In a land where diverse cultures meet vibrant warm hospitality, Hope International Ministries held its Global Leadership Conference 2023 (GLC23) after a three-year hiatus in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. 530 pastors and leaders from 64 churches and 19 countries joined the conference themed “Transforming Lives Everywhere!” The conference kickstarted with a Pastors and Coordinators Gathering on the 3 July where many pastors, coordinators, and church core team members gathered to be inspired, connect, and hear from the elders before kickstarting the conference which was held from the 4-6 July.
On 4 July, the main conference began with a bang as everyone from different parts of the world filled the Imperial Hotel hallway to register and finally connect in-person. Many swarmed to the carnival booth before the session began where they experienced the local culture by walking through different booths that included a live band, a photo booth where delegates could take pictures wearing traditional Sarawakian clothing, merchandise booths, a dart booth where delegates can have fun together, and an exotic animals booth where different exotic animals were put on display and made the highlight of the carnival: mealworm tasting!
Throughout the conference, there were many different sessions where different Pastors shared their heart for the church, what God has been doing, and what is to come for the movement. On the 4 and 5 July, there were TEG talks (Transformed by Encounters with God) where many different people from the movement shared their stories and experiences about “Transforming Lives Everywhere” and “Generations”. The TEG talks aimed to foster inspiration and learning, to provoke conversations which were carried out during the long lunches thereafter where delegates were able to have lunch and personally interact with their preferred TEG Talk speaker.
Our Elders also shared their heart with inspiring messages throughout the three days. Ps Wilson shared a powerful message titled “Immeasurably More to Come” on the first day, setting the expectation of the great things to come during the conference and beyond. On the second day, he shared the stage with Ps Lance to bring an impactful message on “Spiritual Covering through Spiritual Parenting” highlighting that spiritual parenting is like a loving embrace from God and displays the nature of God the Father to those we lead. On the same day as well, Ps Denis shared a compelling message about “Generations”, highlighting the importance of every generation and that every generation is for the next generation. On the final day, Ps Simon shared his heart on “Maximising Who You Are and what God Has Given to You” in our quest to transform lives everywhere. Later that day, this message was further reinforced as pastors and leaders from different regions took the stage to share their Transforming Lives Everywhere testimonies.
A highlight of the conference which many were queuing for, was the Prophetic Impartation session. The session was held on the 5 July where a limited number of delegates were able to register for a prophetic impartation by Pastor Lai Ling and her team. The session aimed to encourage, exhort, comfort, confirm, direct, and even bring correction through the prophetic word.
Another highlight of the conference was the Leaders Connect for Singles on the last day of the conference. This networking session gave a space for singles in the movement to gather, build friendships, and foster meaningful connections with engaging icebreakers and thought-provoking conversations. The session assisted delegates to broaden connections with leaders across the globe who shared the same vision and DNA.
The conference ended with an experience like none other. Everyone dressed up in different traditional clothing and gathered as one to celebrate with a celebrative dinner. People of different cultures and backgrounds came together as a family to celebrate the diversity, unity, and beauty of the Hope family. The night started with a cultural dance around the world by brothers and sisters from Hope Kota Samarahan, followed by feasting of delicious Chinese banquet, fun and jaw-dropping activities where the flexibility of the regional pastors was tested, and ending with an appreciation session, “We Celebrate You”, for all the regions across the globe. The room was filled with great vibrancy and love as everyone picked up their red napkins and spun them in circles which painted a beautiful picture of the unity and diversity of the Hope Family. As the night continued, many continued with a jamming and dancing session with one another as the worship team encored.
GLC23 Kids Program
Throughout the conference, the little ones were not forgotten! The children also followed the theme “Transforming Lives Everywhere!” and had a fun time together as they went to the Borneo Cultures Museum, and Fun Factor on the first day. Followed by a Mini Olympics and a learning trip to the fire station and ending the conference with a fun-filled session— “The Art of Picasso” at Hope Church Kuching.
GLC23 Community Impact Initiatives
During GLC23, we undertook two impactful Community Impact initiatives as well. Through Tech for Pastors (T4P), we collected 36 mobile phones, 2 tablets, and 5 laptops to support pastors and leaders in India and Africa. Additionally, through Books Build Legacy (BBL) in collaboration with Business Events Sarawak, we gathered 499 books for the libraries in rural areas of Sarawak. We thank the delegates for their generous contributions.
Optional Extra Activities
From 7 to 9 July, optional extra activities were held where different delegates could sign up for different activities like volunteering at an NGO—Hope Place, connecting with a life group, joining the Ablaze Glocal Legacy, or going on the Borneo Odyssey 1.0 mission trip!
12 international delegates from GLC volunteered at Hope Place. There were broken into two groups where the first painted and cleaned a house for an octogenarian man who lives alone, and the second group delivered food aid to two families who lived across a hanging bridge where the delegates had to hike the Padawan hills for more than 30 minutes while carrying the food.
“Everyone had an adventurous time that tested their physical endurance, yet this experience was truly memorable for them and gave them the chance to be the salt and light to society.” – Hope Place Staff
80 youth leaders from across the globe gathered for Ablaze Glocal Legacy to connect and celebrate God’s faithfulness. The event kickstarted on the 7 July with an icebreaker and encouraging stories of God’s power at work from Ablaze Manila, Bacoor, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, and Penang. Pastor Torch from Hope Brisbane shared about “Passing on Your Legacy” in which he exhorted each delegate to receive, run, and relay the flame with perseverance so that every next generation will know God. He also shared about “Generation Discipleship” which addressed issues of disengaged youths in the church and promoted intergenerational mentoring. This was followed by a practical activity of evaluating the effectiveness of respective Life Groups using a Ministry Assessment Tool. The event ended with an “Encounter Night” where youths from Ablaze Kuching gathered with the 80 youth leaders to worship and seek God’s Presence. Many youths received personal rhema words from God and were ministered to.
“Despite challenging times, God had remained faithful by bringing in the young generation and strengthening the leaders to disciple them. We were reminded that the harvest is truly plentiful, but the workers are few – but God is able!” – Gladys Tan, Hope Kuching
During the Borneo Odyssey 1.0 mission trip, delegates from Hope Kuching, Hope Auckland, Hope Newcastle, Hope Sandakan, and Hope Hobart were able to reach 72 families in Kuching, Engkilili, Longshe, Sapit Village, Tanjung Manis, and Sibu longhouses. Many seeds were sown, along with four salvations during the trip!
“We praise God for His provision, support, protection, and presence. for the trip to Kampung Senyaruk, Sibu. There was heavy rain and we waited cause it was dangerous to drive in the rain. But after we finished praying and decided to depart, the rain stopped. The road condition was very challenging after rain (slippery and steep), we really prayed hard during the journey.” – Daniel Lee, Hope Kuching
“The genuine love that comes from Abba God that touches people and simple faith for Abba God to answer prayers for people’s needs.” – Pey Bin, Hope Perth
