Front page: Chicago-area conference encourages, then exhorts

OAK BROOK, Ill.--Three congregations sponsored their Christian Renewal Conference (CRC) July 20-21 with three guest speakers and musical presentations. This was the ninth consecutive year for the CRC in the Chicago area.

The sponsoring congregations were the Church of God Downers Grove, the Active Bible Church of God (of downtown Chicago) and the United Church of God Bloomington (Ill.).
The three guest speakers this year were Wayne Cole of Tyler, Texas, Ronald Dart of Tyler and Dave Havir of Big Sandy, Texas.

Where is your place of safety?

Here was the schedule for Saturday, which saw an attendance of 150:

• The conference began with congregational singing at 10 a.m.

• Mr. Cole gave the first sermon, "Where Is Your Place of Safety?," stressing that Jesus is our rock of salvation, protection and safety.

• At 11:30 Mr. Havir gave the next sermon, "The Sovereignty of God." In it he asked Laureen Blissard of Napierville, Ill., to sing during his introduction and asked Joan Osborn of Fillmore, Ind., to conclude with a song.

• At 12:30 the sponsoring congregations provided attendees with a lunch of sandwiches.

• At 2 p.m. a combined choir sang three selections. The core of the choir was from the Active Bible Church of God and was directed by Sheila Bernardo of Darien, Ill.

• Mr. Dart gave a sermon, "Return to the Bible." In it he talked of past years, when statesmen, military men and everyday Christians evinced a familiarity with the Bible. He contrasted that with the present, when many people do not make daily Bible reading an important part of their lives. He encouraged people to read the Bible, all of it.

• At 3:30 the host congregations again provided food, this time rib-eye steaks. People stayed in the hall and fellowshipped until 8 that evening. Since many people lodged in the same motel, fellowshipping continued.

Return for more

Here was the schedule for the 75 people who attended on Sunday:

• At 9:30 Mr. Cole gave a sermon, "The Will to Win," describing the story of Pete Gray, who was a one-armed baseball player who made it to the major leagues. Mr. Cole used this motivational story to encourage determination for Christians to pursue their goal of becoming "sons and daughters of God."

• At 10:30 Mr. Dart gave "Do You Love Me?" He began by describing Jesus' challenge to Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Mr. Dart asked the audience to personalize Jesus' question. Then he read the third parable of Matthew 25.

• At 11:30 Mr. Havir moderated an interactive Bible study titled "The Parable of the Sower." He began by reading Hebrews 3:12-13, then commented about the value of exhorting one another. Then he read Matthew 13:3-9 and invited members of the audience to share their comments about aspects of the parable.

The conference ended with musical selections.

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