“…the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob…’”
Isaiah 2:2-3
As we begin 2026, First Presbyterian Church has much to celebrate in the work of global missions. The Global Missions Conference is a time to reflect on God’s faithfulness, learn about His work around the world, and renew our commitment to making disciples locally and globally.
For the second year in a row, missions giving at First Pres has surpassed one million dollars, the first time this has happened in nearly twenty years. Because of God’s provision through His people, support for our missionaries has remained steady. At the same time, the need continues to grow as new mission opportunities emerge around the world.
Through the careful oversight of the Missions and Outreach Committee, the church supports more than 100 missionaries, campus ministers, and church planters. While some partnerships change over time, the work remains the same: steady, faithful, God-honoring service.
The conference will highlight how God is at work through these partnerships. We invite you to pray, learn, and participate in God’s mission. Together, we look forward with gratitude for what God has done and anticipation for what He will continue to do.
Conference Schedule
| Date | Event |
| Saturday, February 21 5-6:15 p.m. Sanctuary | Opening Session with Kevin DeYoung Nursery available for children age 3 and younger |
| Sunday, February 22 8:30 & 11 a.m. & 6 p.m. Sanctuary | Lord’s Day Worship with Kevin DeYoung Nursery available for children age 3 and younger |
| Sunday, February 22 dismissed from evening worship | Sunday Night Children’s Programs Age four through third grade with Alex & Maggie Halbert |
| Sunday, February 22 7:30 p.m. | Senior High Insight grades 9-12 Wright and Elizabeth Busching |
| Tuesday, February 24 12 p.m. Patterson Hall | Weekday Prayer Meeting Bring your own lunch Special focus on global missions |
| Tuesday, February 24 | Young Adults Bible Studies with Daniel Brink and Kaylee and Megan Contact the Young Adults Staff for more info. |
| Wednesday, February 25 | Missions Midweek 5 p.m. Dinner with Missions Guests in Miller Hall 6 p.m. Missions Midweek Session in Miller Hall 6 p.m. Children’s Missions Time in Regular Locations Nursery available for children age 3 and younger |
| Thursday, February 26 Register Below | Women’s Missions Events two options to choose from: 11:30 a.m. Lunch in Miller Hall 6 p.m. Dinner in Patterson Hall with Kiki Adams, Katy Brink, Elizabeth Busching, and Rhonda Conroy Nursery available for children age 3 and younger upon request |
| Thursday, February 26 Register Below | Men’s Missions Event 6 p.m. Dinner in Miller Hall with Trey Adams, Cory Brock, and Simon Jooste |
| Thursday, February 26 Register Below | Children’s Missions Event 6-7:30 p.m. in the Baird Center Gym Pizza Dinner, Crafts, Games, and a Missions Focus with Thomas and Erna Dreyer |
| Friday, February 27 9 a.m. Patterson Hall | Senior Adults Coffee & Conversation Coffee with missionary guests |
| Friday, February 27 | Sunday School Dinners Contact your class president for more information. |
| Sunday, March 1 8:30, 11 a.m., and 5 p.m. Sanctuary | Lord’s Day Worship with Jonathan (MTW) Nursery available for children age 3 and younger |
| Sunday, March 1 9:45 a.m. | See Locations Below |
| Sunday, March 1 5 p.m. – dismissed from evening worship | Sunday Night Children’s Programs Age four through third grade with Jonas Stava |
| Sunday, March 1 6 p.m. Baird Center Gym | Dinner on the Grounds |
Event Details & Registration
Opening Session
Saturday, February 21
5-6:15 p.m.
Sanctuary
Nursery available for children age 3 and younger
The Missions Conference will open with a new event this year, featuring keynote speaker, Kevin DeYoung. Dr. DeYoung will preach on Lord of the Nations (Genesis 10), helping us see how God’s authority, promises, and redemptive purposes extend to every people group.
Often called the “Table of Nations,” this chapter reminds us that the diversity of peoples and places is not an accident of history but part of God’s sovereign design. Long before the call of Abraham or the sending of the apostles, Scripture shows us a God who rules over every nation and who is steadily unfolding His plan among them.
All are invited to gather for worship, reflection, and the kickoff of this year’s conference, as we consider how God is advancing His kingdom and how He may be calling each of us to participate in His work among the nations.
Weekday Prayer Meeting
Tuesday, February 24
12 p.m.
Patterson Hall
Bring your own lunch
Join us at our regular Weekday Prayer Meeting where we will have a focus on global missions and will be joined by some of our mission guests.
Missions Midweek
Wednesday, February 25
5-7 p.m.
Join us on Wednesday night for missions-focused programs for all ages.
Adults, Youth, and College will hear from our missions guests in Miller Hall, including reports from Alex & Maggie Halbert, John & Yvonne, Andy Ritson, Devon Rossman, and more!
Children will have a special missions program with Trey and Kiki Adams.
Come hear from our missions guests, Sunday, March 1, at 9:45 a.m. in the following locations:
Baird Center Gym
College
Light House
Lost & Found
Young Adults
Miller Hall
Covenant
Lamplighters
Life Learners
Pilgrims
Young Seekers
Lowe Hall
Cornerstone
Providence
Salt & Light
Stewards
First Ladies
Youth House
7th-12th grade
Regular Locations
Children
Special Friends
Conference Guests
- Trey & Kiki Adams
Thailand - Harris Bond
Monroe, Louisiana - Daniel & Katy Brink
Belgium - Cory Brock
Scotland - Wright & Elizabeth Busching
Tampa, Florida - Dennis & Rhonda Conroy
Serving from the US - Thomas & Erna Dreyer
South Africa
- Alex & Maggie Halbert
Honduras - Owen & Mikayla Hallbach
Honduras - Jonathan (MTW)
Japan - Simon & Deane Jooste
South Africa - Ben Kappers
St. George, Utah - John & Yvonne
Middle East - O-Chan Odate
Japan
- Fred Reid
Japan - James & Missy Ritchey
Little Rock, Arkansas - Andy Ritson
United Kingdom - Devon Rossman
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan - Chandler & Leah Rowlen
Mississippi College RUF - Brian & Mandy
Thailand - Jonas Stava
Norway
Speaker Bios
Kevin DeYoung
Kevin DeYoung was born in 1977 in South Holland, Illinois, and was raised in Jenison, Michigan. He earned a B.A. in religion (summa cum laude) in 1999 from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. From there, Kevin moved to South Hamilton, Massachusetts, to attend Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, earning his M.Div. (summa cum laude) in 2002.
While attending First Presbyterian Church in Ipswich, MA, Kevin met Trisha Bebee, the daughter of an ordained EFCA minister who served for over 30 years as a Navy Chaplain. Kevin and Trisha were married in 2002 during his last semester in seminary.
In 2002, Kevin was ordained as a minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America, and the newly married DeYoungs moved to northwest Iowa, where Kevin served as the associate pastor at the First Reformed Church of Orange City. Two years later, he was called to be the senior pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, across the street from Michigan State University. In 2015, Kevin and his congregation moved from the RCA into the Presbyterian Church in America. In 2017, Kevin accepted a call to serve as Senior Pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina. In 2025, he was elected moderator of the PCA’s 52nd General Assembly.
Kevin received his Ph.D. in early modern history at the University of Leicester (UK). In addition to his pastoral duties, he teaches as an Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte).
Kevin has written, edited, and contributed to more than twenty books—among them academic books like The Religious Formation of John Witherspoon, popular-level books like Just Do Something, The Hole in Our Holiness, Taking God at His Word, and Daily Doctrine, and children’s books like The Biggest Story and The Biggest Story Bible Storybook. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
Kevin is also a popular columnist, blogger, and podcaster and a frequent speaker at ministry conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the United States and around the world.
Kevin and Trisha have been blessed with nine children, five boys and four girls. As a family, they enjoy sports, being with friends, and enduring nonstop craziness. Kevin likes running, biking, and swimming, and, of course, lots of reading.
Jonathan (MTW)
Jonathan is a missionary and church planter, currently serving with MTW as the international director for the Asia-Pacific region of the world. Prior to this, he was the founding pastor of New City Fellowship, a small Presbyterian church in a large South Asian city.
The son of missionaries, Jonathan was born in the United States but grew up in Japan.
He studied foreign affairs at the University of Virginia (B.A.) and theology at Reformed Theological Seminary (M.Div.).
From evangelism in the concrete jungles of North Africa to disaster relief on the shores of Sri Lanka, Jonathan’s own missionary journey has given him a deep longing to see Jesus worshiped and churches planted among the least reached peoples of the world.
Jonathan is married to Maggie and they have six daughters and a buoyant golden retriever.
Giving
At FPC, every dollar given to missions is handled separately from regular tithes and offerings and placed in a designated missions fund. This means every dollar sent to our missionaries is received by the church specifically for missions. This separate account allows us to be especially bold and generous, as we do not limit mission giving to a percentage of our annual budget.
2026 Giving Goal
$1.2 Million