May 2023 - Converge MidAmerica

Thank you for joining us for our 2023 Converge Celebration Banquets in Chicago and Orlando.

Our Chicago Banquet and the inaugural Southeast Banquet were both incredibly successful because of your attendance and giving.
The Celebration Banquet has been a pivotal part of Converge MidAmerica’s history for over 25 years. Representatives from our churches come and enjoy a meal, warm fellowship, inspiring worship, powerful testimonies, and challenging preaching.

Here are some quick stats:

Over 100 churches sent over 800 people.
Chicago had 650 attendees.
Orlando had 160 attendees.
Over $210,000 came in from our generous supporters. Your donations broke our previous giving record of $201,000 in 2016.

Thank you for making Converge MSC what it is today. Without you and your church’s involvement, Converge would not exist.
Special thanks to Wanda Manning. Her leadership over these years has taken this banquet to new levels of success and fruitfulness. Also, thank you to the Converge MidAmerica Administrative team whose servant hearts made this event special on every level.

Did you miss the banquet?
We’re sorry we didn’t see you this year. It is still not too late to give!
This year’s donations are going to support two different aspects of our ministry:

Church Planting Matching Grants
Work funds for our 6 Network Leaders in Haiti who oversee over 300,000 churches

View photos from our Chicago and Orlando Converge events here

On the far right of this photo stands a man from Kuwait whose search for the Christian faith brought him to our doorstep. With burning questions and a deep desire to learn more about Jesus, he scoured the internet for an Arabic church, and it was Hope Arabic Church that caught his eye. Despite reaching out to them, they somehow missed his messages. Eventually, this man decided he needed to meet them in person, so he booked a plane ticket and flew from Kuwait to Michigan to meet their pastor — Avdal Boktor, whom he followed on social media — at a Sunday morning service.

After attending the Sunday service and meeting with Pastor Avdal, they welcomed him with open arms and answered his questions. They shared the message of salvation with him, and at the end of the meeting, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.

From that moment on, they continued to guide and disciple him online, with him returning to Michigan three times for intensive courses on the basics of Christian faith. On April 9, 2023, he returned once more to be baptized.

Throughout this incredible journey, they have witnessed the power of God’s hand in bringing people together across oceans and cultures. Hope Arabic Church gives all the glory to God for using them as a church and reaching the Muslim world from their humble corner of America. May this story inspire all of us to reach out to those seeking the freedom only found in Jesus, and may we be a beacon of hope for those who are searching.