Annual Conference, Student Conference, Apprentices Conference
9:38 Annual Conference, 21-23 Sept 2001
Be warned! If ever you go on a 9:38 conference it will come and go quicker than you ever thought possible. Having said that, the amount of quality teaching, loving guidance and advice comes equally quickly and lasts far longer.
This year we managed to cover a whole host of topics including extensive talks on ‘the marks of faithful gospel ministry’; two talks on how Paul shared his life with the Ephesian Church (Acts 20: 17-36) and his warnings that both he and the Church will suffer if they are to teach the gospel plainly. We also looked biblically at the roles of men and women in ministry (a very useful corporate talk) and also ‘The principals of gospel ministry’ looking at the priorities of mission, day to day evangelism and the underlying theme of being faithful to God.
The heart of 9:38 is to help delegates to understand whether full time paid gospel ministry is for them. All involved understand that these are big decisions, especially once ‘rooted’ in the work place. The conference acts as a contact point with current ministers ready for grilling at every opportunity (they love it really).
For me, it’s this relaxed atmosphere which makes the weekend a great opportunity. As is repeatedly said (yearly) “You are not a second class Christian if you are not doing paid gospel ministry” and how privileged are we in the work place to be among unbelievers and to be called by God to be witnesses to them. God calls us to obedience whatever setting we are in and 9:38 can help clarify what context that should be, whether this be in the work place or encouraging others by ministering God’s word to his Church (and beyond).
If the conference can help clarify these issues then surely it must be one of the most important weekends of the year!
Giles Witchell
Annual Conference, Student Conference, Apprentices Conference, Top
9:38 Student Conference, 14-16 Dec 2001
I arrived at this conference expecting to receive a useful reminder of truths and wise principles which I had heard many times before. However, I left the conference deeply challenged in many new areas and much clearer about the need for, motivation for and dangers of full-time Christian ministry. The conference was so impressive because all the speakers were prepared to explain both biblical truths and personal ministry experiences as they actually are- no-one attempted to dodge issues in an attempt to be excessively politically sensitive as is the case with too many Christian conferences.
The highlight of the conference was two fabulous talks by Ian Garrett on ‘Gospel ministry’ which were full of relevantly applied Biblical principles and challenging exhortations concerning our motives for and understanding of Christian ministry. Ian explained that all Christians are to be involved in gospel work of some sort but that there is a great need for some to be set apart for full-time Christian ministry as evangelists or pastor-teachers. Ian pointed out the primacy of prayer and Biblical exposition for pastor-teachers and that Christian leadership, in contrast to the world’s view of leadership, must involves humble service and hard work following Christ’s example of humility and perseverance. Ian challenged us to think corporately rather than individually to consider how best we are equipped to serve one another. Ian also gave us a great deal of biblical wisdom and practical advice concerning the way in which we can discern our gifts and make decisions about future ministry. Simon Scott gave us two clear and extremely helpful talks on ‘Gospel motivation’ and ‘Gospel mandate’. I was particularly struck by the urgency of evangelism, the close connection between evangelism and bible teaching and the realistic picture which the New Testament paints of gospel work being a struggle with many discouragements as well as great joys. Julian Hardyman also provided us with a much needed reminder that all of our lives are to be driven by a ‘Gospel mindset’ dominated by a self-giving, Christ-like attitude towards others and a constant desire to proclaim the Good News to others. Perhaps the most useful element of the conference was the excellent seminars which dealt with difficult topics without avoiding the plain teaching of Scripture.
The conference as a whole was therefore a great encouragement. It was a great privilege to be able to chat with many older Christians in full-time Christian ministry. It was wonderful to be able to spend time with people with similar plans for the future and also good to be able to relax with Christian brothers and sisters at the end of a busy term.
Annual Conference, Student Conference, Apprentices Conference, Top
9:38 Apprentices Conference, 2-4 Jan 2002
Bawtry Hall provided us with a great location, great food and much smiling service – on the purely practical level the conference was one of the best I’ve been on. But, far more importantly than that, the content of the conference itself was excellent. We were taught and admonished from the Scriptures and challenged and inspired by the examples of George Whitfield, Charles Simeon and Billy Graham in their various ministries.
The main Bible teaching sessions reminded us of the nature of gospel ministry and the need for vigilance on watching our lives and doctrine closely – not easy listening, but very much valued as we head into 2002 looking to honour the Lord Jesus. Richard Coekin also lead two very helpful sessions on understanding the text itself and taking the context seriously – challenging us not to be just aiming to ‘tick off’ the books we’ve ‘done’ but to let the Bible correct our doctrine, and that of those we teaching, so that the truth impacts our lives.
We were given the opportunity to prepare and present a short talk or Bible study and to give and receive constructive criticism within a small group context – this was both hard work and a very valuable experience. It was helpful to have to think out carefully what exactly was good about the good bits and not so good about the less good bits! Not only was the content of the conference superb, it also provided opportunities to meet and catch up with others from around the country serving in similar ways. This was a great encouragement to persevere and has given me lots of food for thought.
Helen Murrils (St Nicolas’ Church, Sevenoaks)
Annual Conference, Student Conference, Apprentices Conference, Top