Hillsong Conference and the Red T-Shirts

Here we are, in the awesome land of music. No matter what you thought Australia was in the past, kangaroos, koala bears, Nemo, The Opera House, the Outback, etc., it is fast becoming the land of Hillsong.

Dave and I are attending the 20th anniversary conference for pastors, hosted by Brian and Bobbie Houston, Hillsong pastors, along with Mark and Darlene Zscheck and Nick and Christine Caine.

The music is so marvelous that I can’t find words to express it. Joining my voice with thousands of others in praise to our heavenly Father is beyond description. Has to be close to what it will be in heaven.

Delirious and Alvin Slaughter are our favorite guest musicians. They MINISTER…

Pastor Brian read off a list of over 70 countries represented here. So, so cool.

The speakers are topnotch, the best having been my own pastor, Dino Rizzo, who, at one of the “Community Action & Evangelism Stream” sessions, presented how Healing Place Church people serve Jesus by serving others, especially during hurricanes Katrina and Rita. How to impact your community—practicing today so you can be ready for the emergency tomorrow.

We have been privileged to meet some outstanding pastors and leaders and some up-and-coming missionaries. Dave and I will blog about them later.

There are four thousand volunteers serving and hosting the thousands of guests at this conference. They have taken a week off their own jobs to volunteer (that means working for free) to drive guests to the hotel or to the conference or to a session. They open the car doors like real chauffeurs, are dressed in dark suits (okay, no ties, but looking sharp in white shirts) and some even sporting the carefully arranged just-out-of-bed hairdos. The love of Jesus all over them.

But my biggest impression is that of the red t-shirts. They are scattered like red ants all over the conference. Ready to answer questions, give directions, and welcome smiles. They have even learned to read faces—when we looked confused, just standing there trying to figure out where we were to go next, a red t-shirt came to us and asked, “what can I help you with?” We have even had a red t-shirt TAKE us to a place we were uncertain of how to get there. All this with the happiest smiles and warmth you can imagine.

Volunteers. Hours and hours of volunteering. Cleaning. Smiling. Directing. Smiling. Letting Jesus win.