This particular season in my life just culminated with the end of Passion 2012 in Atlanta. What. an. experience. There is SO much in me that can't stand describing things using the same words that everyone else in the whole world uses, but unfortunately, it seems that all the appropriate words are being grabbed for by everyone who joined either in person or online, so forgive me for sounding redundant. It was amazing, epic, awe-filled, surprising, huge and awesome. It was also exhausting, emotional, sacrificial and hard. Things that are worth doing usually are. We talked in our post-conference brunch as a team today about the fact that many of us don't get to be in the room for every session because of the nature of our roles, but we no-less experience the full measure of the conference...we just do it from a different perspective. So...before I fall into a haze of Christmas decoration tear-down around the house, unpacking, laundry, school lunches and backpacks, I wanted to get some gratefulness down in writing about Passion 2012. There will most certainly be personal shout-outs because Passion 2012 is made up of people all serving and worshiping the same Person. This is just my perspective, and I didn't have the good fortune of intersecting with everyone all the time, but it's a passionate perspective nonetheless...
it all started at the end of Passion 2011...
On the last day of P2011, Louie and Shelley announced Passion 2012 in the Georgia Dome. My personal hero, Matt Floyd, immediately went to work designing the online registration system for Passion 2012. It is imperative that you understand at this moment what a GENIUS this guy is. I would say things like "it would be great if the system could..." and within moments it was done. Every transaction, registration, refund, scholarship, transfer, group and individual registration I or anyone else initiated was made possible by this guy. He would be up 'till all hours of the morning on the other side of my computer screen via ichat helping me do whatever large task was before me and in most cases making what should take hours take mere minutes by his ability to do it "on a system level" rather than making me do extra steps. Oh, and by the way, registration isn't the only computer/web-related thing Matt does for Passion Conferences and Passion City Church, but beyond his technical brilliance is his innate ability to NEVER let a stressful situation get the best of him. He always keeps his cool and quietly goes about making things amazing. If you don't know him, you should.
As I continue thinking through the list of people I'm grateful for, my brain pauses on several names...
Emily Vogeltanz - I don't know if you've ever been up close to someone as you watch them carry and steward the vision that God's given them, but I get to pretty often. Many times as a vision is headed for completion or culmination, the load becomes a much heavier one and actually getting to the finish line seems almost impossible in the last days and hours. I'm not sure that this has ever been more the case than in the culmination of the Freedom expression on the plaza at Passion 2012. The vision had taken shape many months prior in the back room of the Passion house, but the culmination was an absolute LABOR of love, weather, sweat, freezing and tears. Through it all, whether "fresh" off of an hour of sleep in the morning, or huddled up and finally having a hot meal at night, tears of exhaustion were never far and neither was Emily's firm belief that God would come through. And He did. Emily, I loved watching you trust God...and I loved even more watching God come through. Freedom!
As we rolled through registration day, it was a steady, busy flow of people. As we neared 7pm, it became evident that we weren't going to be able to start the session on time because of the still massive amount of people that needed to be registered, receive their credentials and get into a seat in the Dome. That's when Vicky Porterfield, Wendy Durnwald and their team of intercessors went to work praying for the process. We went from EVERYONE in line to NO ONE in line in a matter of 10 minutes. There is no explanation for it other than God. He sent Susanne Fatigati, Aaron Fortner and the amazing Brown Team to help and before we knew what had happened, the kids were in, the session was beginning and registration had worked. Only God...and some amazing people.
And that brings me to the best part of registration...my co-leader, sister-in-law and friend, Sarah Richards. There are not adequate words, and I'm really glad that I'm typing rather than talking because I would most assuredly cry. Getting to do the last several Passion conferences side by side with her is a privilege I'll always search for appropriate words to describe. We are the perfect complement for one another and God has blessed me completely in giving me her for this journey and in life. She is a light, has such a tender heart and loves Jesus so much. I'm a better version of myself when she's around! Okay Say Say, you ready for 2013? :)
If you've ever been around a Passion conference, then you surely know that registration doesn't just happen because of myself, Sarah or Matt, it happens because of the beautiful team of Registration Doorholders that God raises up each year. They are pumped, ready and capable and they make an otherwise menial task fun and exciting. What's more...they do it as a ministry to these students and leaders...they know they're the first face of Passion and they do all they can to be sure that students are welcomed and readied to encounter Jesus in these days. And, to our core team for registration, set-up, tear down and info booths: Tammy Pruden, Meredith Mitchell, Alicia Scott, Mark Henderson, Joshua Berry, Doug, Christy, Haley and Conner Monda, Stacey, Joey, Sophie and Olivia Windover, Melanie Amos, Chelsea Ponder, Kimberly Burks, Livia Maia, Hannah Rosbrook, and Alan Putnam...THANK YOU for staying on the journey with us and for seeing it through to the end! You're amazing!
I'm sure this will seem trivial to most, but to me, it was a glorious moment. I mentioned in passing one day on site (and can't even remember to whom) that I never drink coffee at Passion because I am so used to using hazelnut creamer out of the container in my fridge and don't really know how to convert the little one serving creamer packets to that. So, I usually just punt on coffee and choose something else. Would you believe that the next morning there were two containers of hazelnut creamer in the office fridge for me? I HAD COFFEE EVERY MORNING OF THE CONFERENCE! That may seem stupid, but that is just one evidence of how detailed and caring Jon Ackley-Jelinek and our Hospitality Team are. He'd heard that I wanted something like that, got the details and made it happen. That's what they did for everyone in the building all week. And this girl was supremely grateful for specially-bought creamer. It's the little things!
Speaking of little things, Passion does a phenomenal job of appreciation. When I arrived in my hotel room, there was a specially made basket waiting for me with all sorts of little goodies. The best thing about the basket was that they were all things that were my favorites. They'd been specifically picked by Courtney Henry and placed in my room because they were things I like. Courtney and her team did that over and over and over in various hotel rooms for our team. Not an easy task...but always one she lovingly pores over in the weeks leading up to the conference. What a neat role to play...serving others so they can serve others, and so on. Courtney, thank you for knowing me well and loving me well! I love getting to be on this journey with you and I love YOU!
At a couple of points during Passion, things were happening that were overwhelming and emotional and needed immediate attention. I won't go into all the details because they're not important. What is important are the people who JUMPED to remedy, transport, assess and walk alongside as these things were handled. They know how they helped, but God only knows how they ministered. Jay Desai, Lori Mallard, Renee McKenzie, Kristen Franklin...thank you for being at the right places at the right times with the right abilities and the right words to lend to the situation(s). Grateful for each of you.
There will be NO way to actually capture everyone that I crossed paths with this week that made an impact on me...and in fact, even as I know I'm only going to mention two more, three or four are making their way into my brain. Maybe I can write a second post someday...
Misty Paige. I don't know how you carried what you carried, but I know that you did it well! Even though I think in logistics, I am still in awe of your ability to not only think in logistics, but execute and lead the logistics of this conference so well. You are ALWAYS forthcoming with information, follow up, clarity and helpful details. You've thought things through far past the point where everyone else stops thinking about it or has never started. You never let the details eclipse Jesus and for that balance, I'm so grateful. Thank you for how well you've led, journeyed and conquered! Love you! Take a little breather... :)
Cheryl Bell... I will never know how you can carry all the details of every team and person in your head and recall them at any time, I will never know how you manage to never lose your cool and never panic or respond sharply and I will never know how you're still standing at the end of 18 and 20 hour days and then get up to do it all again the next day. But, what I do know is WHY you do it and WHO you do it for. Thank you for your leadership, for your transparency and for your patience with me. I am grateful for all we've walked through and look forward to the journey ahead...
Passion is always an amazing experience. God is always an amazing God, so there's almost no way that it won't be. But, to all the people who take care of all the details...those I've named above and the countless that I haven't...I think of the illustration of the swan...you are truly paddling furiously under the water so that the swan can glide across the lake without so much as a ripple. Freedom rang, people gave, Jesus was lifted up, those who were dead are now alive!!!
For me personally, I got to have my kids there for some select times with Jeffrey. This was their first experience of Passion...specifically registration and their personal favorite...Lecrae. You're never really sure how much your kids are absorbing and there wasn't a lot of time for conversation in the midst of it. But, they were impacted and I'm grateful. Jack's note proves it. :) The picture of Ali is a direct representation of what I'll be doing for the next week on a cruise to Mexico with my hubby. She was completely worn out by her Passion experience...and those two wristbands won't come off of Maggie, Jack or Ali for months...which is a testament to how Passion just tends to stick with you...encounters with Jesus are like that...no matter which perspective you look from.
peace.
 |
| jack's note of encouragement for lecrae |
 |
| rest... |
