Today's Ignite Conference at our Midway campus was a big win! Lots of new faces, a full Spanish language tract, Pastor Wilfredo deJesus, matches, the Jesse White Tumblers, powerful music, great sessions and a big turnout! This is our third year doing the event and each time its happened because of the teamwork and hours put in by a whole bunch of people from different New Life locations.
Two people at the center of it all bear huge responsibility for the event and always deliver: EJ Lyon and Vilma Arguelles. EJ handles all the conference and session related logistics--sign in, registration, books, day-of problems, resources, volunteer recruitment and placement, performers like the JWT's and a whole bunch more. Vilma oversees all the tech, graphic and design people, videos, building needs and workers, set up, sound/tech/video, day-of program and a whole bunch more.
Frankly, without these ladies handling the operations, the event wouldn't happen. Alongside them are a host of great volunteers who serve in too many ways to list (but I'll try anyway). Altogether, hundreds of work-hours are invested to make an event like Ignite happen.
There are a bunch of other people who do big things to make Ignite happen:
- Bobby Moss and Paco Amador serve on the planning team with EJ, Vilma and I and contribute a lot of ideas, guidance, planning, and laughs. I think we have the most fun (and most caffeinated) meetings of any New Life group.
- Joshua and Nancy Holec are big time servants in the final run up putting a ton of hours and care into final prep and day-of management. Nancy runs a lot of the back of the house and Joshua the front. They're a great team.
- Marco and Christina Terrell and their incredible team of talented and hard-working foodies. They don't just throw some food out on a table--they create magic! And no one who wasn't fasting could have gone home today hungry. They serve a constantly replenishing snack-meal and drink service that is unbeatable.
- The building team, led by Phil Flores and the tech team of Steve, Tino and crew who work with Vilma providing recording of every session and sound/tech/video in each session. These crews make sure the rooms are set up with chairs, sound, video, empty trash cans, clean bathrooms, clean floors--you name it.
- All the session teachers and facilitators. We try to mix it up with new presenters and new topics each year as well as tapping into the strength of our pastoral team. Each year our teaching team does a great job.
- The registration, ushering and greeting team. They arrive early and make sure that everyone is welcomed, given resources, and helped wherever needed. And don't forget the parking lot guys overseen by Mike Berry who keep cramming in "one more car".
- Mike Vasquez, Alicia Holec and Roger Masa who video and photograph just about anything that moves.
We start planning this conference about 5 months before it happens. But each year the effort and work of many pays off with an experience that equips and ignites a big cross-section of New Lifers.
Thank you Ignite Peeps! You're the best!
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