Dreaming Dreams Again

To encapsulate the experience is impossible, because there’s too much. To put it all to paper – it would make this article way too long. But I can attempt to relate some of what I took away from that weekend, because it was wonderful, brilliant, and altogether awesome.

First and foremost, I think we all left jubilantly happy – akin to the celebration that Mary and Martha had the day that Lazarus was raised from the dead. We saw God, we talked with Jesus, and we fellowshipped like no one’s business! Throughout the weekend, I witnessed singles greeting each other like the father greeting his prodigal son (Lu 15): with cheering, laughter, hearty hugging, and the joyful sharing of stories. I just happened to bump into friends I hadn’t seen in 5-10 years and I walked away a bit verklempt. Beyond reconnecting, it was about connecting with our world-wide family. I’m not the only one whose Sunday was spent hanging out with a group of new friends in the atrium of the hotel.

Not only were we happy, but something about this conference was different: not because of the content but because of the atmosphere. There was an electricity, an excitement that I don’t ever recall experiencing before. I’ve been to quite a few conferences since I was converted in 1991 and I can’t recall one that was quite like this one. It was more than just the enthusiasm; it was the mental energy behind it that made it different. The only word to describe it is unity – not the type that you work for but the type they had back in Acts 2, where people were so excited about God and their salvation that it just happened. No matter which of the 50+ countries they came from, everyone seemed to have a similar purpose: to rejoice in God and his family, to be Jesus’s disciples and to save as many as possible. There was an exhilaration about the fact that our international family was together and we had the opportunity to meet each other *before* we celebrated in heaven. It was so refreshing because it said to me that finally our church has healed and we are moving on.

In the aftermath of the reaction to the Henry Kriete's 2003 letter, dealing with the legacies of harshness, self-righteousness, and legalism, we lost that unity. Some parts of the body turned on each other and we ended up wandering in the desert as we tried to move past the hurts and the sin. For years it’s seemed like we have been limping along, trying to recover. But at this conference, it finally felt like the limp is over and we are getting back to the unity that we had before. It wasn’t about personal wounds or agendas; it was about worshipping God. It wasn’t just a few people, it was everyone, being that one body that God made us to be. The sacrificial, serving hearts of the Dallas church epitomized what the Kingdom is all about and left me grateful – grateful for their 2 years of planning and dedication and vision for what this conference became.

Beyond the atmosphere or the people, it was the attitude towards the ministry we call ‘the Singles’ that made this conference different. As someone converted in a campus ministry almost 17 years ago, a member of 5 different churches, and a visitor to almost 30, I have noticed through the years the stigma of singleness. Not quite the same as the world’s stigma, but just as noxious. Being single meant your life was pretty useless, potential-less, and singleness was just something to struggle through until you found that special ‘someone.’ Often, I’ve witnessed the singles ministry being the ministry focused on last; I have been part of churches where the singles didn’t even have leaders dedicated to serving them, where they were left to fend for themselves or just thrown in with the marrieds. I have heard messages preached about how the teens (or the campus) were the next generation of the church, its next leaders, meaning that the singles’ ministry was a dead-end of potential. But this Conference showed that things are different, the attitude of the church is different. It was organized and run and preached primarily by singles. The messages weren’t about how you’re lacking, incomplete or pointless because you weren’t something; instead, it was about getting a vision for what you can do *now,* how God can use you *now,* and how you are awesome *now.* Even though it was a *singles* conference, not once did it have that meat-market feel, with the frothy mob focused on finding its future spouse. Instead, it was about encouraging each other. It was about rejoicing in the Spirit. This Conference showed me that the singles ministry is not the church after-thought anymore but recognized for what it is: a ministry that has the potential to change the eternal destinies of the world. And just like Lazarus, I would say that God used this conference to raise the Singles from the dead – not just alive but vibrantly alive, united and powerful, and unlimited in their capability for God who is working so obviously through them.

As I experienced this weekend, my heart overflowed several times when I thought about how happy God was watching all of us. I think God was just beaming because his children were together and fired up, willing to embrace the dream he has for their lives. I know He rejoiced during the Apologetics class, as we learned how to respond and reach out to Muslims, those practicing New Age religion, and those practicing homosexuality. He rejoiced as Kris taught us how to be like Jesus, rather than just religious or self-righteous Christians. He rejoiced to see burdens lifted off of people’s hearts. He rejoiced when the foreign missions class overflowed and people not only caught his vision for saving the entire world but connected with others with that same vision. He rejoiced as people learned about Daniel, how to have great relationships, how to seek him more. He rejoiced every time someone realized something about themselves – whether it was how cherished they are or how sinful they are. And mostly He rejoiced because we were seeking His heart and imitating Jesus and his love for the church.

Now, don’t get me wrong. The weekend was not a perfect flawless event where no one struggled. Because then it really *would* be heaven. But God used the whole thing to expose sin and places that we needed to grow, especially in trusting Him, His plan, and His people. He used it to help us to “Obey His Vision.” I spent the weekend trying to figure out what my vision is. I went into the conference feeling like my life is moving forward in a good way: I don’t have any grand schemes, I just want to love the family of believers and help the lost. But, as our brother in Myanmar spoke, I remembered how I prayed 15 years ago at a Conference about going into the full-time ministry, that I would assume He was answering with a “yes” until He told me “no.” And over the years, I have lost that dream. Things – like being single – seemed to make that dream impossible. But this weekend taught me to obey that persistent vision/dream and to do everything to make it happen.

It may be bold to say, but I think, in 15 years time, that God’s movement will look back on this Conference and say that it was the beginning of an era where God did more than we ever thought possible, more than we could have ever asked for or imagined. This Conference helped people have faith, to have hope. This Conference helped people repent, helped the weak become strong, helped the lonely to feel a part of God’s family, revealed that He is God and he has a vision and dream for each one of us. This Conference was just a sign of the revival in His Church and because of that revival, God was able to do amazing things. And when we walk into heaven, praising His name, he’ll be able to look at all of us and say, “well done, good and faithful servant.”

And to the singles of the church: Obey your vision. Seek God first, trust Him and yourself, and “to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” Amen.

Elisa Day
Columbia, Missouri

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