Hill Song Conference Diary

Monday, 4th July
Monday morning, Carol dropped Jon & I at Belinda’s place and we got picked up by her dad to the Airport. Some where along Bell St at Coburg, my phone rang - Eleven & Angel were waiting to be picked up! Oops, Mis-communication! after all has been sorted out- they had to rush to the airport by taxi as it was 8.15a.m – just in time to catch the 9.30a.m Qantas flight.
Upon arrival at Sydney airport, we got into 3 taxis to get to the back-packer’s place. Big-on Elizabeth in Surrey Hills. To ensure that the boys and girls do not have to share room, Jeremy & I offered to sleep in the 8 person dorm while the others enjoyed their 4 person ensuite rooms.
At mid day, we make the most of Sydney and I played tourist guide and popped down to Darling Harbour with Angel, Eleven & Belinda. Eleven keep disappearing to take her artistic shots of various parts of the city. We took the monorail and went for some round trip but the girls dozed off the sleep in the monorail and so we got off and walk back to the Elizabeth St

Fast forward to Monday night at Hillsong. We bought a weekly ticket and got on the train. After our train ride from Central Station, we change train at Lidcombe and finally arrived at the superdome There's nearly 29,000 delegates in the super dome. We just made it to the 5.00pm session as we got there pretty early like 4.pm., and after the long queue, made it onto the lower level
Fifteen minute opening includes explosions, massive video production, hundreds of dancers, a two minute James Morrison trumpet solo and Hillsong's Darlene Zschech finishing the whole shebang leading Rich Mullins classic, Awesome God. Incredibly moving time. Great opening.A 10 minute address from New South Wales' Premier Bob Carr. I hear there was a lot said about this in the press. Let me assure you, the man can write a speech. I’m sure it was the most fun he’d ever had giving a political speech. At least 20,000 votes in it for him. But, without being too cynical, it was quite inspiring to see the church having a voice with the legislators of today.
We did not stay for the 7.30pm session, got back to the dorm and watched the news where Peter Costello was grilled by late-line as he spoke at the 7.30pm session in Hillsong.Dr Jack Hayford speaks in first meeting. He is my hero, with over 50 years experience in the ministry and a track record that suggests he is worth listening too. He spoke on Genesis 15:1-6 - “After these things...” . It's basically about how God prepared Abraham for the fulfillment of the promise of a child. Key phrase to remember - "All of Grace - All of God - All for good!"

Tuesday, 5th July
At Homebush Bay (Olympic park) by 8:45am for 9am meeting. Made it to top balcony of the Super Dome Try singing and jumping at this height if you have vertigo.
Pastor Brian Houston gives a great message from Psalm 23 - "the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want...you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows”.
To summarise: there is nothing glorious about lack. Spoke of ‘lack’ being one thing that hamstrings so much of the good God’s people want to do on the earth. Directly after the morning meeting, Pastor John Maxwell, author of many books on leadership stepped up. Check out The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership for what he spoke on. Key point: the one thing you need to know about being a great leader is that there is more than one thing you need to know about being a great leader!The problem of the lid. One must go higher in order to not be the bottle stopper or lid that stiffle progress in an organisation etc.
Lunchtime: line up for coffee, line up for food, meet people you’ve known for years but can’t remember their names. I had my hot Chilli Tuna in a can with salada cracker biscuits for lunch.

12.00pm session we haveJack Hayford spoke on the encounter of John with the risen Lord at Patmos in Revelation. Our self perception before Christ needs a make-over! "The message of Revelation is not for speculation but food anf strength for a trying time." Jesus came for the Shepherd in hard places. Like John - exiled but filled with care for his flock. All the 7 churches have enormous potential for in Jesus' sight. When the Angels cried Holy, Holy, Holy, they are not robots repeating a phrase but awe struck each and everytime by the awesome-ness of the Lord.

Afternoon stream session with Darlene Zschech on worship leadership. I’ve seen Darlene speak and sing at these conferences over the last 15 years. I can say with confidence that she now preaches like she never has before. It’s great to see an Aussie get so passionate about the church and about the people we’re trying to reach.Tuesday night - two meetings. One at 5pm and one at 7:30pm as would be the case all week. Most of us go to the 5pm one - CeCe Winans leads the worship time. These guys are amazing! I wish we can dance and sing like them, but I can dream. We had pizza & instant nooddle for dinner.

Wednesday, 6th July
Early to rise but everyone else was late means no good seats for Aunty Joyce Meyer. I like her positive and "can do" messages on how to overcome your past and move forward sort of message. Ray call it "pop psychology". I reckon most of the girls are just bowled over by her. The place is packed and aunty Joyce is telling us all to get our act together and serve Jesus and everyone’s right there with her. Fantastic. The musicians' stream session. Dr Jack Hayford stepped up and gave seven keys that he looks for in his music pastor that have worked through his entire ministry. Once again, I’m all ears. You don’t ignore a guy like this. If you want the notes, shout me lunch and I’ll give em to ya!Wednesday night we’re 30 seconds into the evening meeting with a brilliant production of an anthem-style worship song and suddenly a spotlight fixes on an afro! The place goes nuts. Guy Sebastian is on stage with the Hillsong team. He leads us in Hosanna, the song his brother wrote that you can hear on 96.3 Rhema FM The past two nights the crowd has been figuring out how to line up for meetings according to the color of the arm bands that we’d all been given. Shifting 20,000 people out a stadium so you can bring a different 20,000 people in is quite a feat. But, by tonight we’ve all got it down pat. Hooray for nice Christian people!

Thursday, 7th July
It’s Michael W. Smith day. Everyone knows it. The place is buzzing. Like that’s anything new. If you’re a Hillsong devotee you will know that by Thursday everyone has used up their natural energy and is now running on adrenaline. The coffee queues are becoming progressively longer, you’re asking for short blacks instead of lattes and you’ve now met people from churches all over the globe, which of-course you intend on keeping in touch with. Michael leads the musicians' stream in the morning. There are three streams this year as usual; Pastors, community action and musicians. I think there were a few people missing form the pastors and community action streams during this session. The session was held in the state sports centre. I missed it even after walking there all the way,...but seeing the crowd – turned back –But I bought the DVD so.. to my best guess, there are around a 5000 seater or more. Just Michael and his piano. A bit of a testimony, an introduction for his wife Debbie and a bunch of classic songs. At one point his violinist/guitarist/singer Christa joined him with her violin. Stunning results. Once the sound guys found out where she had plugged her violin in. It was amazing to see Michael just doing the ‘organic’ muso thing. Very cool.

Evening meeting. Michael W. Smith leads the singing. Reinhard Bonnke preaches. The place is just bubbling over with enthusiasm. When a guy who has held meetings in Africa for 1.6 million people at one time talks, you listen. It’s a very inspiring message full of great testimonies to God’s goodness. In the end though, for him, it’s still a simple message: “I preach the ABC’s of the Gospel. I want souls! Hell empty, Heaven Full!”

Friday, 8th July
Get to the conference by 8:15am again. By now my brain is so full of new thoughts, inspiring images, conversations that change your life and music that’ll keep you singing in the shower and everywhere else for a long time, that I don’t think I can take any more. It’s been a great conference once again. The ways in which these guys are doing church these days would get the hardest heart curious to check it out. The complete gamut of styles was here this year. From evangelist Reinhard Bonnke doing the “ABC’s of the Gospel” to Hillsong's Pastor Brian Houston telling us it’s hard work but worth it to change your community, to Joyce Meyer getting us to ‘get over ourselves’ as only she can, to John Maxwell – work on your strength, not your weakness to- helping people to stretch themselves and those around them."CeCe Winans, Michael W Smith, the Hillsong team of musicians, dancers, singers, sound, lighting, video, production. All absolutely professional. Inspiring to see people serve God so passionately. Dedicated would be the key word here. An absolute army of volunteers (must have numbered at least a thousand) make this conference work. A big thanks to all those who were wearing the red shirts each night as volunteers.

Sat, 9th July
Pack bags and say goodbye to Big on Eleizabeth I didn’t mind the breakfasts they put on. The soap for the dinner on the house was not bad either. I have a new recipe. Two ladles of Nutri-Grain and three ladles of Coco Pops with full cream milk and a cup of tea. Chat with a Taiwanese group from Brisbane as well as a SA group staying in the same backpacker place. The girls are out shopping nice and early. We went to the rock and had Pancakes on the rocks, then walk all the way back to QVB, back to BIG on Elizabeth and depart to airport by taxi
Joce, Jeremy, Belinda and others bought a dozen or more Krispy Kremes at the Virgin Terminal. A long wait though as they ran out of the glaze donuts and they nearly did not make it on to the plane! Arrrived at Tullamarine and Carol came and pick us up. A great Hillsong conference indeed.