What do you do after leaving an impactful gathering or conference?
Are you content? Does it feel like an accomplishment? Is it a relief?
StuMo recently completed SMC 2023, our winter conference over 4 days in Frisco, TX. Almost 2400 students attended the conference this year themed: Anchored. Students heard main session speakers teach from the Bible, practical breakouts geared towards application, and had time with their respective campuses to make plans to continue growing next semester.
Whether you were a staff member, leader, volunteer, or attendee what’s your mindset now that SMC has ended? (or your mindset leaving any impactful type of gathering)?
Your Post-Conference Mindset
Thousands upon thousands of man-hours went into building relationships, sharing the gospel, and inviting people to attend this conference–not to mention the months of preparation that went into pulling off an event like this. People changed plans and traveled from all over to be there. Everyone involved prayed God would use the conference for His glory.
Once it ends, it’s easy to exhale.
It’s easy to celebrate a great week and be thankful for the lessons learned. It’s easy, even, to be excited about the momentum that was created heading back to campus.
That’s not enough.
Whether you are a staff member or student, don’t coast out of SMC.
Don’t leave SMC pleased, leave prayerful.
I want to challenge you more than ever to continue praying for what took place at the conference.
There is still much work to be done!
The Work to be Done Now: PRAY
In your opinion, what % of the prayers prayed for SMC are offered before & during the conference, rather than after?
What if you flipped it? What if you prayed more NOW that the conference has ended than you did before it began?
I would argue prayer that follows gatherings is more important than prayer that precedes.
Why? With some hard work and planning, almost anyone can pull off an event. It’s the lasting impact that’s challenging!
Afterward, it’s about application and transformation — that’s a battle on a spiritual front.
That’s what makes Satan nervous. He cares little about emotional experiences or spiritual highs if they don’t last past the 4 days. He cares much more about the potential of God’s people spreading out across the nation, transformed by God’s Word, and living out their faith with boldness on their campuses for years to come.
He would do anything to distract and discourage that activity.
Paul says in Colossians 4:2, “continue steadfastly in prayer.” Jesus taught his disciples that they “ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1)
Paul and Jesus knew that seeing mobilized believers sent out to make a lasting impact on God’s kingdom requires great and persevering prayer.
Put it into Practice:
Seeds were planted at SMC. For that, we are grateful.
But now we must pray that those seeds would sprout and bear fruit. Pray that those seeds would not be snatched up. Pray against hard, rocky, or thorny soil that would hinder them from taking deep root (Matt 13:18-23).
Only God can create that soil and bring that growth (1 Cor 3:6-7).
SMC may be over, but our responsibility to pray is not.
Whether you are a staff person or student attending the conference, will you take time to pray? Not just for yourself, but for everyone there.
- Pray for specific people to have a deep, abiding relationship with Jesus.
- Pray for information to turn into transformation.
- Pray for protection from the enemy who would love to snatch those seeds and devour them.
We know Satan wants to isolate God’s people. Take a moment to reach out to someone else at the conference, a staff member or student, to tell them you are praying for them and thankful for the opportunity. Ask them to help you put into practice the lessons God taught you at SMC.
That prayer and mutual accountability will go a long way toward bearing fruit that lasts.
Though the conference may be over, if we continue in prayer, the fruit of it has just begun.
