USA (MNN) — Recent research from the Barna Institute
indicated that young adults were likely to embrace a designer faith, with
rootless values. That has brought a great challenge to the church, along with
the desire for revival.
"If the church will rise up and be the light, people
will flock to the light", says Evangelist Sammy Tippit. He joined nearly 400 pastors and Christian
leaders at the Billy Graham's Training Center for a Heart-Cry for Revival
Conference.
The conference began with a spirit of prayer permeating the
meetings. Dave Butts, chairman of the U.S. national prayer committee, and
Daniel Henderson, president of Strategic Renewal Ministries, led prayer
preconference sessions. God's presence filled the retreat center during these meetings. When the participants for the conference arrived on Day
1, people's hearts were hungry and thirsty for revival.
They listened to speakers such as Richard Owen Roberts,
James MacDonald, Dr. Crawford Loritts, Sammy Tippit, and Nancy Leigh DeMoss
issue a call to pray for revival. Many ministry leaders lead without preparing
adequately. Tippit said, "I don't believe the problem can adequately be
described as burn-out. It would be better defined as ‘dehydration.' We become
so busy in the work of God that we don't have time to stop and drink from the
waters that flow from God's throne. And that's where the refreshing comes from."
Together, those who attended were re-energized from God's Word in
order to be ready to lead. "We just
really believe that church growth, revival, and reaching people for Christ needs
to have its roots in a biblical approach and not an experiential
approach."
As the team works to spread revival, church growth will
follow. There are plans in the works to
cultivate more. "We're looking at
starting 'Heart Cry for Revival' Conferences in South Africa and also in
Canada. We're putting together a system whereby this can become a
movement."
Continue to pray for the logistics to work out in this
revival group. Pray that God would continue to bless church
leaders through the messages posted from the conference, and pray that
obstacles would clear away as this movement grows.
