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"I feel spiritually renewed and challenged to claim the full heritage of the Methodist Church," said one participant at the recent Aldersgate conference. A pastor attending commented, "I can pass on through preaching, teaching and example some of the things I learned at the conference. What I experience here renews my sense of call and reminds me of the work that remains to be done."

Over 1000 people gathered at Rogers, Arkansas July 18-22 for Aldersgate '07 under the theme Display Your Glory based on Habakkuk 3:2, "LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy." Numbers swelled to an estimated 1300-1400 with local walk-ins to evening sessions. Aldersgate is the largest annual national family conference of United Methodists in America. Participants came from 38 different states and Brazil. A missionary couple from the Czech Republic was also in attendance. The conference was sponsored by Aldersgate Renewal Ministries [ARM], an affiliate of the General Board of Discipleship through the Upper Room. The renewal group's purpose is to encourage "United Methodists and their churches by the grace of God and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, to be filled, gifted, empowered and led by the Holy Spirit in ministry to the world."

Jonathan Dow, Associate Executive Director of ARM said "The difficult circumstances we walk through often drain us of joy and zest. We pray that Aldersgate gives people an opportunity to be filled up, refreshed, to become the hands and feet of Jesus in their workplaces and communities and churches. We strive to make a difference one life at a time."

Although he was unable to attend the conference, Bishop Charles Crutchfield of Arkansas gave enthusiastic support for the gathering and made the resources of his conference office available for promoting the event.

Those gathered experienced inspiring worship services with uplifted hands, clapping, carried banners, canopies, flags, streamers, dancers and a large multicultural praise band made up of musicians from all over the country. "ARM believes in freedom to worship," stated Executive Director, Gary Moore, "the freedom to raise your hands nor not raise your hands, to kneel or not to kneel, to dance or not to dance. It's the freedom to express yourself in ways most meaningful to you in an atmosphere where those who do love those who don't and those who don't love those who do!"

There was great general session preaching after which prayer teams offered ministry to participants. At the conference people rested in the Spirit, exercised spiritual gifts, and heard words of prophecy from God. Numerous participants testified of physical and emotional healings. Some came to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior for the first time. Others renewed their commitment to Christ. Still others testified to being baptized in the Holy Spirit at the conference.

A participant commented, "It has brought spiritual refreshment and restored vision and passion for ministry." A pastor said, "As a pastor, it allows me the opportunity to worship without the normal distraction present on Sunday morning. The worship and equipping sessions, the fellowship, the sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit all bring a needed refreshing in my spirit."

A 24 hour pre-conference session attended by around 300 focused entirely on prayer before the main conference. It utilized a Concerts of Prayer model that provided opportunities for personal, small group, and corporate prayer as well as prayer at prayer various stations interwoven with times of worship and praise under the theme of

General session speakers were Bishop Paulo Lockmann of the Methodist Church of Brazil, Rev. Junius Dotson of St. Mark's UMC, Wichita, KS, Rev. Candace Lewis of New Life Community UMC, Jacksonville, FL, Rev. Jacquie Leveron of Good Shepherd UMC, West Palm Beach, FL, Rev. Amanda Diamond of First UMC, Hendersonville, TN and Rev. Frank Billman of Forest Grove UMC, Joelton, TN. Four Methodist pastors from Brazil came with Bishop Lockmann to participate in the conference.

The conference provided programming for all ages, nursery and preschool, elementary, youth, young adults and adults. Around 55 different equipping sessions were offered on a wide variety of topics.

In addition to the national Aldersgate conference, ARM provides 6 different team-led local church renewal events, including the Lay Witness Mission, in local churches across the country, a worship conference and Minister and Spouse Retreat at their center in Goodlettsville, TN, and other events through several Regional Fellowships in annual conferences.

Over the last several years ARM has also been invited to minister internationally. An Aldersgate conference is held each January among United Methodists in the Philippines. Ministry teams have been sent to the Philippines, Poland, Paraguay, Slovakia, Brazil and Tanzania. Methodist Bishops from Brazil and Fiji have requested that ARM ministry teams come to their countries in 2008. For more information you can go to the website: www.AldersgateRenewal.org.

Frank Billman is the director of church relations for Aldersgate Renewal Ministries.

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United Methodists seek renewal at Aldersgate By Frank Billman

United Methodists seek renewal at Aldersgate
By Frank Billman