Around 3,500 people from the USA/Canada Region gathered 10-12 February at the Kansas City Convention Center for M25, the region’s missional conference held every four years. The conference focused on evangelism, with the theme of “Gospel: Bringing people to Jesus.”

"The Lord met his people at M25 as we lifted up 'Bringing people to Jesus,'" said USA/Canada Region Director Stan Reeder. "Every time I think of the way the Spirit moved, my eyes fill with tears. The Lord is doing a deeper, further work across the USA and Canada. He is enlarging our hearts for the lost."

Workshops and mega-seminars helped contextualize the conference theme for attendees serving in various ministries, from compassionate work to local churches. The exhibit hall was filled with 92 vibrant exhibits from Nazarene ministries and partner organizations.

A team of worship leaders and musicians from around the region led worship during each plenary session. The plenary sessions were titled Begin, Relate, Imagine, Next, and Gospel, an acronym for “BRING,” emphasizing bringing people to Jesus.

USA/Canada Region Director Stan Reeder opened M25’s plenary sessions with his sermon titled “Begin.” Reeder focused on the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15, asking the church to pray for God to give them a heart for the lost.

General Superintendent Carla Sunberg spoke on Tuesday morning with a message on “Relate.” She explored the story of the revival on the Isle of Lewis and the relational nature that gives revival a platform. She closed by encouraging the church to come to the Lord with clean hands and hearts so that revival may come.

Adam Keller, youth pastor at Valparaiso Church of the Nazarene in Indiana, said the part of Sunberg’s message that stood out to him was that revival often starts with laity.

“As a youth pastor, part of my job is being relational with the students and helping them understand that God wants to work through them,” Keller said.

LaMorris Crawford, a Nazarene evangelist, spoke on Tuesday night and encouraged the church to be willing to "Imagine" what God’s power can do and the great things that may come even if we are in “the pit” or “the palace.”

Kevin Jack, lead pastor at Church for the One in Lakeland, Florida, spoke on Wednesday morning under the theme “Next.” He discussed the parable of the sower, encouraging sowers to recognize that the power is truly in the seed and to sow seeds for an awakening generation.

John C. Maxwell gave the final plenary session on Wednesday night. He shared his experiences sharing the "Gospel" and leading people to faith in Christ. He challenged the church to be willing and intentional about entering “their” world to reach the lost and bring them to Jesus.

Among the 3,500 present at M25 were 250 college students from five schools in the USA/Canada Region. They enjoyed a special event on Tuesday night, hosted at the College Basketball Hall of Fame and hosted by the USA/Canada Nazarene Youth International team.

Amber Evans, a sophomore at Southern Nazarene University, said the event was an impactful and encouraging experience for college students and future ministers in the Church of the Nazarene.

“We’re not just the church of tomorrow but the church of today,” Evans said. “I think that’s been encouraging and supportive.”