Pastors Conference Day 2 - overflowing

Evening worship

When we invite pastors and their spouses to come we ask them not to bring their children because we can't fit families into shared hotel rooms, but the larger reason is to give these couples an opportunity to hear from God together without the distraction of children, their work, and their church burdens.  Family and community is one of the greatest strengths of Mexican culture, but it also keeps couples from have time apart.  As the pressures of surviving financially, and leading churches, most of the couples arrive exhausted physically, emotionally and spiritually.  In the evening we have times of "koinonia" which is a Greek word for fellowship- a time of sharing our lives with each other.  For most couples this is a rare time where they are only with other people who also serve in ministry.  They don't have to worry about their parishioners or their kids watching what they do or say- they are free to worship and let their hair down.  During these times we ask them to reflect on their marriages and to tell their spouse how much they love them and to forgive them for whatever difficulties they are facing.  These are great opportunities for couples to pray together, worship together and grow together with the concerns which normally surround them.  You can see from the pictures below how significant this time is for them.