From October 24-26 2018, twelve #citygaters participated in the Advance Movement North America Conference hosted by Southlands Church in Brea, California. You might have your suspicions as to why southern California just so happened to be the destination as the temperatures drop in Toronto. Yes, it was warm and sunny ;) but there are far greater reasons so let me just share three with you:
1. Family News
Advance Movement is a global family of churches that partner together to plant and strengthen churches. City Gates happens to be the only Advance partner church in Canada. That means, while we often link arms with other churches in the Durham region and the GTA, an Advance Movement gathering is more like a family reunion than a typical conference.
As family reunions go, we had opportunities to rejoice with and welcome new family members. I think of Corey and Robin who lead the Movement Church in Homestead, Florida. Originally from Tennessee, they have rooted themselves in a neighbourhood that struggles economically and battles hopelessness. I think also of Miles and Zong as they move forward in establishing 2-42 Community Church to be a Gospel-centered, multi-ethnic church in Hickory, North Carolina. Hickory is relatively small (approx. 40,000) but ranks as the 5th worst city for opioid abuse in the United States.
We also had opportunities to shed tears and pray with others who have been through tough times in ministry, work and family. Many have seen and experienced first hand just how dark the world can be. It was a time to listen, pray, as well as encourage one another to run to Jesus and be refreshed by the Spirit.
2. Recordings and Relationships
You can now listen to all the sessions here! We heard from PJ Smyth, who leads Advance. PJ and Ashleigh with a launch team are preparing to plant Monument Church in the Washington DC area. We also heard from Alan Frow who leads Southlands Church. Alan and Rynelle have been an important voice for City Gates for many years.
These times of teaching, preaching and worship can sometimes be specially charged and full of the Spirit when leaders from different locations gather. It’s possible to get some sense of this from recordings. But there’s a lot more that happened outside of the scheduled conference moments. Conversations over a coffee (or an In and Out Burger) and input from friends new and old is what I will take away the most. There were conversations that lingered…others were quick and to the point. I’m still thinking about many of these moments.
In 2016 I went to my first Advance in North Carolina. There were some awkward moments: forgetting names, standing by myself with coffee in hand, and feeling like I was introducing myself over and over again. I was new to the family. Two years on, stepping into Southlands was completely different. High fives and hugs. I hadn’t spent a lot of time with these people scattered across the continent, but it was two years of knowing and being in partnership for the Gospel. That counts for something.
3. It Doesn't Make Cent$
As our new friend and driver, Jerry, took us to LAX for our return trip, he asked, “So, what did you see?”
Disney? Nope.
Laguna Beach? Nope.
Any beach? Nada. Nothing. We went from airport, to hotel, to conference, back to hotel…you get it.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with exploring and getting the most out of conference-related travel. I know many enjoyed exploring southern California and visiting family and friends. For us, having travelled with two out of our four children, it didn’t feel quite right to have family experiences without them.
The bottom line is, it will never make sense just to count the bottom line. By ‘sense’ I mean dollars and cents (cost of flights and accommodations…oh, and don’t forget using up those precious vacation days.) Then there are the questions: “You’re going where?”, “For what?” and “Why?” are just some of the objections you might encounter.
And yet, I can say I would do it again. It was totally worth it. The beaches will still be there whenever we get back to Southern California. Family reunions are more about the people than the place.
