Foundations 12: A few words

Where do we start? So much happened that week, much of it yet untold, or yet to be revealed, The scene was set when we noticed the shape of the tree in the hotel garden. We called it the ‘Shin tree’ because of its resemblance to that particular Hebrew letter, perhaps the clearest indicator of God’s covering over us. Here is one story from the conference that can be told. It is from a lady for whom this was her second Foundations:

“With the theme of Holiness, I asked the Lord on my first day “why am I here?”  The reply was very clear – “I want to put My arms around you and love you”! But it was not long before I discovered that fatherly love includes discipline.

I felt convicted that I was trying to remove a speck from my husbands eye while having a beam in my own called ‘self righteousness’. I sought help in praying a prayer of repentance which led on to me being totally freed from past hurts in my marriage. I experienced a wonderful release and new found love not just for my husband but for others and even myself!

Also, as a full time carer, I had been asking the Lord to  help me relax. I found the extra free time to be invaluable and during the week was greatly blessed by getting back  into swimming and enjoying long walks in the nearby park. Was also greatly blessed by the Prophetic Art session I  attended and I plan to take up landscape sketching again when I return home.

How refreshing to hear the speakers share the ‘whole  counsel of God’ and to see a golden thread of the Holy Spirit running through the talks which perfectly complemented  each other. The fellowship with some of the other delegates was rich and encouraging and I made some wonderful new friends. 

 From my experience Foundations  conferences are unique and my life will never be the same.   I’ve returned home  completely renewed and refreshed in mind, body and spirit. Thank You Father and everyone who worked so hard to make it possible.”

There is no magic ingredient to Foundations except a willingness to let God have His way and not to get in the way! We offer solid teaching but not enough to gorge on, we offer activities for mind, body and spirit, but never impose, we provide meaningful worship times, but don’t ‘over plan’ them. The key ingredient to Foundations are the people who come, who God sends to us. We always get the right number, the right people. Not everyone comes back, otherwise there would be no space for new people. On evaluation forms, one factor scores above all others, the quality of the fellowship. It’s people meeting with people and their God. All we do is provide a safe space for them to do so.

We are now taking bookings for Foundations 13 in The Hayes conference centre, in Derbyshire. If you wish to come along we urge you to book early as every indication is that this is going to be a ‘sell out’.