2005-01-18 - Ignite 2004

A bunch of people from our church went to a conference in Columbus, Ohio called Ignite. The conference is designed to "ignite" a passion in you for following Jesus Christ and loving people. I had a great time!

Here are a couple of pics:

This is a picture from one of the main sessions. The main sessions had times of worship and speakers from around the country.

This is a table that held bread and juice for communion. (see Luke 22:7-30)

I had a great time meeting some new people and learning about worship. The stuff on worship was great for me personally as well as useful for some of my roles in our church (playing on the worship team on Sundays and leading worship with smaller groups of people).

I really had a blast talking to a guy from Virginia who lead the worship section of teaching. I had originally met him at a Leadership Training program I went to in Myrtle Beach back in the summer of 2000. I never really talked to him much before, but this time our mutual interest in worshiping God, leading people to worship God, and leading bands to lead people to worship God gave us a lot to talk about. : )

Another cool thing was that when I drove to the conference, some girl none of us in the car had met got in the car to ride with us. We found out later that she was really supposed to ride in a different car with other people she hadn't met, but thought ours was the correct car.

So that's how we met Christine. She wasn't from our church (which was why she didn't know us and we didn't know her), but since then she has become part of our family. I wonder if that would've happened if she hadn't gotten into our car. I know the other car was full of cool people, too, so it probably would have...but it's neat how through that weirdness, we have a new friend around. Yeah!

These were all fun things for sure, but probably the most significant thing for me at Ignite was a time that I felt like God was communicating to me. And it goes here:

> Lesson Learned (or Remembered) <

I'm on staff with our church and there was a meeting for all people who are on staff in the various churches at the conference. During the conference, one of the pastors shared this verse:

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:1-4

While he was sharing this verse I got real emotional and teary-eyed. I was thinking about how I really want to take care of God's people in an honorable way, not for personal gain. Basically, from that I felt like God was calling me to be a pastor.

That's pretty significant! Most people who are staff in our church are on the road to become pastors, but I had never felt any personal sense that I was supposed to be a pastor. That has changed. : )

Hopefully I'll be able to remember this time and go back to that verse when the road to becoming a pastor is difficult, which I know it will be.

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