North America (MNN) — The Great Commission is too big for anyone to accomplish alone and too important not to try to do together. How does this collaboration happen? Ted Esler, president of Missio Nexus, believes it starts with access to resources and each other.
Missio Nexus is a collaborative network of mission organizations from the United States and Canada partnering in the Great Commission. They host a yearly leadership conference to bring together ministries attacking similar problems, such as cross-cultural evangelism and translating the Bible.
Image courtesy of Missio Nexus
“We try to get those leaders that are solving similar problems in the room at the same time in order to see information sharing lead to breakthroughs, to learn what others are doing, and just to see generally how we can be more effective at fulfilling the Great Commission,” Esler says.
Dwell: Shaping Global Disciples will convene September 23–25, 2026, in Orlando, Florida.
“Each year we have a theme. This year, our theme is discipleship. We’re actually on a three-year theme run. Last year, we talked about evangelism. This year, it’s discipleship, and next year it’ll be about planting churches,” Esler says.
“Those three are the primary outworkings of the Great Commission on the mission field: evangelism, discipleship, and planting churches.”
Discipleship is a unique challenge in areas of the world where Christianity is persecuted and suppressed. An Iranian pastor is coming to speak on what living out your faith looks like under a regime hostile to Christianity.
“The Iranian church is one that we often point to as an example where the Gospel is spreading,” Esler says.
Also this year, the wife of an imprisoned Chinese pastor will share how discipleship happens under persecution from the Chinese government.
Image courtesy of Missio Nexus
How you can get involved
You do not have to be at a Mission Nexus conference to be part of Gospel work.
Esler says, “You might not feel like [the conference] applies to you directly, but you should be thinking about how you can participate in the global Great Commission, and one way to do that is to be praying for us as we meet.”
You can find materials on the Missio Nexus website designed to equip Christians to evangelize and make disciples. Esler encourages Christians to pray and consider giving.
One of Esler’s encouraging reports is that local churches in North America are more involved in missions than ever. Pray that they would learn how to be more effective in the work they are doing. One way is for them to meet ministry leaders that can supercharge their efforts. Pray for good attendance at the conference and for leaders to have the resources they need to get there.
Header image courtesy of Missio Nexus.
