Over 330 delegates from numerous countries attended Connexions 2022 over the weekend of April 29 to May 1 at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in Birmingham, West Midlands.
Connexions is the national convention run by the Good News for Everyone! organisation, which seeks to connect attendees more deeply with God’s word.
In a speech introducing the convention, Good News for Everyone! president, Bill Thomas [pictured], said: “I want to add my word of welcome to everybody here and at home and especially our international visitors from other countries.
“I think this year we have a more international convention than ever before. International connections are being made here and we thank God for that.
“We welcome our guests from Canada, Sweden, Iceland, Germany, Serbia, India, Iran, the USA and the UK. All these nations are here celebrating and it’s so exciting. We speak different languages to each other, we’re miles away but we’re all one in the Lord, Jesus Christ, which is what this convention is all about.”
Across the weekend, multiple sessions were held covering subjects such as Bible teaching, testimonies of lives transformed through reading God’s word, encouraging reports from around the country and internationally, and other inspiring content.
One of the keynote speakers to appear at Connexions 2022 was Robert J. Morgan, the teaching pastor of The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has served for over 40 years. Morgan is a published and best-selling author with over 35 books written and approximately five million copies in circulation in multiple languages. He is also a seasoned public speaker having appeared on television and radio, as well as having spoken at churches, conferences, schools, and corporate events.
Other notable guest speakers included Giorgio Gori, the vice-president of international growth at gospel organisation ShareWord Global; Catherine Erbetta, the ladies’ president of Good News for Everyone!; and Lat Blaylock from National Association of Teachers of Religious Education [NATRE], who presented on connecting with schools post-Covid, NATRE’s longstanding relationship with the iconic ‘little red Bible’ and new resources including the Discover Good News for Everyone Magazine.
Blaylock highlighted some of the upcoming opportunities for the scripture to be shared in the 20,000-plus primary schools in the UK, saying: “I’m delighted with the way in which a new initiative has been taken to put the scripture into the hands of children between the ages of seven and 11.
“We have created this Bible exploration magazine called Discover Good News for Everyone. It includes 90 pages or so of scripture extracts aim in a style friendly to seven-to-11-year-olds, as well as quizzes questions, thought provokers and spaces for children to write their own notes.
“The magazine is available for classroom use as well as individual use for children to take home and have their own copy to show parents and siblings. It is a completely new way of sharing scripture and the good news for everyone in the primary school setting.”
Connexions 2022 also marked a significant milestone for Good News for Everyone! and the wider Christian community, with everyone meeting together again after a two-year hiatus of the convention due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
There were also times of prayer set aside for the situation currently unfolding in Ukraine, with the work of Good News for Everyone! in partnership with Mission Eurasia showcased during the weekend, detailing how they are working in tandem to help civilians affected by the crisis.
