Finn, Gabriel, Peter, and Xan were among the hundreds who came together for the 2014 ARC Southwest Gathering, Scandalous Love. None of the four were over twelve years old, but there they were, worshipping God with all their hearts on a Saturday night as Chris Barrett and his off-the-charts young adult team led us in worship. The four boys sat right behind Graeme Sellers and me in the sanctuary of Penasquitos Lutheran Church in San Deigo. We elbowed each other to make certain the other caught a glimpse of the boys who were focused on nothing other than the Lord. Then, God did it. He downloaded a prophetic word for each of the four boys.

With the parents permission Graeme called the four boys forward and spoke prophetically over them. Each word for each boy seemed spot on, and both the parents and the boys’ pastor, Sean Kelly, confirmed as much. People flooded to the front of the sanctuary to surround the boys and pray for them. Then, Sweet Papa Joe Johnson asked the boys if they would pray over us. They did. Oh my, did those boys pray over us. It was marvelous, powerful, and prophetic.

The presence of Peter, Gabriel, Finn, and Xan in itself may have been a prophetic word to the Alliance of Renewal Churches in multiple ways. First, God may just be recalibrating our sights on not only equipping young adult leaders, but also young leaders who are children. Second, it may have confirmed a conversation we had recently begun about adding a children’s track to the ARC Southwest Gathering for next year.

Relationships: We always emphasize the importance of paying attention to relationships at ARC Gatherings, and this year was no different. Only this year it seemed like the relationship time people spent with each other was upgraded in some way. That was the testimony of a number of people who have attend multiple gatherings over the years. There was a relational energy and electricity in the air.
Looking around at people engaging with one another, one ARC leader said, “We could see the fruit of the ARC being intentional about providing opportunity to build relationships. It truly was a time of knowing that we are running as a band of brothers and sisters.” Another person wrote, “The ARC Southwest Gathering felt like a family reunion, except everyone in this family shows unconditional love to each other (whether they know you or not). What a blast! God massaged his love into my heart even more deeply.”

Of particular note was the way God broke in on some relationships and ministered forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation where the relationships had been strained, some even broken. That wasn’t on the script for the Gathering, it wasn’t in the schedule, but its evidence of what we already know to be true—if we in the ARC will be faithful to gather in the same place at the same time with the Lord and one another, good things, God things will happen.

Lifting of Weariness: One of the things we experience every Gathering are leaders who come beat up, broken, and weary. That’s what life and ministry can do to us at times. Some don’t even feel like attending, but they do. One leader who came that way this year said, “The ARC Gathering was just what I needed. Honestly, I came carrying a lot of burdens from the demands and busyness of ministry in the last year. My relationship with the Lord was re-calibrated through the time I to talk and laugh with friends, and soak in the Lord's presence in worship and prayer without ‘doing anything.' Through the worship experiences and prayer time, the Lord began melting away much of the pressure I was feeling and put my focus directly back on him so I could see the joy and freedom he wants me to live with. I'd encourage every leader to make time in your busy life to come so you can just be loved by Jesus and see what he wants to say to you.”

The Atmosphere: One of our core values in the ARC is that atmosphere matters. What’s in the air emotionally, relationally, and spiritually makes a difference. One person spoke of the atmosphere of this year’s Gathering in this way: “What I love about the ARC is the atmosphere—there is no posturing or pretense, no sense of competition or comparison among the pastors and leaders. We don't have to take ourselves too seriously in order to take God seriously. I was impacted and reminded of the central character of God: love as defined by Jesus’ self-sacrificing death on the cross—so simple, but something that is easy to forget in the real world of life and ministry.” The atmosphere at the Gathering this year was rich with a tangible sense of God’s presence, so much so that we are still hearing from people about how it is already impacting their daily lives back home. Atmosphere matters.

Worship: The worship teams led by Chris Barrett, Armen Babyan, and Bob Mabry were absolutely off the charts. They led us all into times of unhurried, passionate worship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As we gathered morning and night to worship together, the Lord broke in and manifested his presence in a variety of ways. He spoke prophetic words to young and old alike. He performed works of healing for broken bodies, emotions, and relationships. And the Lord set captives free, freeing a number of people in a number of different ways.

Chris and Armen’s teams were both comprised of young adults who were not only gifted musically, but had the hearts of worshippers. The team led by Bob included his wife, Tara, Danny Mullins, Dr. Lin from Hope in Long Beach, and Greg Boyd on drums. They brought the relaxed, peaceful acoustical style that Bob brings wherever he leads worship, a style many have come to love over the years. Each team brought something good to the table.

Keynote Speakers and Workshop Presenters: “Greg Boyd, Grace Johnson and Danny Mullins brought truth and challenge in their teachings. Even to call them teachings seems inadequate. There was an anointing that challenged and transformed me. I am expecting that as I process their words, I will be brought to a new place, both personally and in my ministry.” So said one of the ARC leaders at this year’s Gathering. Larry Gomez, a lay leader at Hope Community Church in Long Beach, CA wrote: “I was very surprised at how much impact the gathering in general, and the teachings and worship sessions had on me. Greg Boyd was amazing by the way!!! It wasn’t until Sunday morning when I updated my congregation on what happened at the Gathering that I began to understand.”

It seemed that all three keynote speakers brought exactly what people needed to hear. “Grace Johnson took us exactly where we needed to grow,” wrote one person. “Danny Mullins helped me connect with God’s love in a way I hadn’t in a long time,” wrote another. One person said of Greg Boyd, “I was pleasantly surprised with Greg’s vulnerability, offering his personal struggles with judging others and then providing biblical answers to help us break those judgmental patterns, replacing them by loving others upfront.” Then this same person recounted one of the best lines of the entire Gathering as they remembered a quote from Greg about the ARC: "What I love about the ARC is you care about biblical truth...but you're not buttheads about it!" Any thoughts on making this the official tagline on our website, anyone?

Each keynote speaker and workshop presenter brought more than merely an informational download this year. They brought truth that will transform. Having heard them already, its exciting for me as director for the ARC to look forward and anticipate how people are going to be impacted and blessed at this year’s Midwest Gathering on November 6-8 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in the St. Paul area.
Prayer Ministry: As usual, prayer ministry was breaking out all over the place during the Gathering. Of course we had prayer teams up front, but people were also praying with one another in the pews, they were praying with one another outside the church, and they were praying with one another back in their homes and in their hotels. There was prayer everywhere.

Teen Track: PLC Youth Pastor, Danny Scarborough, and a team of youth leaders did another outstanding job of planning and hosting a teen track for the event. They invited ARC leaders Brendon Fairley and Danny Mullins to join them to share with the teens about what God had laid on their hearts for them. Teens came from as far away as Florida and Minnesota to be at this year’s gathering, along with youth groups from Arizona and California. We are so grateful to Danny and his leadership that made this all possible.

Hosting Church: Once again, Jane Joseph and her team of volunteers from Penasquitos Lutheran Church did an outstanding job in hosting the ARC Gathering. Attention to detail, servant-heart attitudes, and a truly welcoming spirit characterized the hospitality team Jane organized and led. So many unseen details go into making it possible for an event like this to take place. And it is the work of a group like Jane and her team that help create the space where we can all gather together at the same time in the same place with one another and the Lord. Their work truly made it possible for so many of us to hear what God said to us and to experience what he did in us. Thank you Jane and PLC Hospitality team!

The Midwest Gathering: This is just a snapshot of what happened at this year’s ARC Southwest Gathering. There is so much more that happened, so many lives were impacted by God’s love and power. And we’re looking forward with a heightened sense of expectancy to what God will want to say and do at the Midwest Gathering. We’ll gather on November 6-8 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fridley (St. Paul area), Minnesota. You can register now by clicking HERE. Information on the Gathering will be under the “Events” link on our home page, including a list of available hotels for those coming in from out of town. For those planning to attend, if you register before October 10th you can register for the early-bird registration fee. So save yourselves $30 by registering early. We hope to see you there!