The Southwest Singles Conference was more than one could imagine.
There was a buzz in the hot desert air as over 1,200 single disciples from the Southwest and many other parts of the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia and Italy flocked to Rancho Mirage, California with a faith that the weekend would bring fun, fellowship, inspiration and an opportunity to dream and imagine all that God has in mind for His single sons and daughters.
This four-day conference started on Thursday with the Canvas Café, a hip venue for disciples to share their vocal, acting and artistic talents. The night was capped off by a Starlight Devotional where disciples sang to God under the brilliantly starry skies and shared their hopes raging from converting ten-talent leaders and family members to growing special needs ministries.
Friday morning got off to a great start with worshipful singing led by conference organizer, Brian Craig and his merry band of song-leaders. In the afternoon, classes began with a wide range of topics from creative evangelism to single parenting.
As more disciples arrived throughout the day, there was much breaking of bread and fellowship as we all looked forward to the evening’s general session. Robert Carillo of the San Diego Church delivered a timely and effective message titled “He Calls Things That Are Not As Though They Were.” After calling us all to learn Spanish while on earth (as he has heard it is the language of Heaven and does not want us to have to wear translation earphones for eternity), he challenged the singles to imagine the love, intensity and power of God and to never underestimate all that He can do through us.
More worshipful singing accented the night as well as Roger Lamb’s presentation of an exciting new dating website called DT Heart and Soul, which is strictly for disciples (dtheartandsoul.com). Brandon Parrish then amused the congregation with an altered rendition of John Lennon’s classic, “Imagine.” Sample lyrics: Imagine all the people could show up at church on time…
The evening session concluded with an inspiring play titled Imagine, which dramatized many of the joys and challenges of the single lifestyle including: reaching out to the opposite sex, maturing as a single, healthy relationships between brothers and sisters, and overcoming spiritual failures. There was a bit of something for everyone in the play as it balanced humor with spiritual themes and uplifting messages.
Saturday morning brought much fun in the sun with volleyball, basketball and dodge-ball tournaments, but by the afternoon, there was yet another array of classes offered: overcoming addiction and divorce, building healthy ministries, preaching effectively, living a balanced life, and an eye-opening women’s class that focused on “finding the right one” from a man’s perspective.
As we all know, disciples not only love God, but they love to party as well! Saturday evening brought a host of options: a luau dinner, Karaoke, a game room featuring Rock Band, a comedy improv show, and let’s not forget a salsa and hip-hop dance room. Most disciples went “buffet-style” and participated in a little bit of everything! By the end of the night, it became evident that at least four of the singles would not be returning to next years’ conference, as there were two engagements, including Rafa and Diana (pictured below).
On Sunday morning, the entire congregation gathered for a worshipful service highlighted by a message from The Los Angeles Church singles leader, Marco Pellizzeri. Armed with the word of God and dressed in his “singles-wear” of a hip T-shirt and jeans, Marco addressed the singles with great humor and conviction in his message titled, “All We Can Ask or Imagine.” He called us all to consistently ask God what He is doing with our lives, pray to hear the urgings of the Spirit, and be men and women of imagination which is simply deep faith. Lastly, he reminded us that because God is able, we must always be willing.
Marco also addressed the “man-demic” in our family of churches and the need to convert more men. He shared how statistics show that most men come to church after being invited by a woman, and that there needs to be great teamwork and a mindset of “partners in the gospel” between all brothers and sisters. He also reminded us gently, that this is not the lion kingdom, where the females do all of the hunting and the males hang out chomping on bones! Click here for a link to Marco's sermon on the LA Church website.
The service ended with exciting international church updates and the announcement of the conference video contest winner. Throughout the weekend, nine videos representing several regions of the Southwest churches were shown. With the theme, Imagine as the foundation, the videos ranged from spoofs of Celebrity Apprentice, fairy tales, the Mastercard “Priceless” commercials to a hilarious western showcasing the courageous life of a modern day cowboy who spends his days rounding up supermarket shopping carts, chasing thieves, and saving damsels in distress. The videos were judged on adherence to the theme, production quality, and entertainment and inspirational value. With lots of stiff competition, the Turning Point Church won the contest with their take on the I-phone commercials, showing how scriptures can help us get through all situations and proving that God’s word is never out of style and always applicable to our lives. (All of the video entries can be viewed via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=57037178317.)
After an uplifting Sunday service, it was time to bid adieu to the desert. With new friendships forged, deeper convictions planted, and spiritual goals set, the disciples journeyed home inspired and looking to God to do more with their lives than they can ask or imagine. (Philippians 3:20).
See the winning video below: