COICOM 2013 Honduras

COICOM was a different experience this year.  It was a regional conference, rather than the international variety that we have done historically.  So it was a smaller conference and venue, more intimate, with less time spent in transportation and logistics.  The unofficial initial count was 600 registered participants.

COICOM kept its traditional media emphasis, but this year's conference was organized around the concept of the Seven Spheres of Influence.  This is a concept originally promoted by Francis Schaefer of L'Abri, Loren Cunnigham of YWAM and Bill Bright of Campus Crusade.  The idea is that for a nation to be transformed, Christians need to be influential in the spheres of Government, Economy, Education, the Arts, Family, Religion and the Media.

Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa
Addresses COICOM 2013

The majority of the attendees were Hondurans, although most of the countries of Central and North America were represented.  A good number of the Hondurans received scholarships from the Honduran government to attend.  As a gesture of good will, (and a sign of the acknowledgement of the number of Honduran evangelicals in the electorate), Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa addressed the opening session of COICOM.

Alberto Mottesi Challenges COICOM 2013

The main speaker that evening was Alberto Mottesi, a well known Latin American evangelist.  His message was a challenge to the church of Honduras and beyond, to leave behind the idea of a simple individualistic salvation message, and to embrace a message of the Kingdom of God that will have an impact on the cultures and societies of the region.  Sadly, this impact is still lacking in Central American countries that have seen incredible growth of the church in recent years, but that are still plagued by high crime rates and high levels of corruption.  It was a very timely word to all of us, regardless of our passports.
 


Josh McDowell @ COICOM 2013

Other plenary  message highlights came from Josh McDowell and Joseph Mattera (through translators).  Both took advantage of the Seven Spheres theme to challenge the attendees.  McDowell reminded us of the strategy of Justin Martyr who similarly found himself in a situation in which the church was not having the impact it should on the culture around it.  Mattera spoke on the Kingdom of God, and challenged the group to expect the gospel to have an impact in all seven spheres and beyond, not just in the church or in our personal spiritual lives.

Others picked up on the same theme, including the three Honduran convention attendees pictured at left (right side of the photo) who are candidates for Honduran public office.  They were called forward for prayer in the final session of the event.

There were a host of smaller workshops and lectures by spheres, as well as the normal media training courses in radio, television and church media.

Glen Leading the Governance Seminar

The session that I led was in the sphere of government-- a niche of that sphere that covered the governing of organizations.  I have covered similar material in other settings.  Presenting it in the context of a group of Christian Latins who were interested in government was a challenge and a pleasure.  We had a group of around 20, some of whom were familiar with the material, some not.  It centered around Christian principles that can guide us in board-led governing of organizations and companies.

Another regional conference will take place in two weeks in Paraguay.  It too will be organized around the concept of the Seven Spheres.  Some of the presenters and attendees will be the same, but many will only attend one of the two events.  Paraguay is expecting a larger crowd than Honduras.  Audio and video on www.coicom.com should be available from Honduras in a few weeks and from Paraguay a few weeks after that.