Technically, Saturday is the first day at NAC. For me, personally, it is the busiest, as I had numerous meetings associated with my role as an Area Administrator. But, for others there were a wide variety of conferences, etc. during the day, including a family day activity at Madison Park.
Tonight's keynote service introduced Carma Wood as our worship leader for the week. Andy Stephenson, Coordinator of Christian Education, Youth and Family for Church of God Ministries spoke. With the global missions emphasis this week I was especially impressed with the predominance of this theme permeating the entire service. God's mission as part of worship is frequently neglected or minimized, so this was not only inspiring, but refreshing. Stephenson's message reinforced the theme with several multi-media pieces, and a group exercise demonstrating the rapidity and effectiveness of touching just three other people. My only frustration with the service tonight is that the sound seemed to lack clarity, and was slightly muffled.
I also had an opportunity to visit the exhibits at Madison Park. Instead of the one big exhibit hall or tent, the various displays are spread across several classrooms. I wonder how many people will find their way down the hallway to the rooms, and if this format will be effective for the colleges and agencies desiring to connect and promote.
Time to get ready for Sunday.
Tonight's keynote service introduced Carma Wood as our worship leader for the week. Andy Stephenson, Coordinator of Christian Education, Youth and Family for Church of God Ministries spoke. With the global missions emphasis this week I was especially impressed with the predominance of this theme permeating the entire service. God's mission as part of worship is frequently neglected or minimized, so this was not only inspiring, but refreshing. Stephenson's message reinforced the theme with several multi-media pieces, and a group exercise demonstrating the rapidity and effectiveness of touching just three other people. My only frustration with the service tonight is that the sound seemed to lack clarity, and was slightly muffled.
I also had an opportunity to visit the exhibits at Madison Park. Instead of the one big exhibit hall or tent, the various displays are spread across several classrooms. I wonder how many people will find their way down the hallway to the rooms, and if this format will be effective for the colleges and agencies desiring to connect and promote.
Time to get ready for Sunday.
2 comments:
As one of the Anderson "locals," let me say how glad we are that you and thousands of other members of the Church of God family had the courage to try this experiment with multiple venues at NAC. This experiment was forced by necessity (esp. road construction and meager program funds), and it took months of complex planning. But it has been thrilling to walk through the Madison Park lot each night and see license plates from all over the continent, and to share in the lively conversation of the Madison Park commons area after services each night.
At lunch yesterday, I overheard a family from out of state planning their afternoon activities. They expressed irritation with trying to find their way from one activity to another. They complained about the heat and humidity of central Indiana (a camp meeting tradition!) But as their conversation continued, they began to share their excitement about what they'd heard in the missions conference that morning and the uplifting music of Friday night's worship service. A young woman in the family spontaneously broke into singing a chorus from a Gaither song: "...but the church triumphant is alive and well!"
Some would call it sentimentality, but I think she well expressed the spirit of these first two days of NAC: In spite of all the limitations and extra burdens that this year's circumstances have placed upon us, God's church is gathered once again to celebrate her risen Lord.
Glad you're here, Lloyd! Glad all of you are here!
I'd like to hear more about those "meager program funds." Under the old Executive Council the church budgeted a given amount annually for the maintenance of the Camp Meeting ... I need to take a look at the annual budget I guess......
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