SEPTEMBER 29 & 30, 2007
In today's installment of these Messages About Purpose and Strategy, I'm going to share my RiverFest highlight. We promoted this unprecedented evangelistic festival like crazy here at Dayspring. We had hundreds of counselors trained. The event was attended by more people than any other event in the history of our capitol. And what a wild weekend it turned out to be!
The idea was for Christians to use the festival as a tool. We were to invite
non-Christian friends and pray that God would do something supernatural through the music and messages.
I was ready to serve as one of the green visor counselors (the ones who handle problems). On Sunday, as it turned out, Annie was with her sister who came to visit for the first time since we've been in Oregon so I was responsible for my youngest son. This responsibility meant I was unable to fulfill the role I had hoped to play. I needed to be dad and not lose my kid! We stayed together and enjoyed the motorcycle, bike and skateboard shows. We loved the music, but I was feeling guilty. "God, I see plenty of people volunteering with green visors, and many more with white visors, and I know being a dad right now is important, but I had my heart set on counseling."
Just as we were eating our dry peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I got a mysterious call on my cell phone. I couldn't quite hear the person on the other end of the line and didn't even know who was talking to me. All I picked up was that someone wanted to meet me by the stage and give me something.
My guilt maxed out as I realized the gift was some back-stage passes! I feasted on a catered dinner and then watched the last couple concerts from the side of the stage! I felt blessed by terrible! "God, I'm not serving! I'm being served! Help me to help you! This is too good. I'm being catered to - it's not supposed to be this way!"
When Reid was speaking, I just prayed like crazy, that's all I could do up on the side stage. And when he gave the invitation, a woman back stage behind me raised her hand! I looked around and there were no counselors to respond to her! I didn't have my cool visor to designate me as an official counselor, but I grabbed a packet and made a new friend! This young lady's boyfriend had been baptized here at Dayspring and he joined me as I prayed for her. What a joy to witness a new birth!
Yours,
Larry
The idea was for Christians to use the festival as a tool. We were to invite
non-Christian friends and pray that God would do something supernatural through the music and messages.
I was ready to serve as one of the green visor counselors (the ones who handle problems). On Sunday, as it turned out, Annie was with her sister who came to visit for the first time since we've been in Oregon so I was responsible for my youngest son. This responsibility meant I was unable to fulfill the role I had hoped to play. I needed to be dad and not lose my kid! We stayed together and enjoyed the motorcycle, bike and skateboard shows. We loved the music, but I was feeling guilty. "God, I see plenty of people volunteering with green visors, and many more with white visors, and I know being a dad right now is important, but I had my heart set on counseling."
Just as we were eating our dry peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I got a mysterious call on my cell phone. I couldn't quite hear the person on the other end of the line and didn't even know who was talking to me. All I picked up was that someone wanted to meet me by the stage and give me something.
My guilt maxed out as I realized the gift was some back-stage passes! I feasted on a catered dinner and then watched the last couple concerts from the side of the stage! I felt blessed by terrible! "God, I'm not serving! I'm being served! Help me to help you! This is too good. I'm being catered to - it's not supposed to be this way!"
When Reid was speaking, I just prayed like crazy, that's all I could do up on the side stage. And when he gave the invitation, a woman back stage behind me raised her hand! I looked around and there were no counselors to respond to her! I didn't have my cool visor to designate me as an official counselor, but I grabbed a packet and made a new friend! This young lady's boyfriend had been baptized here at Dayspring and he joined me as I prayed for her. What a joy to witness a new birth!
Yours,
Larry
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