In the middle of a rare heavy snowstorm, 1,800 disciples showed up in Athens, Georgia for the opening night of the Southeast US Festival of Faith. They were treated to a stimulating, innovative walk into Acts 2010: the Next Chapter.
Entering the Classic Center in downtown Athens down the street from the University of Georgia, the hardy participants were guided into a series of living scenes of the book of Acts. The evening session found a re-enactment of the Acts 2 Day of Pentecost staged among the huge audience sitting in the round. Chip Mitchell, evangelist in the Boston Church of the International Church es of Christ, then preached the opening message, This Promise Is for You. Then the spirit moved through many of the 500 campus students to a massive late night snowball fight!
Saturdays events were shifted to allow more people travel time. But all the programs were inspired by the focus on the Holy Spirit. Tom Brown of the North River Church of Christ in Atlanta led the entire conference in a devotional I Will Pour Out My Spirit. Saturday evening brought a creative program of five different speakers on The Spirit-Filed Church.
The Holy Spirit and prayer prevailed as themes throughout the weekend. A prayer wall resembling part of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem invited evryone to a quiet space to offer their personal prayers and to pray with elders. Prayer cards and dream cards were collected throughout the event.
3,500 shared a Sunday morning that brought another fresh approach to a conference. The first hour started with a World Report from Disciples Today and continued with good news and needs from around the world, the Caribbean and the southeast. The next two hours were an incredibly moving worship service of a wide variety of songs, Scripture, prayer and communion. Dr. Mark Ottenweller shared about his recent second trip to Haiti and showed the latest ICOC Hot News video of the Haiti relief efforts. Doug Arthur of the Boston Church preached the keynote sermon The Next Chapter, challenging us to appreciate what God has done, but to be moved by the Spirit to do even greater things.
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outheast Leadership Workshop followed the Festival of Faith as over 100 evangelists, elders and other leaders listened to and discussed with Doug Arthur and Wyndham Shaw, Boston Church elder, various practicals of building strong leaders, local churches and regions of churches.
The Athens Church of Christ is to be commended for their out-of-the-box approach to a conference, their excellence and their cheerful service.
Truly God is ready to fill us with his Spirit to renew the Acts of the Apostles in 2010.