The 2008 Purpose@Work conference was held on April 2 to 4 at the Holiday Inn Select on Dixon Road. Our host there was Bevan Marsh and he and his wonderful staff were excellent in providing a first class environment for a business conference. We had the privilege of praying for Bevan at the conclusion of this memorable event in Toronto! He is a great example of a “workplace minister” who does his work diligently as unto the Lord.

The Workplace Transformation Group that has organized both the 2007 and now the 2008 conferences is motivated by the simple admonition of the Lord that we are to bring the Kingdom of God to our workplace in order to strengthen the work of the Church in bringing transformation to cities and nations! The Holy Spirit is mobilizing great numbers of workplace leaders who are clearly anointed for business and passionate about their calling as ministers in the marketplace. These conferences have successfully ignited this same passion in hundreds of Canadian leaders, men and women who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ and are determined to serve Him by being His ambassadors every day.

We have measured the “success” of the conference only by the response of the delegates. By this measure the event was an unqualified success. Even the National Post decided to report on this “Faith goes to work” event on Saturday April 5^th and placed it on the front page!

Defining moments…let me identify four…perhaps five.

• Ed Silvoso’s passionate declaration that transformed cites will bring an end to systemic poverty.
• Linda Rios Brook’s testimony of how it is that God can use the creativity of leaders in business in combination with the things of the world (T.V.) to bring about spiritual transformation in an industry and a city.
• David Rae’s confession that though he is not an ‘evangelist’ he once knelt beside a 6’7” friend who insisted on kneeling to commit his life to Christ while traveling with David in Business class on a trip in the U.S.A.
• Lloyd Reeb, who was placed last among the four keynote speakers on Thursday morning, captured the hearts of the delegates with his easy delivery and his challenge for each of them to discover their personal passion and to pursue greater significance in kingdom work…without leaving their current position.
• Finally, although I will not mention their names, our Breakout speakers have received rave revues and many have reported “life-changing” experiences as a result of their presentations.

It is time for all Christians to be sure of their calling and to be equipped for service in the marketplace. God loves the city and Jesus died to redeem it. On Sunday night at The Peoples Church, 39 responded to an altar call to be commissioned as Marketplace Ministers. Our desire is that this could happen in every church in Canada so that the Kingdom of God would reside in workplaces everywhere! There are many resources and books available to those who are ready to enlist.

We would ask that all those interested in this movement of God check out our web site for next steps and for links to other helpful sites on Workplace ministry. Talk to your Pastor about a commissioning service and download the “Declaration Certificates” that can be used for that purpose. Let’s shake the foundation of this great nation by our diligence at work and our love for others and for our City!

Gerry Organ

Thanks to all who enjoyed all of part of the conference! Feedback has already suggested some amazing impact and we continue to trust God to do His transforming work in people, in their workplaces and in the Nation of Canada. Some excellent presentation to our nation was made in the Saturday, April 5 issue of the National Post (front page!). Read and be blessed...

When faith goes to work
BY CHARLES LEWIS
National Post
05 Apr 2008

Linda Rios Brook loves the New Testament story of the slave who was a lousy investor. This parable that Jesus taught is proof, she told a conference of evangelical businesspeople in Toronto this week, that the marketplace does not have to be... read more...

As ‘The Chair’ of the Purpose@Work conference I am genuinely excited about this upcoming event in Toronto.

Having been associated with many such undertakings over the last 30 years, I can honestly feel the difference in seeing the Lord at work in the hearts of business and professional people across this land and all over the world. It is a new day for Christians in the workplace!

The workplace and the marketplace are to be “redeemed” and God is going to use you to change the landscape.

I invite you to book the time now and anticipate being part of this conference, April 2-4, 2008 at the Holiday Inn Select near the Toronto Airport. You will ‘make the connection’ with Christian leaders who share your desire for a significant role in God’s plans for Canada and who want to be inspired and equipped to do so with excellence.

Please let me know that you plan to come even if you do not register today. But please register soon…the momentum is part of the excitement and the goal is to have as many as possible in attendance. Our speakers and presenters are ready to come to Toronto to be a blessing to all of us. 

Click here for more details, or to register

This is Kingdom work and God alone is to be glorified.

Come…bring your friends, family and associates…make a great contribution to this movement of the Holy Spirit and to the very practical, every day challenges of doing Business God’s way!

Looking forward to seeing your in April,

Gerry Organ

That Jesus, a carpenter, was a businessman often escapes us. God knows all about succeeding in business. The purpose@work conference will help us learn how to best integrate our faith in our workplace so we can feel authentic, affirmed, inspired, relevant, resourced, networked and effective. If it is half as good as last year it will make a deep difference in all of our lives. This is a ‘must come to’ event! Pastors wanting to better understand, attract and minister to their business people have two breakouts specifically designed for them: Breakout I will be with Ed Silvoso and myself and Breakout II will be a panel discussion with key business people.

David Arrol Macfarlane
   Director, National Initiatives

   The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
   Tel:  519.880.9959
   Cell: 519.503.8380

   Together for influence, impact and identity

Some of you may be asking questions about the Purpose@Work conference, such as ‘who is behind it?’, ‘where did come from?’ and ‘where is it going?’.   I will briefly review how we got to where we are today.

In October 2005 Henry Blackaby challenged a group of Christian business people at the Toronto Stock Exchange to "Know and follow God's agenda".  Following the meeting I shared with him the vision for holding a Christian workplace conference in Toronto. He believed business leaders in Canada were ready for this and agreed to speak at the event.  God providentially worked things out so that he, along with Ken Blanchard, Oz Hillman and approximately 300 others attended the first Purpose@Work conference in March 2007.  Every province of Canada was represented, except one, and the resounding response from the delegates was "do it again!".

So here we are again with an amazing group of keynote speakers and workshop leaders. It is very hard to communicate the quality and depth of these people. They are all totally committed to making a significant difference in and through the workplace for God’s glory. This again is a "do not miss event" and I encourage you to make plans to be there as soon as possible. I honestly believe you will not regret attending.

The Workplace Transformation Group (WTG) was formed to champion this national annual event and is chaired by Gerry Organ.  The WTG is operating on a partnership platform of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.  This year’s steering committee is comprised of:  Gerry Organ (One Way Ministries), David Macfarlane (EFC), Jessica Parker (CBMC), Robert Melnichuk (Crossroads Global Core Group), Bruce Smith (King-Bay Chaplaincy), John Friesen and Lynda Watkins (Fair Havens Ministries) and myself, Ian McSporran (Coldwell Banker Realty).

This year there will be a pastor’s track as well as a special workshop track for emerging leaders (under 35's).  My encouragement to each and every one of you is simply to "be there".  This year the schedule begins on Wednesday evening (April 2^nd) and goes through until Friday afternoon (April 4^th).  The schedule on Thursday is morning until late evening so we recommend that you reserve a room at the Holiday Inn Express (we have great rates for anyone attending the conference) so you can get full benefit from the event.

Where to from here? Good question and a great one to put to our God. It is His agenda we are seeking and not ours.

I am looking forward to meeting many of you in April.

Blessings,

Ian McSporran
Founding Member of the WTG

My life’s journey since following Jesus Christ has been an incredible and wonderful experience. The Lord has indeed blessed me and has seen fit to use me in a wide diversity of ministries beginning with professional football and culminating most recently with leading the CBMC national initiative.

My family has grown (see most recent snap shot) and my extended family of friends and brothers and sisters in Christ number in the hundreds across this nation and around the world. I have traveled to and spoken in places such as South Africa, Korea and China, Mexico and Kampala, Uganda.

The good news is that God is not finished with me. I sense that this leg of the journey with One Way will be enriching, challenging and fruitful as I seek to walk closely with the Lord and to work collaboratively with others to bring about the unity of the church and a deeper life spiritual experience for many. Thank God for my wife and family, for close friends who continue to support the work of the Lord and for those stalwarts who are my spiritual mentors and leaders. Together we can see the evidence of redemption purchased at the Cross of Calvary. We must redeem the time, work with authority, walk in humility and expect to witness the transformation of lives and of cities.

Thank God that this short trip on earth is not as a spectator but is intended to be as a farmer, a soldier, an athlete and most of all, as a servant. There is work for me and for you to do. Let us do it fervently and joyfully until He comes or calls us home.

1 John 4:19
“We love because He first loved us.”

A quote from Lore Organ (Nov. 2006)

“In our situation-a transition-we are resting from this aspect of His work (CBMC)-as a completed work for us- so we need to enter that rest and trust in His vision for the future”

A fresh surrender is essential in order to find His perfect will.

A focus of the recent issue of Christianity Today is Business as Mission!  'Companies around the globe are mixing profits with gospel ministry.'  Click here to read more.

We are inviting individuals and organizations to become financial sponsors of this event.  Download the sponsorship information kit today and consider joining us in this important role.  Your organization/business will get some great exposure while helping fulfill an integral role in this transformational event!  Click on the sponsors link and download the kit today or email sponsorships@workplacetransformation.ca.

Don't delay, register today and receive Ed Silvoso's 'Annointed for Business'.