From 4-7 April seventy-one CRCA pastors, ministry workers, and their spouses gathered together for Recharge 2016. It was a beautiful view! As Peter Adam reminded us, the place where we gathered was Kalorama, which in Greek means "seeing beautiful things." And it was beautiful in so many ways.
We began with dinner on Monday 4 April. The conversations around the tables were lively and animated. That evening, and over the next three days, Peter Adam walked us through the Biblical book of Esther. We were reminded time and time again that here on earth we live as exiles. But, like Esther, we are placed in this world for "such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). All of Peter's talks are now available from the Ministry Formation website here. Peter Adam himself commented on this Recharge Conference: "As you can imagine, I have been to many ministers' conference as participant or speaker. I was so encouraged by this conference. There seemed to be a remarkably positive mood, and people seemed to be encouraging each other rather than competing with each other or judging each other. And there was a good balance of input, relaxation and personal interaction. So congratulations and thanks to you and your team for enabling this to happen. It was of course a privilege to take part in it." These are encouraging words since both Ministry Formation and the TRAIN workgroup have worked hard for these kinds of outcomes, and we are humbly grateful to God to see this become a growing reality among us. It was a beautiful view witnessing the coming together of the CRCA from all over the country, including our mission in Solomon Islands.
On Tuesday afternoon we enjoyed the surrounds of the Dandenong ranges. One group visited wineries in the Yarra Valley. Another group toured Coldstream Dairy and went to a chocolate factory. The rest took in the beautiful sights of the Alfred Memorial gardens and the Skyhigh lookout. Photos from these tours and the rest of the conference can be viewed here. The photos attest to the beautiful surrounds of the Dandenong Ranges and the joy of fellowship among those who attended Recharge this year.
Besides the Bible talks given by Peter Adam, Grant Bickerton challenged us as church workers to "Be on Fire without Burning Out." Many pastors and ministry workers, including spouses, find church work difficult and at times unrewarding. Some suffer from 'burnout' and all desire to be supported in their work. Grant's talk can be found here. The handouts and PowerPoint can be accessed here.
After a challenging afternoon reflecting on the hardships of ministry and the topic of burnout, on Wednesday night Cameron Semmens provided some good comic relief through his unique use of poetry and prose. But his poems also made us think and reflect on the penetrating truth of God's Word.
Here are some random comments from those who attended Recharge this year:
- Wow! Very relaxing indeed. Peter Adam was an excellent speaker.
- A wonderful opportunity for spiritual input and Christian fellowship.
- I loved the conference. I look forward to the next one.
- Thanks for a wonderful and restful time.
- Peter's messages were very engaging, insightful, and challenging. Great!
- The entertainment was amazing.
- Great speaker; solid input. Great time to connect with people.
Some other comments encouraged the organisers of Recharge to provide more free time, more time in Connect groups, and a lesser paced conference. All the evaluations will be reviewed and the input we have received will go into the planning for Recharge 2017.
Thank you to everyone who prayed for the conference this year. God really blessed us with great attendance, wonderful Melbourne autumn weather, inspiring input, and warm fellowship among all those who attended. Strengthened by the Spirit's power, people who attended Recharge this year came away refreshed, renewed, and with one voice the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ was glorified!