Saturday, October 15, 2011

International Family Bible Conference October 2011

This year was our second International Family Bible Conference and as last year it was a great week of fellowship, spiritual growth, learning, strengthening of old friendships and making new ones. Bro. Stuart Walker from the UK led our main studies. His theme was “the superiority of Christ and the superiority of Faith” and he brought out many wonderful aspects whilst giving us all a better understanding of the book of Hebrews. It was very heart-warming at the end of the week when one of the ladies who attended the conference as a student, spontaneously came forward and thanks him for helping her to “at last” understand the letter to the Hebrew. She called him forward and gave him a big hug much to the delight of us all.
Other sessions were given as variety sessions and covered a wide range of interesting and intriguing topics. Lots of times in between sessions and over eating times conversations about the talks were overheard. We were particularly thankful that so many of our brethren and sisters from the new ecclesias in townships could make it to the conference this year. There was a wonderful embracing of cultures during the week and the singing of hymns and spiritual songs and English and Zulu was a wonderful experience of what the Bible means of being one in Jesus.  The surroundings at the conference are stunning to say the least and reminds one daily of God’s awesome creation power. The mountains, green environment, blue skies and flora reminded us all the time of how wonderful the Kingdom is going to be when Jesus restores this world to the glorious earth God intended it to be.
 We again incorporated a very unique feature into the Bible conference. One of the afternoons was set aside to go and do community outreach work at a children’s village for orphans near the bible conference venue. It was again, as last year, amazing to witness how much of a difference 100 brethren and sisters can make in a mere 4 hours to the lives of other people in need. More amazing was to experience again how much of a fellowship and bonding event it turns out to be. Amidst all the activity and work brothers and sister get to talk to each other and relationships are enhanced immensely. During our work there we chatted to some of the people about the Gospel and what it is that compels us to do this kind of work. As a result eight of the people at the village signed up for the Bible correspondence course! The community outreach has become one of the most cherished slots of our Bible conference and is SO spiritually rewarding as we get chance to put theory learnt at the school into practice straight away.
On the last day we had two baptisms and then breaking of bread meeting which brought the Bible conference to a perfect close. We all were sad to leave but our hearts we glowing warm with the knowledge that we all would meet again and that it could be in the Kingdom soon where we will, by God’s grace get the full experience of “all nations, and kindred’s, and people, and tongues, (standing)before the throne, and before the Lamb”  together as one family in Jesus Christ.
 Your brother by grace
Lucas



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