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“Now then, you and all these people, get ready…” Joshua 1:2 |
The 2009 International Leadership Conference in Denver, CO is less than one month away. For the past several years the ILC’s have played a significant role in the health and progress of our international fellowship of churches. From Dallas in 2004 to Kiev in 2008, God has used each of these annual conferences to help us go “from strength to strength” in our unity, faith, and direction.
While most of us have been blessed to attend scores of different conferences over the years, there is something extra special about the ILC. To spend several days with more than a thousand brothers and sisters from all over the planet; to open God’s Word for hours and hours each day, being taught by proven servants from all over the kingdom; to hear first hand miracle stories of what God has been doing amongst us on every continent; to praying, singing, fellowshiping, plotting, planning, and dreaming about how to be more Christ-like and how to build more Christ-like churches…this is what the ILC is all about. It is a unique opportunity to refresh, rekindle, and revive our love for God, His Church, and one another.
So what can we all do now to “get ourselves ready” for this great venture ahead?
- First, we can all pray. Pray for God to be that clarion voice in our ears saying, “This is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21). Pray for His perfect will to be made known to all of us and pray that the impact on your own heart will be truly life changing. Even if you are not able to attend the conference, please pray earnestly for the impact on everyone who is there.
- Second, we can all “open wide our hearts” to one another (2 Cor 6:11-13). The conference is a great time to renew old friendships and to form new ones. Both are crucial for all of us. Look for old friends to reunite with and also look for new disciples to draw close to. Let’s all leave our pride and insecurities behind and truly open wide our hearts to one another in real, humble and honest communication.
- Third, we can “examine ourselves…and test ourselves” (2 Cor 13:5). We should take inventory of how we are really doing, and consider what we really want to learn about or grow in. Conferences can be quite overwhelming but if we pause to consider what we really want to focus on attaining or accomplishing, we stand a much better chance of having a fruitful time. Finally, we can all make sure we are registered! It is not too late to get your registration in. The more brothers and sisters there, the stronger we will all be as a result.
Let’s all “get ourselves ready” for this incredible opportunity God is giving us. Prayerfully, we will all continue to go “from strength to strength” individually, congregationally, and internationally.
All of the disciples in Denver are looking forward to hosting this great event September 3-6. We are eager to serve you. For any questions or if you still need to register, go to icocconference.org.
John Lusk
Lead Evangelist
Denver Church of Christ
