“I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” Romans 15:14

“But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.” I Corinthians 12:21-26

Boy, do we need one another. We need one another for the encouragement to persevere in an increasingly lost world. We need each other for direction and perspective when the work of ministering gets heavy and disorienting. We need each other for counsel and advice. And perhaps most important, we need each other as reminders of God’s miraculous devotion to the salvation of souls, including our own! We need to be together.

Anytime the body meets, be it a congregational worship or Bible talk in the park, it can be pretty awesome. But there is something special about a gathering of disciples who have been gifted to lead. There is an energy and enthusiasm unlike anything else we’ve experienced. Close your eyes and imagine the warmth and affection of 1,200 brothers and sisters reconnecting. Envision those close friends praying together, laughing together, and catching up with one another. Can you feel the enthusiasm from powerful biblical preaching and teaching? Can you feel the warmth of those deep, life giving conversations that will go deep into the night? We can almost hear the singing now!

This is how it will be with the 2009 International Leadership Conference in Denver, September 3rd – 6th. To date, there are about 650 brothers and sisters registered from all over the world, and we are praying for twice that to make the trip. Will you be one of them? Don’t let this powerful and historic gathering come and go without you. Register today at www.icocconference.org before the registration cost goes up on August 1, or hotel space becomes unavailable. Above all else, pray for us as we will be praying for you and know that a warm embrace awaits you from your family in Denver!