The Haystack Prayer Summit

August 14th-18th
SVM2 hosted and celebrated the 200th anniversary of the famous Haystack Prayer Meeting, which inspired the birth of the modern Americam Missions movement. The “Haystack Prayer Summit” was held at Williams College in Williamstown Massachusetts. 

This meeting of approximately 50 student mobilizers and campus ministers came together to celebrate and pray for what God is doing with this present generation regarding world missions.  On the first evening Steve Shadrach laid the foundation for our time together with a message on the history of the Haystack prayer meeting and the Student Volunteer Movement.  Later that night David shared on the eternal relationship between Prayer, Revival and World Missions. The next two days Paul Van Der Werf and Todd Ahrend facilitated conversations and prayer for the gathering.

This was a great time of connecting and encouragement that left all of us feeling hopeful and more unified. Everyone seemed to leave with a greater desire to work with each other in serving Christ and a new generation of missions minded students. After the meetings were over a few of us took a quick trip over to Mount Hermon, and Northfield Massachusetts, the birthplace of the Student Volunteer Movement and D.L. Moody.  From there we went on to North Hampton where we saw Jonathan Edwards church and the grave marker of David Brainerd and Jerusha Edwards. It was a great time of remembering God’s past mighty acts that we might run and pray with greater endurance in the future.      

The National Conversation on Revival
August 29th-Sept. 1st
The National Revival Network hosted an inter-denominational gathering of approximately 30 Christian leaders called “The National Conversation on Revival”. The retreat was held in Colorado Springs at the Navigators Glen Eyrie Retreat Center at the edge of the "Garden of the Gods".

All the leaders who were invited serve with some kind of ministry that focuses on either Prayer or Revival. Dale Schlafer, John Armstrong, David Bryant and others facilitated several enlightening and encouraging conversations on the need for clear revival vision, removing obstacles of revival and the great hope of future revival.  This was a very refreshing time for me personally because I had the opportunity to spend quality time with like minded men who have all been praying for revival for years. God established many new relationships that I am confident will be a great source of future encouragement and accountability. Another National Conversation for Revival is planned for 2008 and I am already looking forward to that time. God is faithful to give us just what we need!