This annual Reformed conference is rapidly becoming an eagerly anticipated feature of must see events in the North West. This is its fourth year at the ideally resourced Emmaus Church Centre in Warrington. Living the Christian Life was the stated theme though it could equally well have been Christian: Glory in your Weakness; Magnify Your Lord! The main conference comprised the following addresses:

Strength in Weakness: Paul’s challenge to triumphalism (Stephen Rees)
Triumph through Weakness: Christ’s victory won in human weakness (Stephen Rees)
Love Not the World: Living for Christ in a pleasure-seeking society (Oliver Allmand-Smith)
The All-Round Christian Life: Ordering our lives in a frantic society (Ian Higham)
Conference Sermon (Steve Wood)

The two sermons from Stephen Rees are really impossible to separate very helpfully since they essentially comprise parts a and b of a single message. In the first part we were presented with the real problem of ‘Christian perfectionism’ in its modern guise of ‘infallible Christian leadership’ and ‘hero worship’. This was in contradistinction to the Apostle Paul’s incessant sufferings and persecutions as portrayed in his second letter to the Corinthians. We were finally left hanging with the question, ‘Where is the victory for the Christian?’ The following morning the answer came, not too surprisingly in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ as we were confronted in a very fresh and stimulating manner with the Glory of God manifested in His humanity as found in the Gospel of Matthew.

Next came a frontal assault on our brazen love of worldliness in our churches today. John’s clear challenge in his first letter regarding the absolute incompatibility of love for the world and love for God was presented so as to cause all who were listening to examine themselves and reassess our priorities.

Then Ian Higham opened Paul’s challenge to the Colossians to live a life of distinction in a God-hating world in every area and department of our live, in private and in public, without exception.

It fell to Steve Wood’s lot to apply the necessary salve to our gaping wounds. This came from Acts 12 and was a simple and gentle reminder that our Sovereign Lord sees and hears all and He intimately cares for His people with a love that expels all rivals. There can be no greater comfort to the believer than the fact that ‘all things work together for good to those who love God; who are the called according to His purpose…’ and who not only know this intellectually but daily experience its realities personally.

9th and 10th October saw a good number of Christians from all over the North West of England gathering at the Emmaus Church Centre in Warrington for this year’s “God’s Glory – Our Joy” conference. The conference has been running each year since 2000, and is subtitled “Building Biblical Churches for the 21st Century”, which sums up the nature of the conference addresses. Each of the addresses covered an aspect of Christian living in the context of our changing society, with a particular emphasis on our individual and collective contributions to the life of our local churches. The conference is aimed as much at ordinary church members as at Church Leaders, apart from the first session on Friday afternoon, which was aimed specifically at Church leaders.

This year saw addresses from Chris Hand (Crich), Ian Higham (Belvidere Rd, Liverpool), Oliver Allmand-Smith (Ramsbottom) and Stephen Rees (Stockport). The Conference Sermon was preached by Steve Wood (Ulverston).

In each of the addresses we were challenged to live differently from those round about us, being obedient to Scripture, and in so doing to witness for Christ to those who need to know Him. The content of the addresses was not just Bible teaching, but very practical application of that teaching to everyday life, and in particular to our church lives. This is so needful in our present society where we are surrounded by challenges to our Christian faith. Our churches need to be our spiritual homes, where we gain strength, support, and fellowship, to enable us to go out into the world and live for Christ.

As well as enjoying the ministry, it was good to renew fellowship with those from other churches around the North West, and to make new acquaintances while we browsed the bookstall or sat together at lunch. Many have been coming to the conference for several years, but it was good to see a number of new faces as well. Facilities for babies and children meant that whole families could come together, without one
parent having to stay home to look after the children.