Greetings HIM Family!
Advance is back for the year 2026, and we are starting off by giving you a glimpse of the direction and strengthening God has in store for us as revealed in our recent Global Leadership Conference 2026 (GLC26). However, this time around, we have Moeka Ashley Shimizu from Hope Kuching, sharing her personal experience of this conference with all of us! And we would love to continue this trend throughout the year. Share with us your personal experiences in your local church events, camps and conferences. Let us continue to edify each other together!
What's To Come?
Before every camp or conference, there is almost always the same question waiting for us:
“What do you expect from this conference?”
A few weeks before the Global Leadership Conference 2026 (GLC 2026) happening at Bangkok, Thailand–I found myself answering it the same way I always do. I didn’t even need to think very hard. To be refreshed in the Lord. To receive a fresh vision for my life and ministry.
They were honest answers, but familiar ones. The kind you give when you don’t yet know how much you actually need God to move.
I didn’t know then that this conference would quietly undo me in the best way.
Day One
The first morning began early. Leaders from all over the world trickled in, one by one, until the foyer slowly filled with voices, movement, and colour. It felt as though the entire town had been reserved just for us. Everywhere I turned, there were smiles, warm greetings, and the unmistakable joy of reunion.
Located on the outskirts of Bangkok, Acts of Christ Church Ramkhamhaeng was where we would be for the next three days. Though far from the city’s constant buzz, it felt like an international crossroad. Different skin tones, languages, generations, all gathered in one place, carrying different stories but the same calling.
Hugs were exchanged freely—some long overdue since the last GLC in 2025. Laughter echoed across the hall as old friends reunited, while new ones were made effortlessly. With nearly 500 attendees, the space eventually settled, and as the conference officially began. Then, the atmosphere shifted from celebration to attentiveness.
The theme appeared before us: Strengthened to Saturate.
As session after session unfolded, I realised this wasn’t going to be a conference where we were rushed along. We were invited to listen, reflect, and be almost brutally honest with ourselves as leaders.
One of the most impactful moments for me came during the leadership forum with Ps Joshua Chee from Hope Brisbane, Ps Chaiyapruk from HIM Hatyai, and Ps Helen Kirby from Hope Adelaide. They spoke about how the spirit of the leader shapes the church—how our inner life, our unseen world, directly affects the health of the people we lead.
Between sessions, something else ministered to us just as deeply: hospitality.
Meals were generous, abundant, and lovingly prepared by the brothers and sisters of Acts of Christ Church. Meals overflowed from authentic pad thai to Japanese sushi and even free-flow ice cream. It wasn’t just the quantity, but the care behind it that stayed.
You could hear it. From the sound of cutlery, soft laughter, overlapping conversations, stories being shared across cultures. As long as no one was speaking on stage, the room would come alive in just three seconds.
That evening, we returned for the Welcome Night, and the hall transformed. Leaders arrived dressed in traditional attire from their home countries. The sight was breathtaking, with fabric, colour, culture, and identity woven together in one room. A traditional Thai dance opened the night, welcoming us in a language deeper than words. Our HIM President Ps Wilson Lim closed the night with a powerful reminder: we need the Holy Spirit now more than ever.
And even when the program ended, the night didn’t.
People lingered, conversations continued, prayer circles formed in hallways, and somehow, the most crowded place of all became the nearby 7-Eleven where every aisle turned into another conversation, another laugh, another prayer.
Well past midnight, you could hear chatters from different hotel rooms sharing convenience-store snacks and life stories like it was a reunion nobody wanted to end.
Day Two
The second morning arrived with a mix of excitement and some faces that looked like they needed some caffeine. But the atmosphere remained unchanged—warm, expectant, and open.
That day brought one of the most powerful elements of the conference: TEG Talks (Transformations through Encounters with God). Five speakers from different nations, but all are Gen Zs and Millennials took the stage. Each one sharing their deeply personal encounters with God.
As they shared, the room grew heavy with emotion. Tears and laughter flowed not because the stories were dramatic, but because they were honest, relatable and vulnerable.
Each TEG Talk flowed into a Masterclass after, which offered practical tools for those who felt drawn to a particular journey. That afternoon, we entered a time of prophetic impartation where leaders were ministered to. And one by one, people walked out with tear-stained faces and convicted hearts.
That night ended with a Mission Night, where Ps James Loke brought us into a sobering and awe-filled reflection on ‘The Throne Room of God’. It was humbling, and eye-opening to understand what God’s ultimate mission is for us.
Day Three
By the third day, the atmosphere was filled with conviction and gratitude, but also the quiet ache of knowing goodbyes were coming.
The day began with Testimonies in Motion, stories of God’s faithfulness told before us. Then came Connection Labs, where leaders gathered around shared passions and callings. Later, the Next Generation Connect brought together young leaders and those young at heart, bridging gaps and building understanding.
The conference concluded with Encounter Night. As worship rose, leaders came forward to the Grace of God. Some kneeling, some weeping, some simply standing in surrender. The hall felt like heaven on earth.
The final charge by Ps Wilson was the perfect end to the conference as it was filled with empowerment and faith-filled goals for what’s to come. Even after the final charge, the hall remained full. Gifts exchanged hands, tears flowed, photos were taken and prayers were shared one last time. The goodbyes were long and heartfelt.
More Than I Asked For
Coming home and reflecting on my original expectations, I felt God gently nudge my heart:
“You of little faith”.
He had exceeded everything I expected. Not only did He refresh me and give me clarity for what lies ahead, but He refreshed my soul. He spoke truth in love to areas of my life that need change. And He reminded me of the gift of this global HIM family.
GLC 2026 didn’t just strengthen me, it reminded me why we do this together. To win souls, make disciples, and plant churches. And to do it–not alone–but as one body, strengthened to saturate.