At the upcoming 31st General Assembly and Conventions in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, held 25 June – 2 July 2027, the global Church of the Nazarene comes together for a time of worship, reflection, celebration and vision casting, alongside conducting the necessary quadrennial business of the denomination.
Part of this special week are the Local Church Ministries Conventions, which is comprised of the Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI), Nazarene Missions International (NMI), and Nazarene Youth International (NYI) conventions. This article explores the NDI Convention.
When and where is the NDI Convention?
The NDI Convention will take place in the Grand Ballroom of the Kansas City Convention Center. The convention opens the 31st General Assembly and Conventions in conjunction with the rest of the local church ministries for an opening service at 8 a.m. central time on Friday 25 June. The NDI Convention will conclude following the quadrennial address delivered the morning of Monday 28 June.
For more information on the NDI Convention schedule, click here.
Who attends the NDI Convention?
The Global NDI Convention includes leaders from every level of the church and every region of the world. Ex-officio delegates include district superintendents, district NDI presidents, elected district discipleship ministry coordinators, regional and field NDI coordinators, other designated NDI leaders, and professors from Nazarene educational institutions.
Every district also elects at least four additional delegates or a number equal to 10% of the organized churches on the district, whichever is greater. That means pastors, lay leaders, teachers, small-group leaders, children’s ministry leaders, and others actively engaged in discipleship can be elected to represent their district.
At the Global NDI Convention, the people who are passionate about discipleship come together from around the world to worship, connect, learn, celebrate, and help shape the future of discipleship in the Church of the Nazarene.
While business conducted during the NDI Convention is specifically for those indicated above, any member of the Church of the Nazarene is invited to attend any of the NDI plenary sessions and workshops.
What happens at the NDI Convention?
NDI will conduct plenary sessions for connection, inspiration, and vision casting. The convention will also include workshops and caucuses where delegates can be trained. Additionally, NDI will have a presence in the exhibit hall where guests and delegates alike can interact with the NDI team.
For the first time in 2023, General Assembly Kids provided a child-focused worship experience for all kids attending General Assembly and Conventions with their families. This tradition continues in 2027, with more than 2,000 children expected to participate.
Global NDI Director Sam Barber hopes that the NDI Convention will inspire and equip leaders to make discipleship a way of life, connecting people across cultures and generations around the shared mission of making Christlike disciples in the nations.
Why is the NDI Convention important?
“We want to celebrate what God is doing through discipleship, cast vision for where God is leading us, equip leaders to make disciples, and mobilize every ministry of the church around our shared mission of making Christlike disciples in the nations,” said Barber. “We want people to leave Kansas City believing that discipleship is not simply another ministry of the church – it is the mission of the church.”
To learn more information about the 31st General Assembly and Conventions, click here.