.

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