Time for creating and nurturing friendships.

Intimate and passionate worship.

Challenging keynote messages and equipping workshops.

Personal prophetic prayer ministry.

These and more were our experiences during the 2012 Southwest ARC Gathering. But if I had to sum up the Gathering I’d do it with two stories: one of a stranger in our midst, the other of an ARC member.

First, the stranger’s story. She came to the Gathering as a result of a chance meeting with two folks from Hope Community Church at a July 4^th party in Long Beach. This stranger and her best friend, both visiting from out of state, were hungering for a spiritual retreat. The two HCC members invited them to the Southwest Gathering the next week. They came. And here’s her testimony:

“While at a 4th of July party we met a couple that invited us to come to the conference with them. We came! I was so blessed and was so spoken to!

“One thing I [want] to share is that I was healed. I have suffered for several years with pain in my liver; my blood tests come back that my enzymes are too high. There's never any reason for this and it's a constant battle for me, as the pain wakes me in the night; sitting or bending over is also quite painful. I slept Saturday night and have every night since, completely pain free and I cannot feel pain in my liver any more. Praise the Lord!”

Next, the ARC member’s story. He writes:

I struggle a bit with moving in the prophetic gift the Lord has given me. I worry about hearing or interpreting incorrectly and don't share as often as I probably should. I’ve spent a lot of time talking with God about what I am supposed to do with this gift and how I can use it for kingdom purposes.

Early in the Gathering, Holy Spirit drew my attention to a particular couple. He was telling me that he was going to do something remarkable through their children. I sensed that they had either lost a child or had difficulty conceiving. I was afraid of hurting or upsetting them. Even more I was afraid of being wrong – what if they had no problems conceiving children and everything was just fine? I sure would look the fool!

During a break I approached them and shared what I was hearing about God's plan was for their children but did not share what I was sensing about problems conceiving or the loss of a child. The wife was obviously moved and the husband volunteered that they had one child but had been trying for a long time for another.

I was chagrined and encouraged to be bolder in sharing what I was hearing. Had I shared all that I heard God saying, the weight of word confirming their present reality may have amplified and reinforced the encouragement.

Saturday night I received prayer from that couple. Their prayers for me centered on me being bold and courageous to share encouragement, like the encouragement I had given them. They also shared a vision of me in a place that should be in shadow but I was bathed in Christ's brilliant light and shone out of the darkness.

Another thing happened at the Gathering for me. I used to have only a guilt-induced motivation to read the Word. Now I find a hunger for the Word. I become annoyed if I don't find a way to slip off for a few minutes of Bible time. This is not a conscious decision nor is it, as far as I can tell, the direct result of any teaching received. It is, I think, the work of Holy Spirit, working through the teachings and prayer times. When I received prayer on Saturday the prayer team did ask Holy Spirit to fill me with a desire for the Word!

All this and more was our experience at this year’s Southwest Gathering. We give thanks to God for speaking to us and moving in our lives, and we trust we were a blessing to Him.

Please join us for the 2012 Midwest ARC Gathering, November 1-3 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in St. Paul, MN. The Gathering will feature wonderful times of worship together, inspiring messages, soaking worship time, personal prayer appointments, equipping workshops, and lots of time to hang out and grow in authentic relationship with one another.

See you there!