The Trigger Has Been Pulled...

After an amazing weekend, I will try to update you all about the events of this weekend. I told you last week that PBC was hosting the 1st ever Trigger Conference for our middle and high school students. I'm not really sure how to describe the weekend, but here goes...

Friday:
Trigger 2011 started out on a very strong note. Even though we only had about 30 students present for the morning session, God didn't care. He showed up in an an amazing way. His presence and power was felt by everyone here. The flow of worship, preaching, and ministry time was marked by a strong intimacy with the Lord. His presence continued to be so heavy throughout the weekend. The evening session brought with it a larger crowd that was hungry to experience God. They did not leave without that experience.

Saturday:
The conference continued to intensify. More students began to show up, worship continued in great freedom, and the carry over from the day before was something to behold. Our students had never entered into the kind of interaction they experienced on Saturday. In an amazing role reversal, they began to minister to one another. Prophetic words were being shared, the laying on of hands in prayer, and a sense that each person was personally experiencing the Lord even in the midst of a great crowd. Students and adults alike received ministry from the leaders. There were even reports of people being healed on day 1 that carried great excitement as well.

The students that were present were immersed in an atmosphere that released them into the destiny that God has purposed for them. They were challenged to hear the Lord for themselves, participate in worship that engaged every aspect of their being, and express themselves in song - drama - and art.

The momentum that began over the weekend carried into both services on Sunday morning. The greatest explanation that I can give is that it looked like divine chaos. What may have seemed simply chaotic to those who watched all that transpired was perceived by the rest as completely ordained of God. There were times during worship that reminded my of Jimmy V "looking for someone to hug" after NC State won the national championship in basketball. You would see students and adults giving all they had in worship - stop what they were doing and walk across the room - share a word of encouragement with someone or pray - then return to where they started never losing a moment of intimacy in worship.

Personally, I learned a great deal on how to minister to people more effectively. Rather than just going through the motions of responding to a request for prayer, each opportunity presented with it a chance to hear from the Lord for the individual. It's hard to explain unless you are in the midst of it, but I was continually in awe at how the Lord began to manifest himself. Those who came were confronted continually with the Love of God.

I am living in great anticipation at what this does for our youth and church. The trigger has been pulled and I believe that we will see PBC continue to become the redemption and restoration of Max Meadows. We are watching heaven invade earth!!!