Dear Enews Friends,

I am on an airplane somewhere over the North Atlantic wishing that the headwinds weren’t so ornery. In a few hours our family will get to spend some highly anticipated time together. Lynne will be filled with ministry stories from her recent week in Dublin, Ireland, where she was listening to pastors describe how the WCA can best serve them at our upcoming conference (and having coffee with Bono to talk about his intense concerns for the continent of Africa). Aaron and Shauna will be coming from South Barrington after they finish Sunday Night’s Student Impact gathering. Todd will be coming from a boating adventure that has occupied his schedule for the past two months. I am finally returning from my speaking tour through Scandinavia and Europe. The talk around the Thanksgiving table sounds promising doesn’t it? I am sooo anxious to see everybody.but those headwinds.

Our Conference in Germany reminded me of a Hollywood screenplay complete with high tech gadgetry, ominous villains, and unforgettable scenes of stuff that could never happen in real life. Let’s start with the gadgetry. In a stadium that seats eight thousand people, sound systems usually do little more than blare unintelligible noise. Not this time. Bruce Smith and Mike Eiseman, along with my life time friend Joel Jager, figured out how to assemble a system that not only covered every section and seat in the place, but managed to create a quality of sound that equals or exceeded what we enjoy at Willow. From the first music note played, everybody exhaled and simply basked in the clarity of the sound. What an achievement! The Willow Production Team deserves an award for what they did. And of course our musicians and drama folks reveled in what that sound enabled them to do.

Enter the villain. At least a third of our team got flattened by a flu bug from somewhere south of purgatory. Descriptions of “horizontal hurling” abounded, but amazingly, the effected ones pressed on with their tasks, often with emergency containers nearby. This is a bit more difficult than one would imagine when you add jet lag and twenty hour workdays into the equation. We as a church have some of the most committed and courageous staff and volunteers I have ever met. To merely serve along side of people of this caliber was an honor for me. Be proud, Willow!

Now for the scene that makes one whisper “only in the movies”.Friday’s final session was devoted to the challenge of creating a volunteer revolution in a church. At the end of the message I invited about 120 conference volunteers to join me on the stage. Many were Germans, some were from Willow, and others were from WCA churches in the US. I then taught the audience the Willow commendation from Philippians 2:29, “We hold you in high regard,” followed by warm applause. You all know the deal. What happened next is a scene that brings tears to my eyes as I type these words. All eight thousand not only shouted out the words, but when the clapping for the volunteers started, there was no stopping it. When I tried, the volume dramatically increased. And then the best part.without provocation a stadium “wave” began from one end of the arena to the other. On and on it went, back and forth, complete with arms skyward and deafening cheering. Only in the movies–or only God?

As I walked off the platform I thought of Lou and Chris Hueneke, the volunteers from Willow that gave birth and nurtured this whole Germany miracle. I thought of Gary and Gloria Schwammlein, who walked away from what corporate executives would die for, to lead the International arm of the WCA. I thought of Greg and Corinne Ferguson who figure out two and a half days of creative programming in a language and culture that is foreign to them. I thought of Richard and Judy Van Stockum who volunteer to lead teams of volunteers to places like Germany out of the sheer love of seeing the Bride of Christ become more radiant around the world.

When I finally reached my dressing room back stage, I did what I have done a hundred times before.I fell on my knees and thanked God for including me in a place called Willow, with people as extraordinary as the ones I get to do ministry with, and for a shared vision with the Willow Family that extends beyond our beautiful glass walls in South Barrington. If it gets better than this, email me and I will come do whatever you are doing!

The Captain just said that the winds have lessened and we will land 20 minutes early.and you think stuff like this only happens in the movies?! Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill