My Heart is Full of Gratitude

It was exactly one year ago that the Holy Spirit spoke to me.

I was on an airplane, flying to Nashville to attend a Kidmin Conference with 3,000 people. It was an excellent conference, but it wasn’t a spirit-filled conference.

I asked the Lord, “How come there aren’t any Spirit-Filled Kidmin conferences?”

He spoke to me, “Why don’t you do it?”

Well, I didn’t really want to host a conference. I just wanted to speak at it. (Conferences are a lot of work with financial risk, and I felt that someone younger should take on the heavy lifting.)

Fast forward to today. We just concluded our first annual Supernatural Children’s Ministry Summit, and I don’t have the words to describe everything that happened, but these are the things that stood out to me:

We had 250 people from 30 states and 10 nations participate in the summit.
On Tuesday morning, for the opening general session, the Holy Spirit gave me a prophetic word for the nation entitled “This Changes Everything.” It is the most important message I have ever preached. As I shared this message, it became clear to me that I had entered a new phase of ministry. I know what I am supposed to do as I press toward the end of my race. I’m not slowing down. I’m picking up the pace. (I will share part of this message in a post tomorrow.)
Becky Fischer led an intercessory prayer group before the evening services. I thought we might have 30 people, but it was standing room only. I have not been in a prayer meeting like that for decades, as 80 people were boldly praying in tongues. It was a wonderful sound to hear so many people pray who are unashamed of the Holy Spirit.
It’s expensive to plan a conference like this. The budget was $35,000, and we didn’t have a church or a large ministry backing us. I wasn’t sure if people wanted a conference like this, but we obeyed God and took a step of faith. Logically, it didn’t make sense, but I knew God was involved, and you all came through. In the end, we met and exceeded the budget, leaving some funds to plan next year’s summit.
This wasn’t just a Conference. We are building a community of parents and leaders who want revival for this next generation. Deb and I could feel your support for the vision. It feels great to have a whole team of people running alongside us as we race toward the finish line.

The Supernatural Children’s Ministry Summit was a supernatural event inspired by the Holy Spirit, but don’t just take my word for it. Here are some comments from attendees of this event:

“We just got back from the best three days of our lives. We were blessed to be able to attend the Supernatural Children’s Ministry Summit in the cities. This was most literally life-changing; words cannot express how powerful the presence of God was during every moment of this conference.”

– Brenda Shaffer

“Having worked with a variety of ministries, both large and small, as an event planner, I was deeply impressed by the attention to every detail. Nothing was overlooked. The worship team, musicians, sound booth workers, speakers, and teachers were anointed, creating an atmosphere where we could step right into the Presence of God. The unity in the rooms was undeniable.

I’m so thankful to have experienced this. I return home not only refreshed but inspired to keep pressing forward. Though this Summit has ended, a new vision for my own kids ministry has just begun afresh!”

– Jennine Bortmess