living for the people of this world and helping those in need

last week (19th-22nd) was spent in Melbourne at the Crossway Conference. i had gone last year and registered for this years conference at last years conference. as this years conference approached i kinda didn't really want to go. but i had paid to go and plus my dad was going and i would get to see my mum and nana for a bit cause we were to stay at my nana's place in Mt Waverly. little did i know how much i would be encouraged and challenged at this conference. the two main speakers were to my surprise really great men of God who really knew what to do.

Paul Borden helped the Baptist Churhes in Northern California to turn around and become outward focused, missional churches. he told the stories of how churches that were going no where or dying grew immensely cause they were getting out there and changing their cities, and not from people moving from another church cause this one has better music or something, but from people who see the love of Jesus being shown to them and deciding they want to follow. all week he was telling everyone how the one real purpose of the church is to be missional, making disciples of the people of the world.

Murray Robertson is a New Zealender and Pastor of Spreydon Baptist Church, his church is the largest welfare organisation in Christchurch. with over 40 community ministries are seeing the poor, at risk, mentally ill, criminal, whatever other kind of people Jesus would have gone and helped, pretty much they are helping everyone in need in Christchurch. he has a heart for social justice and people and really challenged everyone who was at the conference to get real. on the tuesday night he pretty much left us speechless.

after the conference my mum asked me what i had gotten out of the conference, and probably it was mostly encouragement to do what i know i need to be doing, living for the people of this world and helping those in need.