The invitation-only congress brings together hundreds of evangelical Christian leaders from across Europe for specialised training, mentoring, resource sharing, and networking.
A moment of prayer in the last ELF conference, in 2015. / FOCL
Registration is now open for the 14th annual European Leadership Forum. The upcoming meeting, which will take place from 21 May – 26 May, 2016, is to be held in Wis?a, Poland.
Participants are grouped into 26 learning communities called Networks, which focus on such diverse areas as Bible teaching and preaching, marriage and family, fundraising, organisational leadership, church planting, science, counselling, politics and public policy, and discipleship.
An expo will connect attendees with dozens of Christian organisations and universities. Special year-round mentoring opportunities allow many participants to meet at the Forum and then to participate in further training through small group webinars and sessions over the course of a year. Read a report about the 2015 ELF conference.
One of the roundtable discussions happening during the conference. / FOCL
SPEAKERS
The 2016 Forum’s plenary speakers include:
- John Piper, author, speaker, and Chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary
- Sabine Kalthoff, Secretary for Scripture Engagement for IFES
- Stefan Gustavsson, General Secretary of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance and a member of the ELF steering committee
- Dave Patty, Founder and President of Josiah Venture.
Dozens of other speakers will lead workshops, network sessions, debates, etc.
“A PLACE TO SHARE STRUGGLES AND JOYS WITH PEERS”
Nearly 700 participants are expected to attend to the conference. For many participants, the yearly Forum meeting is an oasis of community.
“If I have to name something in the last 10-12 years that was especially influential in shaping who I am, I would certainly name the European Leadership Forum,” said Adam Szabados, a Hungarian pastor and PhD student from Veszprém. “When I came to the ELF the first time, I was an isolated pastor, a pastor who was isolated in the ministry surrounded by many people who were drifting away from the faith. So it was a very discouraging situation. And I had no idea there were so many other Christian leaders like me who either were struggling like me or had already found a larger fellowship or a pool of resources that they could rebuild their convictions. And so when I came here I was just shocked by what I had experienced at the Forum.”
Networks and small groups are central in the programme. / FOCL“I think the Forum has affected me and my ministry by being a fantastic place to meet people, and to connect with other ministries, to network,” added Joel Morris, who is the Chief Operating Officer of the Wales Evangelical School of Theology.
“It's been an encouraging place, a place to share difficulties, hurts, struggles, joys, with peers, and there are some real Gospel-hearted people who have become my friends. It feels like family in my Network…. It really feels like a second home, in a sense, because we're all in the struggle together, we're all committed together, and you really sense that. And that is tremendously encouraging.”
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR CERTAIN EUROPEAN REGIONS
An early-bird discount is available to those who apply to attend the Forum by Tuesday, 22 September. Scholarships are also offered to participants who are native to Central, Eastern, and Southern European countries.
For more information, visit the European Leadership Forum website and the 2016 event page.
Listen an interview with ELF director Greg Pritchard here:
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