Today's Ignite Conference at our Midway campus was a big win!  Lots of new faces, a full Spanish language tract, Pastor Wilfredo deJesus, matches, the Jesse White Tumblers, powerful music, great sessions and a big turnout!  This is our third year doing the event and each time its happened because of the teamwork and hours put in by a whole bunch of people from different New Life locations.

Two people at the center of it all bear huge responsibility for the event and always deliver:  EJ Lyon and Vilma Arguelles.  EJ handles all the conference and session related logistics--sign in, registration, books, day-of problems, resources, volunteer recruitment and placement, performers like the JWT's and a whole bunch more.  Vilma oversees all the tech, graphic and design people, videos, building needs and workers, set up, sound/tech/video, day-of program and a whole bunch more.

Frankly, without these ladies handling the operations, the event wouldn't happen.  Alongside them are a host of great volunteers who serve in too many ways to list (but I'll try anyway).  Altogether, hundreds of work-hours are invested to make an event like Ignite happen. 

There are a bunch of other people who do big things to make Ignite happen: 

• Bobby Moss and Paco Amador serve on the planning team with EJ, Vilma and I and contribute a lot of ideas, guidance, planning, and laughs.  I think we have the most fun (and most caffeinated) meetings of any New Life group.
• Joshua and Nancy Holec are big time servants in the final run up putting a ton of hours and care into final prep and day-of management.  Nancy runs a lot of the back of the house and Joshua the front.  They're a great team.
• Marco and Christina Terrell and their incredible team of talented and hard-working foodies.  They don't just throw some food out on a table--they create magic!  And no one who wasn't fasting could have gone home today hungry.  They serve a constantly replenishing snack-meal and drink service that is unbeatable.
• The building team, led by Phil Flores and the tech team of Steve, Tino and crew who work with Vilma providing recording of every session and sound/tech/video in each session.  These crews make sure the rooms are set up with chairs, sound, video, empty trash cans, clean bathrooms, clean floors--you name it. 
• All the session teachers and facilitators.  We try to mix it up with new presenters and new topics each year as well as tapping into the strength of our pastoral team.  Each year our teaching team does a great job.
• The registration, ushering and greeting team.  They arrive early and make sure that everyone is welcomed, given resources, and helped wherever needed.  And don't forget the parking lot guys overseen by Mike Berry who keep cramming in "one more car".  
• Mike Vasquez, Alicia Holec and Roger Masa who video and photograph just about anything that moves.

We start planning this conference about 5 months before it happens.  But each year the effort and work of many pays off with an experience that equips and ignites a big cross-section of New Lifers. 

Thank you Ignite Peeps!  You're the best!

I've talked about it before but its illustrated powerfully when you are preparing to fast--you are at your best when you function within a spiritual squad.  Our pastoral team (my key squad) has been in conversation over email sharing our various fasting plans for the 21 day fast we began yesterday.  This conversation has done several things for me:

1. Hearing about other pastors' specific fasting plans caused me to create my own plan.  I've learned that what is left unsaid prior to a fast becomes a point for easy compromise during a fast.  A fasting plan keeps me from wiggling out of my commitments, indulging or unnecessarily struggling.  Its particularly helpful after I've shared my plans with others.
2. Knowing that others are fasting in the same way right along with me gives me an invisible sense of camaraderie.  I'm not alone.  That renews my sense of purpose because I'm in it together with brothers.
3. Practical helps like Dwayne's phrase, "water is a faster's best friend", remind me how to stay on track in practical things during the fast.  And it reduces the number of headaches I experience.

Our conversation really began by me simply asking, "hey, is anyone fasting the entire 21 days?"  From there most of the team shared how they are participating in the fast.  Don't be afraid to ask people in your squad about their fast.  A corporate fast is done together (duh) so you're not being unspiritual by sharing how you're fasting.

Haven't started fasting yet?  Start by making a plan.  Answer these questions as specifically as possible:

• How long will you fast? 
  
  • Example:  "sundown, February 26 to sundown, February 29"
• What will you fast from? 
  
  • Example:  "only 3 glasses/bottles of juice per day, no coffee, as much tea as desired, one cup of clear broth per day, no web-surfing, no television."
• What will you add to your spiritual practices during the fast?  
  • As my daughter Lena said yesterday, " a fast is not just stopping eating--it means praying when you would be eating."
  • Example:  30 minutes of worship and prayer for breakfast lunch and dinner, meditate on the book of Ephesians for the duration of the fast.
• Why are you fasting?
  • Now its not enough to answer this with, "because my church said to do it."  That's a good start but having personal spiritual goals during your fast will give your fast prayer purposes that bind it together and that allow you to praise God for what He does after your fast is complete.
  • Example:  "hear God more clearly, break out of spiritual dryness, receive direction on an important decision."

I'll give one more piece of advice--read a good fasting book before and during your fast.  It will motivate and inspire you.  I recommend Jentezen Franklin's book Fasting.  May your fast be fruitful.