Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, and Brad Formsma, founder of I Like Giving, will be keynote speakers at the 55th Annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast on Friday, April 28 from 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center, presented by Church United.

The mission of the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast is to unite and encourage the community in fellowship and prayer for our civic leaders. We face multiple challenges every day, both personally and corporately. But we believe that together we are stronger and collectively we can bring our needs to the Lord. John 5:14 states, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

The theme of this year’s historic event is “Together.”

Alan Platt, lead architect for Church United, explains, “Your worldview, your reality, your beliefs, your values are all influenced by your village. We recognize that we are part of a reality that is very broken and we cannot change fundamentally that brokenness alone. For us as believers, as God’s people, we need to come together and start asking the question: how can we deeply influence our village? Together, we can change the context of Broward County.”

 

Unlikely Partnerships

In keeping with this theme, Jim Daly will speak on the topic of developing “Unlikely Partnerships,” sharing how he has practiced the call in scripture to love your neighbor. Even when people fundamentally disagree on one topic, Daly has discovered there are still areas where they can collaborate.

As president of a Christian organization dedicated to helping families thrive, Daly reached out to foremost gay activist Ted Trimpa, who has worked with The Gill Foundation to advance equal rights for LGBT people for close to 18 years, in hopes of gaining support to improve human trafficking laws in Colorado.  At the time, the state had a D rating for its gaps in legislation.

While the two men have different viewpoints when it comes to same sex marriage, they were able to work together to advocate for stronger laws combatting human trafficking in Colorado.

In early meetings they’d both start by saying, “You know you’re not going to change my mind when it comes to marriage,” and move to, “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, what can we do?”

Both said the move built trust and described it as a first step of many things they hoped to do together particularly where it concerns the stability of families and the betterment of children.

Daly challenges leaders to have the courage to reach out to those who are different from you,  know who you are, and you will find the call to love your neighbor becomes infectious.

 

The Power of Generous Life

Like pieces in a puzzle, everyone has a part they play in contributing to the good of our city.

Brad Formsma, author of I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life, will share inspiring stories about how small acts of kindness and generosity can have a massive impact on the world. Widely considered a generosity expert, Formsma has dedicated over a decade of his career to inspiring others through story. His website, www.ilikegiving.com, features short video clips that have been viewed more than 31 million times by people in more than 170 countries. A dynamic and engaging speaker, Formsma works with churches, organizations and individuals to change lives by teaching the art and science of generosity.

According to Formsma, it is when we move from awareness to giving that miracles happen. “It is more than money; it’s my thoughts, my words, and the way I share my stuff.” He tells how his grandfather’s example impacted him. After the arrival of his little brother, Formsma said he started tagging along with his grandfather, who owned a bakery. On Saturdays, he would bake 16 loaves of bread, and Brad would help him deliver a fresh loaf and a kind word to shut-ins. “I had the opportunity for him to model this for me.”

Formsma once found a note left by his grandfather, containing this quote from Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” I think this is well worth remembering, his Grandpa penned.

 

What can happen when we come together as a community? Join with Mayor Jack Seiler and other business, civic and community members to support our leaders as we celebrate what our city is and pray for what our city can become. Together, lasting change is possible.

For more information on the 55th Annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, and to purchase tickets, visit ftlpray.org.

For more articles by Shelly Pond, please visit goodnewsfl.org/author/shelly/