President’s Perspective: Connect26 Recap

By Kevin Stone, President

Not everyone reading this article was able to attend Connect26, so I just want to share some reflections about this year’s event. If you have any interest in our Fellowship whatsoever, please read on!

​Attendance at Connect was higher than it had been in the previous two years, which is encouraging, but we can still improve. One responsibility of a member church is to ensure that they send delegates to Connect, and so we should be planning now for Connect27. Aside from our responsibility to the Fellowship, attendance at Connect will encourage our people and equip them to serve better in their local church setting.

Salem Church in Waldheim, SK did a tremendous job of hosting Connect! Everything from the food to the host homes to the worship team was top-notch. But the most notable way in which the hosting was over the top was how the team responded in the face of adversity.

In the middle of Connect, powerful storms including strong winds, hail, and tornados ripped through the Waldheim area. I am told that this is very rare, even though some of the American delegates felt right at home. Once the storm had passed, power was out at the church for about 24 hours. Many of the homes of those who were hosting delegates were without power, and some without water.
Volunteers from the church were working to keep Connect going even while their own homes had trees down or other issues to resolve. We offered more than once to cancel portions of Connect to help with cleanup efforts, but our hosts calmly reassured us that the event would continue.

​It was amazing to see how the local volunteer team worked to keep everything running. Within what seemed to be minutes, there were generators humming, lights being strung to rooms, a portable sound system set up in the sanctuary, and adjustments being made to the kitchen prep work. Every meal was still served and served hot.
Every event went on as planned. We sat in partial darkness for several sessions, and there will not be videos available for the Friday sessions because we didn’t have that equipment running yet. But it was such a blessing to see the family at Salem pull together to bless the FEBC family.
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Our Convention Coordinator, Crystal Klassen, and the host church coordinator, Roger Schultz, both deserve a huge thank you for the work they put forth to make the event such a success despite such a huge challenge. Every single volunteer was helpful and accommodating. Every delegate was gracious during less-than-ideal circumstances. We were blessed. And I suspect we’ll remember this event.

God also blessed us through our Keynote Speaker. Steve Janz, Executive Director of Millar College of the Bible – Sunnybrae, shared four messages regarding how the Gospel should impact our lives beyond the moment of salvation. He covered how the Gospel shapes our rest, how it fuels our trust, how it shapes our obedience, and how it anchors our hope. These messages were powerful, accessible, and challenging. We are grateful for Steve’s ministry among us.
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We tried a couple of new things this year. One of them was “Table Talks.” This was an opportunity to have good conversations about areas of ministry with others who are interested. There were ten tables, each with its own ministry topic, and every 15 minutes or so, we rang a bell to signify that you could move to another table if you wanted. So, some folks sat at the same table for an hour, and others visited eight different tables. Picture speed dating, but less awkward. And with no power.

Another change this year was replacing the Ladies’ Boutique with Puzzles for Pastors. This was a room with four jigsaw puzzles waiting to be assembled where delegates could visit and unwind in between sessions. Some generous donors provided pledges so that for each puzzle the delegates completed, $1,000 would be donated to support FEBC pastors and their wives. Apparently, we need to find more difficult puzzles for next year, because they were completed in no time. In fact, when I realized how quickly they were getting completed, I pulled a finished puzzle completely apart, and it was completed again the next day. This was a fun way for delegates to spend some time together, and praise God for the faithful donors who will provide $4,000 to help us bless our pastors and their wives!

We learned together, laughed together, went on outings together, spent time in prayer together, worshiped together, and took communion together. But so much of what happens at Connect happens between the sessions, when folks are just talking about life and ministry and finding encouragement and accountability through fellow FEBC members and leaders.

Much was shared about the status and ministry of the FEBC. I won’t try to cover it all here. Please read my “State of the Fellowship” address in a separate article for more about how the Fellowship is doing. Or ask your church leaders for a copy of the FEBC Annual Report. Spoiler alert: God has truly been blessing us, financially and in other ways. For instance, two of the pastors who attended Connect are from churches that are considering whether to join our FEBC family. And while Gary’s position is not yet fully funded through pledges, we received enough one-time gifts that his received support for last year was over 100% for the first time.
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Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!

Connect27 will be held at Henderson Bible Church (Henderson, NE) on July 8-10, 2027. Now would be a great time to mark your calendar.
See you there!

Next Article in Aug/Sept Issue