Pastor Rick Challenges the Pentecostal World Conference to "Go & Make" Disciples
At the 2025 Pentecostal World Conference in Helsinki, Finland (June 4–7), Pastor Rick Warren opened the global gathering of Spirit-filled believers with a powerful and deeply personal message, departing from his usual teaching style to share his testimony for the first time in 55 years of ministry. Themed “Go & Make!”, this year’s conference focused on the urgent call to fulfill the Great Commission using contemporary methods of evangelism and discipleship.
Held every three years since its founding in 1947, the Pentecostal World Conference brings together leaders and believers from around the globe. Pastor Rick and members of the FTT team represented the global vision of completing the Great Commission by 2033.
In alignment with the first day’s theme, “The Man” – a focus on the kind of person God uses to make disciples – Pastor Rick delivered a stirring testimony of his life in evangelism, beginning at age 12 when he led his first friend to Christ on the school playground. He recounted how revival broke out on his high school campus, how he began full-time evangelism at age 16, and how his passion for sharing Christ has never waned. “I am addicted to changed lives,” he shared. “Money doesn’t matter. Fame doesn’t matter. But one changed life? That’s enough to keep me going.”
Throughout his message, Rick offered practical insights on evangelism:
“You can’t love people unless you know them. And you can’t know them unless you spend time with them. You’ve got to stop hanging out only with Christians.”
He stressed the importance of proximity and presence in sharing Christ:
“Before people trust Jesus, they need to trust you. Before they know Jesus loves them, they need to know you love them.”
Another Great Commission Ally, Carla Hornung of Agua Viva Church in Peru, encouraged attendees to trust God’s timing, sharing how their church chose to redirect building funds during COVID-19 to feed the hungry—and how God miraculously restored what was given. Her teaching emphasized that we do not need to be great or successful; we can trust that God will do everything in His time and His way.
As the global Pentecostal family looks toward the 2,000th anniversary of the Church in 2033, this conference renewed the call to “Go & Make” not just converts, but disciples. Pastor Rick closed with a challenge:
“The greatest use of your life is to invest it in that which will outlast it. The Word of God will last forever. People will last forever. What are you doing for heaven’s sake?”
To become a Great Commission Ally and help complete the Great Commission by 2033, visit https://finishingthetask.com/signup/
