This time the local church in Tønsberg, Norway, was involved in the process of both planning and carrying out the conference. Several hundred volunteers from the local church put in a huge effort to prepare an inspiring autumn weekend for participants from all over the world.
Facts about the conference
- Over 7000 participants
- 22 nations were represented, from every continent
- Arranged by BCC Event, in cooperation with BCC Tønsberg
- Over 580 voluntary contributors
Conferences mean festivities and expectations, and that’s exactly the feeling that was in the air as the conference opened on Friday evening with a meeting in the main hall. Travellers from Australia, South Africa, North America and Brazil was present, to name a few. The international average is high, even for a short weekend.
The conference continued on Saturday with a meeting before noon and activities for the children and young people. See the pictures here:
Mission and collection for low-income countries
Fundraising for the semi-annual mission collection has been ongoing since August. Everyone who wished to do so was able to give a donation with the intention of supporting churches in low-income countries, so that these churches are also able to participate in conferences and youth camps in 2023. The collection was concluded on Saturday evening and celebrated with a mission feast.
The theme of the feast was “Lift up your eyes and look around you.” Through films, speeches, and songs the audience was encouraged to get enlightened eyes for God’s cause, and to be a part of spreading His kingdom on earth.
Among other things, the verses in Ephesians 1:18-19 were central to the feast:
“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to wich he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.”
Elder Kåre J. Smith expanded on this theme in a video interview which was shown during the feast:
“This same power is available for you and me, but I have to present myself to obey God’s word”, Smith said. “We’ve been able to experience the gospel and received faith that it works. It is a reality, and it is a truth. And it causes a transformation in those who believe.”
Fellow believers from both near and far gave greetings and testimonies during the feast. They spoke about what the gospel has meant for them personally, and how much value there is in being able to gather for conferences in order to share this with fellow believers from all over the world.
The goal for the collection was 25 million NOK, and by the end of the feast over 26 million had been collected in support of even more people being able to participate in conferences. Donations came in from every corner of the world.
Rounded off with the Magazine
We are right in the midst of an exciting autumn, in which several central projects are being carried out within BCC. In order to gather, inspire, and motivate everyone for these projects which we have decided on together, the last installment in the program for the weekend was the TV program “Magazine.”
Thanks for an inspiring weekend. We look forward to the next conference in November.
