Conference 2007 - Streams in the Desert

The desert is an inhospitable place and is often unknown territory. The terrain can be harsh and challenging. For the Israelites it meant hardship and exhaustion. However as God led them through, He told them He would provide, just as He did in Exodus. (Ex. 13:21-22; 17:6)

The desert is often presented as a time of testing and trial... a barren land through which we must trudge, longing for signs of hope and growth. It is a place where we must learn to trust and wait, to persevere and to listen to the voice of God calling us to stay in Him, learning to trust in His resources not our own and to travel with Him with the promises of His abundant blessings.

The focus must be ever forward to what God will do. God is for us! He says 'See', 'Look'. Just like Peter, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

The desert landscape can also produce very surprising features - just think of desert bloom and fertile places fed by streams of life-bringing water.

This time of year is an opportunity to review and to look forward, anticipating God's promises wondering what the coming year holds. For some groups, it is a time of struggle as nothing seems to be happening, yet if we look closely, we may discern glimpses of God's kingdom at work.

We may be feeling we are going round in circles or frustrated and wondering where the next step will take us when we have few helpers or perhaps dealing with tension or other difficulties

'Streams in the Desert' was the theme for the 2007 conference and we were refreshed by the promises of living water bubbling up from the Life Source - Jesus Himself.

Our key speaker, author and families and children's worker, Sue Relf. Her warmth and passion for Jesus and the little children he teaches us to nurture and learn from was very evident.

Sue's message was one of delight and encouragement to go on doing what we are doing. It is costly and it isn't always easy but we are called to be God's body, created as spiritual and physical beings, made in His image and we can draw on the refreshment He offers by His Spirit.

She called us to see ourselves as God's body, a body of people flowing out like a river of living water to do his will- being renewed, body, mind and spirit by His life giving source.

Gaynor challenged us to swim deep, not just paddle about in the shallows. Jesus offers living water - you have to be prepared to go deeper, drink deeper and lower your bucket deeper.. put out the nets in the deep.

Maggie Barfield, Commissioning Editor for Under Fives resources at SU, brought truth, wisdom and good humour as she spoke on faith and encouraged us in the use of God's Word and introduced us to the beautiful 'Big Bible Storybook'. We loved to hear about the 'photo shoots' for the little people in the Big Bible Storybook illustrations!

It was good to hear from Jo Gordon of Daniel's Den regarding the opportunities she has to be a voice for what she sees as this country's hidden treasure - the many parent toddler groups across the UK offering foundational support and nurture for so many young families and little children in their earliest years.

We had fun with creative ideas from 'Time to Sow' and there were afternoon seminars on a variety of topics to refresh and inspire us in our ministry with little children, their families and opportunities to take spiritual refreshment for ourselves too.

Jo Moore wasn't able to attend to speak on families with special needs due to personal commitments but we hope to invite her another year.

The Resource Exhibition and bookstalls were very popular and we were pleased to welcome 180 delegates from different areas in the south east.

If you were there, we pray that you returned home with renewed energy and vision and a desire to pray with others in your locality.

This is God's work. They are His Toddler Groups, it is His Network for prayer, not ours, and we need to pray for His wisdom and direction as we follow in his steps and anticipate what He is doing.