Acts 29 Events
Virtual U.S. Conference
“Our hope was that the content of the conference would encourage church leaders to ‘Remain Faithful’ as they serve and lead during times of uncertainty. . .”
― Rebekah Paz
The pandemic prompted Acts 29’s first virtual conference. On October 13 and 14, we hosted the online event that was free for attendees. After more than six months of COVID-19, people were clearly longing for community. Though we would always rather meet in person, our online conference served as a connection point in an isolated time. It provided the feeling of being together—even virtually. Our hope was that the content of the conference would encourage church leaders to “Remain Faithful” as they serve and lead during times of uncertainty, fear, and strife, continuing to point a hurting world to the truth of the gospel.
―Rebekah Paz, Director of Events
There were 2,016 registered attendees.
13 countries were represented: USA, Peru, Ireland, England, France, Germany, Australia, Slovakia, South Africa, Kenya, Canada, India, and Guatemala.
More than 75% of attendees were not lead pastors, which aligns with our desire to speak to and support church leaders more broadly.
Global Prayer Meeting
“[We are] praying that God would use us in his service so that people meet Jesus.”
― Philip Moore
The Global Prayer Meeting started with the global pandemic as a response to a crisis. It has evolved into a summary of what Acts 29 is—a global network made up of gospel activists in churches all around the world committed to the same glorious mission and dependent on the same powerful God, praying that God would use us in his service so that people meet Jesus.
— Philip Moore, Associate Director of Acts 29 and Network Director, Europe
Global Prayer Meetings began in April 2020 and continue quarterly.
We’ve had up to 200 people in multiple time zones gathering online to pray together.
Acts 29 India National Summit
“The Acts 29 Summit helped build relationships and momentum for future initiatives, such as Church in Hard Places apprenticeships.”
― Jeff Neville
The India Summit was designed as a catalyst to build momentum for church planting in this huge country. India has the largest concentration of unreached people groups in the world. It also represents a hard place for gospel work when you consider the difficulty of reaching the urban poor, countless rural villages, and the complexity of growing persecution. With a population of 1.3 billion people and such lostness, it is the embodiment of a plentiful harvest with few laborers. The Acts 29 Summit helped build relationships and momentum for future initiatives, such as Church in Hard Places apprenticeships.
— Jeff Neville, India Catalyst for Emerging Regions
Assessment Conferences
“We have not lost hope in
what God has done and will continue to do! Praise God!”
― Tyler Deaton
In 2020, phrases like "expect the unexpected," "it is what it is," and "due to COVID . . ." expressed our resolve to accept how very difficult and exhausting our circumstances were. The pandemic’s emotional and physical toll and the rising social issues have affected every person, industry, and business model in some way, including assessment at Acts 29. We’ve had plans upended, trips canceled, and events postponed. But despite this tumult, God has continued to advance the church. We adjusted and held assessments online, expanding our ability to assess more planters in the future even as we move out of 2020 and into a new normal. We have not lost hope in what God has done and will continue to do! Praise God!
―Tyler Deaton, Director of Assessment
Over the course of 2020, we assessed more than 60 pastors and their wives.
We welcomed 74 churches into membership globally.
Of these, 25 were brand new church plants!
Pastor-to-Pastor
”We care about the work, but we care about your worship also. These calls exist to provide opportunities for pastors to talk and get support.”
― Dr. Doug Logan
Pastor-to-Pastor calls exist to care for the souls of our pastors. In the past, Acts 29 leaders have sometimes taken care of business but not pastors, leading to damaged hearts. We want to be lovers of people, not just lovers of planting. As I watched dear brothers succumb to life’s burdens, I wanted to create a space—an online living room—to talk directly to pastors about their problems, predicaments, and pressures. We care about the work, but we care about your worship also. These calls exist to provide opportunities for pastors to talk and get support.
―Doug Logan, Associate Director of Acts 29
Up to 200 pastors have attended Pastor-to-Pastor calls.
The first two calls, launched toward the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, were led by Paul Tripp and Ed Welch. Dwayne Bond, Doug Logan, and many others continue to provide gospel-centered counsel to Acts 29 pastors every month.
Pastor-to-Pastor calls are now moving forward into healing cohorts so pastors can access localized groups for accountability and support.
COVID Coaching
“We saw an urgent need for Acts 29 churches. . . . To address these things and offer our pastors practical resources, we hosted a series of online, town hall meetings led by Brian Howard.”
― Rachel Wolverton
When the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading worldwide and impacting all our lives, we saw an urgent need for support and advice for Acts 29 churches. Pastors suddenly had to adjust to online services, technology, decision fatigue, a new kind of pastoral care, financial pressures, health concerns, government regulations, deciphering payroll protection loans, and the CARES Act. To address these things and offer our pastors practical resources, we hosted a series of online, town hall meetings led by Brian Howard.
— Rachel Wolverton, Director of Marketing and Communications
As many as 200 different pastors joined our Zoom Covid calls.
An online session from our financial managers at Finch, PC, was dedicated to explaining the CARES Act and providing the information churches needed to access payroll protection for their staff.
Q&A in each call allowed pastors to fellowship and share ideas.
Vision Dinners
“This new plan—developed out of necessity—enabled us to introduce more people across the USA to Acts 29.”
― Ann Hastings
Acts 29 typically holds an annual Gala in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, but this past year had to be different. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we decided to ask partners and pastors all across the country to host a Vision Dinner at their home or a favorite restaurant. This new plan—developed out of necessity—enabled us to introduce more people across the USA to Acts 29. What started as Plan B turned into a plan we'll use from now on! People appreciated a smaller setting, new folks were invited into comfortable venues to see Acts 29's heart for church planting, and our hosts enjoyed telling their friends about something they're involved in and asking them to participate in the mission. We do hope to host our Gala again this year. But in any case, we're excited to continue to encourage and support Vision Dinners year-round.
―Ann Hastings, Director of Partnership Development
Two hundred people attended Vision Dinners in 2020.
We hosted 11 Vision Dinners across the USA: 8 in Texas and one each in Washington, D.C., Tennessee, and Virginia.
Dinners were held in various locations—homes, restaurants, and private venues—with great success.