CRU Staff Conference Day 5

We had two main sessions today and what we refer to as Super Seminars that are two hours instead of one hour like earlier in the week.

In our morning session we heard multiple speakers talk about evangelism and how our culture has changed. They all emphasized the need to make change and to create relationships with people before witnessing. We also do not need to point out sin in someones life, they already know it. 

Our afternoon Super Seminar featured Jonalyn Fincher who drove the point home that when we talk with non Christians, it is so important to show Jesus love to them and not condemn them. Just like Jesus, who never condemned anyone except the Pharisees, he loved them first. We are also so ingrained with Christianese talk we confuse the person instead of helping them. She also honed in on what we have traditionally made mountains as Christians, are mole hills to the non Christian and mountains to non Christians, we have made mole hills therefore not connecting with non Christians. We should also point others to Jesus instead of debating them.

The evening was headlined by Steve Douglas, President of Cru, casting vision and giving us a snap shot of where we are globally as a ministry.

The evening ended with some comedy from Michael Jr. 

We are starting to feel the effects of early mornings and late nights, but all worth every penny.  

CRU Staff Conference Day 4

Today was a day of connecting with God's creation and our middle son, David. We traveled to Estes Park and enjoyed time together and dodged rain drops all afternoon. Enjoy the pictures.

CRU Staff Conference - Day 3

Our day was probably the best yet. Besides hearing from various leaders, we were lead through a time of worship looking at Christ in our lives from the past, present and future. The outcome of this time was the commitment to return to Little Rock to do what God called us to do at FamilyLife. We get caught up in various things that don't really have anything to do with what our calling is. Of course we know that Satan does not what us to be doing ministry and will try to derail us daily. We also left this time with a renewed passion to continue to build our own marriage and not let Satan dictate attitudes and actions.

The afternoon and evening was dedicated to various ministries holding meetings related to their ministries. We did not have any meetings to attend, so spent part of the afternoon in Old Town Ft. Collins just walking around, then dinner with friends. We also spent part of the time helping at the FamilyLife tent and Charlotte saw the video we are showing for the first time. This is the one Hal spent weeks before the conference putting together. 

Tomorrow is our day off which we will spend with our son David in Estes Park. We are so thankful for the time with him since we only get to be with him once a year now. Sure wish Sarah Beth (David's wife) was here also, but business trips don't allow that to happen very often.

CRU Staff Conference - Day 2

Today is Charlotte's birthday, Happy Birthday!

Alistair Begg presented another awesome talk finishing up the book of Jude. In the evening we heard from 4 of the major leaders at Cru, including Dennis Rainey. 

Our FamilyLife tent saw over 250 people on day one of the conference. We are using the tent to help others become aware of a ministry within Cru and maybe see a few want to join our team in Little Rock or regionally. 

Dinner was a celebration of Charlotte's birthday with 3 other FamilyLife couples, all being the ones we started the journey with to come to FamilyLife in 2007. 

Since we have been at conference, we have been able to spend some extended time with our closest friends at FamilyLife, the Mercers, who now live in Pittsburgh and we only get to see them a couple times a year. What a blessing.

CRU Staff Conference Day 1

The first day of staff conference is "in the books", but what a day! 

Opening Day at Cru 2013 staff conference

One of the things we enjoy the most about the conference are the Praise and Worship times in the morning and evening. It has become such an emotional time for Hal especially as sing together with over 6,000 missionaries in praise to God.  Like Charlotte said 'A taste of Heaven'.

Steve Sellers, President of US staff, challenged us at the beginning to lay aside the sin in our lives that hinder our ministry and focus on what God has called us to do. He also talked about being cynical in what we say not trusting God will change things.
 
Alistair Begg ended the day with a great message from Jude and warnings that we need to be careful that we don't overlook sin in today's society and stand firm in what God had called sin. He really keyed in on Jude 4 "For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."
  
It was fun to hear Alistair summarize Jude and then break out in song with "Hey Jude". Some of you who are not familiar with Alistair Begg, he is a 'Brit' which made it even funnier.

Vonette Bright welcomed everyone to the conference and introduced over 200 new CRU missionaries serving all over the US.

Vonette Bright welcoming staff

New staff being introduced

FamilyLife opened the tent today with a Funeral Service inside the tent. This year's theme is 'Legacy' and the impact of one man's life on everyone that knew him. The service (video) was shot in Little Rock at our church. Hal had the privilege of shooting and editing this project. The purpose of the tent is to recruit CRU staff that may be feeling lead of God to move into a new ministry based on their season of life. We are also trying to make CRU staff aware of who FamilyLife is and what resources we have to help them in their ministries, such as Stepping Up video series to be used with college guys.

Today (Tuesday) is Charlotte's 29th birthday, which we will celebrate with some of our friends at FamilyLife between sessions and seminars. 

CRU Staff Conference - Opening Night

Our day began early heading back to Denver to pick up our son David for church and lunch. We went to a small Bible church in Westminster, CO then on to Red Robin for lunch. We headed back to Ft. Collins for our opening night which was dinner and a small carnival for kids and some kids at heart and for reconnecting with our missionary staff from around the US.

One of the highlights of the evening was to see Charlotte hit the Zip Line along with Jennifer Abbott. (Hal and Duane sat it out, no excuse). It was amazing to see 'prim and proper' Charlotte head down the Zip Line like a pro and pose for the camera on the way down. Charlotte also talked Hal into the farris wheel ride. Some of you may know that Hal has always had a huge fear of sitting at the top with the seat rocking back and forth and then dropping to the ground. Of course Charlotte loves to rock the seat at the top. So, still alive to write the post, Hal made it, rocking and all.

Jennifer and Charlotte harnessed up

Charlotte heading down the Zip Line

Ft. Collins Arrival

We made it safely after three days of travel and Amy driving a majority of the way. It was a bitter/sweet trip realizing that Amy was #6 child driving us and Hal no longer has the privilege of teaching the kids to drive. Maybe Hal will get to teach a grand child in 15 years. We saw a couple of ministry partners along the way plus a nice dinner with the kids in Tulsa.

Today (Sunday) we head back to Denver to pick up our son David and attend Agape Bible church and have lunch with him. David happened (God's providence) to be in Denver the same time we are at staff conference doing a Grand Opening for a new Chick-fil-a. We will also spend the day with him on Thursday seeing Estes Park. What a blessing for us. 

Pray for David's wife Sarah Beth as she is dealing with a lot of back pain with her pregnancy, and has another month and a half to go.

Pictures tomorrow as the conference kicks off tonight.