Couple weeks ago, Kevin, Josh, and myself (Sam) had the tremendous privilege of going to Bethel’s Leaders Advance. We all made sacrifices and took time off from school and work to attend this leadership conference. Although it was our first time there, we all agreed this wouldn’t be our last! There were hundreds and hundreds of leaders there from literally all over the world. There were over over 30 nations represented at this conference alone! Wow!
There were so many highlights for me personally on this trip. Being able to meet leaders from different parts of the world is always so interesting and expands my horizon each time. Also there was a level of excellence and honor that Bethel stewards so well that inspired me to pursue after them even more. I also had the tremendous honor of sitting down with couple of Bethel’s pastors during my time there. Their encouragement, acceptance, and wisdom definitely left an impact. I really felt like I left this conference with a special deposit from the Lord. It was already at work on our flight back home when God supernaturally healed a man at the airport. Praise God!
Along with my brief update and recap, I’ve also asked Josh and Kevin to share about their experience as well.
JOSH KIM
Heading to Bethel Church for the Leaders Advance, I was feeling burnt out, stuck, stagnant, and complacent in ministry, and also just personally. So my expectations for the conference was to be inspired, encouraged, and motivated to keep growing as a leader, go deeper with God, and rekindle the passion in my heart for God. And man… I was so inspired both on the ministry level and personal level where I felt refreshed, renewed, and inspired for more of God. The biggest inspiration for me was Bethel Church and all that they’re doing to bring transformation to their city of Redding. Many people know Bethel for their amazing music, great teachings, and supernatural miracles. However, I think their actions of helping their city goes unnoticed. During the conference, we found out that Bethel was donating a considerable amount of money to Redding’s police department because the police department was experiencing lack of funds, manpower, and equipment. The crazy thing was that Bethel decided to take money out of their own future church building funds from over the years to pour into their city instead. How crazy is that? Kris Vallotton said it perfectly: “What good would it be to have a nice church building but the city around us is still in a mess?” I can only imagine how non-believers of that city would react when they notice a church that is helping their city become a better place for no other reason than to just love the city. This inspired me because one day, I hope that whatever church I am serving in can not only have great worship services, global missions programs, and great church programs, but also have the heart to see cities transformed.
KEVIN KIM
It was my first time to Bethel Church in Redding, California and it definitely won’t be my last! A few weeks ago, we attended the Leaders Advance conference and I think this will become an annual trip. There was a lot that was shared at the conference but I would have to say that the best part for me was the Q & A panel in the morning of the 2nd day. Gabe Venezuela moderated the panel, which consisted of Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotton, and Danny Silk. They mostly talked about culture, but the best part was seeing the dynamic among the three of them. They are all around the age of most grandparents, but they still have fun doing what they do. I would love to be working with my friends at their age, laughing with/at each other, and having fun while following Jesus with our whole lives. The last question of the Q & A was, “If you could have one characteristic from the people sitting next to you, what would it be?” and I was blown away by their answers. It didn’t take long for them to start calling out the gold in each other and you could see the genuine honor and celebration that they have for one another. They just seem so humble and secure that they were willing to say, “This person does this better than I do”.
From start to finish everything they did was really in excellence. The swag bags that they gave out included two free books and a welcome pamphlet including all of the conference information. The way worship sounded blew me away… it literally sounded exactly like what they produced on their media. It was evident that Bethel Church went all out in serving their attendees for this conference. There were even greeters to say a quick blessing when you walked in and ministry team that stayed at the end for those that needed prayer. Another cool thing they offered was a prophetic session. It was just a scheduled time where three people can pray for you and encourage you. Another cool thing about that was in each group there was a kid to help minister! They really mean it when they say there is no junior Holy Spirit!
Experiencing the conference was great but I’m glad I was able to walk away with a lot more than just an experience. I walked away with a new sense of hunger and confidence in who I am in God. I walked away refreshed and recharged spiritually (definitely not physically). I walked away with a greater expectancy to see God move in my life personally and in everything else around me. Thankful for a church like Bethel that goes after God and shares what they get with the rest of the body!