Why would nearly 2,000 students college students from around the world trek and make their way to Orlando, Florida for a one-week conference?
The answer is simple and something we should all desire to realize daily:
To experience powerful life-change and be equipped to make disciples for Jesus — for generations to come, to the ends of earth.
This desire was realized time and time again this past week. Mosaic Church Fort Worth kicked off the new year by attending the 2023 ENC National Students Conference for college students in North America held January 3-5, 2023 at Hilton Buena Vista Palace.
The good news is that I was not alone though. We (that’s you too!) prayed and believed for God to open the hearts and minds of students at Texas Christian University (TCU) to attend this year’s conference.
And guess what? To God be the glory in His providing for three (3) TCU students to attend this year’s conference: Isaiah, Joya, and Kathleen.
It was highly encouraging and heartwarming to experience the powerful move of God in the hearts of tomorrow’s leaders today, especially since it had been some years that the last North American ENC Conference was held.
Attendees enjoyed time connecting or re-connecting with one another over meals, games at the ENC Arcade, workouts, swimming, and more while at the hotel.
And if that wasn’t enough, then just a hop, skip, and walk across the street is the lively and charming waterside dining, shopping, and entertainment destination: Disney Springs.
For three solid days, from sun up to sun down — on a few hours of sleep, if any at all for the younger end of the crowd, nearly 2,000 college students packed out a ginormous hotel ballroom (and an additional OVERFLOW room!).
And right alongside the college students, Every Nation pastors and campus missionaries from all over North America poured out our hearts in corporate worship to the one true God: Lord Christ Jesus.
Over the span of 72 hours, many of the students turned to God, were baptized, and received their salvation in Jesus, proclaiming that Jesus is Lord over all of their life — many for the first time ever!
And whether a pastor, missionary, student, or however one might classify themselves, we all were charged and challenged daily in our equipping to make disciples for Jesus through student-led gospel movements — hearing from diverse teachers of God’s Word that inspired everyone in attendance to examine their life’s why and purpose rooted in God:
Dr. Chris Johnson kicked off the first session of day one reminding us of the power of our identity in Christ Jesus as found in 1 Timothy 1:12-17. His message, entitled Even Though, focused specifically on verse 13 and how the Lord offers grace to Paul (and us too!) when we forget our identity or simply have never known our identity in Christ.
Adam Mabry kicked off the first session of day two with hard-hitting truths from book Corinthian books about one’s devotion to follow Jesus spoken in a holy, righteous, and loving heart. It’s not enough to have strong emotions for God and to live a life that produces natural and supernatural fruit. Being devoted to the Gospel of Jesus requires full submissive living to one Gospel: Jesus.
Bomi Roberson took to the stage to close out day two highlighting Mark 9:14-27 as a reminder that God is ever-present and all-powerful to heal — so believe Him! Bomi shared how we speak often indicates who and where our faith lies — or the lack of faith. Healing isn’t Jesus plus, it’s Jesus alone, and we should live in a way that God’s strength to heal and restore rests upon our weakness.
In spite of all of his travel inconveniences and delays, Ron Lewis miraculously arrive to kick off the first session of day three with an uplifting message, based on Matthew 28:18-20, charging us all to GO and make disciples. Ron buoyed an energetic room sharing from 2 Kings 4:17-19 and highlighting three (3) critical factors in making disciples: faith, relationships, and God’s miraculous presence and power.
And in the final session of the 2023 ENC National Students Conference, Tom Breckwoldt shared that the greatest part of anyone’s story is the miracle of Jesus — when we met Jesus and accepted Salvation. Partly a history lesson of previous spiritual awakenings and movements while mostly storytelling, Tom delivered the rallying cry to us all that God shouldn’t be factored into our schedule, our schedule should be factored into God.
What a defining-destiny moment the 2023 ENC National Students Conference is for Every Nation — all the more so for advancing the Gospel of Jesus around the globe.
Isaiah, Kathleen, Joya, and I were greatly impacted by our time invested in the conference. In fact, I asked all three the following question:
If you had to sum up your conference experience in one word, what would that word be and why?
Here’s how each responded:
“Liberating! It really got cemented in my heart that all I have to do is be who God called me to be as a son, and not try to act different or not myself to be accepted by others.” — Isaiah
“Remembering! The conference reminded me about why I’m at TCU and God’s plan there!” — Joya
“Freeing! A lot of strongholds and wrong beliefs I had about myself were really replaced with His truth.” — Kathleen
Our catalytic experience is one of affirmation, connection, refreshment, and renewal, infusing faith and imparting passion for Jesus and the great commission.
We are quite hopeful in our return to Fort Worth to faithfully engage, establish, equip, and empower students in the making of disciples for Jesus at Texas Christian University (TCU).
That said, thank you for partnering to send us to the 2023 ENC National Students Conference so that the lost in Fort Worth communities and on campuses come to know and live for Jesus.
Until next time, enjoy this year’s recap video! Let’s GO and make disciples for Jesus!
