New Life Christian Vineyard Pastor Jonathon Law says the Holy Spirit visits his church with every service.

Friday, April 07, 2000

New Life Christian Vineyard Pastor Jonathon Law says the Holy Spirit visits his church with every service. This weekend, he expects 800 people to pay a visit in order to share the experience.

His church will play host to a conference known as "Fan the Flame" for the third time. The conference is co-sponsored by the Vineyard and Austin Christian Fellowship Church, and is reaching out to Vineyard and Apostolic Team Ministry Churches in Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota.

The keynote speaker will be Randy Clark, an evangelist and pastor of a Vineyard church in St. Louis, Mo.

"A sweeter Christian man I don’t know that I’ve ever met," Law enthused. Law met Clark at a conference several years ago and can testify to the man’s effect on crowds.

In 1906, a man named Billy Sunday preached for six weeks on the location of what is now the Terp and the New Life Christian Vineyard. Law said according to what was then the Austin Weekly Herald, a religious movement struck town, causing substantial growth in all the main-line churches. Law said he hopes to see a substantial religious result from this weekend’s conference, and he has more than the history of the site to point toward.

"I think two things will draw people to this conference," Law said. "Dynamic worship, and they are either going to see God at work, or be personally touched by the power of God."

The speaker, Clark, nearly has a legend that follows him. Following his own visit to a revival, he has been credited with starting several revivals in areas of the world. The first church at which he created such a storm of religious fervor was located in Toronto, Ontario. He had such a profound effect on the congregation of 250, people were so sure that they felt the presence of the Holy Spirit among them, that the church has since had 3 million visitors.

"I don’t know that that’s what we’re looking for here," Law said with a chuckle, glancing out over the rows and rows of chairs that have been placed out for the attendees. "But I’ve seen extraordinary things."

When people have the Holy Spirit "fall on them," as is common terminology, they may do things people of main-line churches may not be comfortable with – they may collapse, laugh hysterically, weep, shake violently. Law acknowledges that those very actions may drive some folks away from his church.

"Every Sunday I have to ask myself – do we want a big church? Or are we going to let God rule this church?"

Law clearly expects God to rule his church this weekend.

The conference starts today, with registration at 6 p.m. and praise and worship with Clark at 7 p.m.

Saturday has a full day of speakers, and again praise and worship with Clark at 6:30 p.m. Sunday night has praise and worship with Clark at 6:30 p.m. Monday at noon there will be a leadership luncheon, and another praise and worship with Clark at 6:30 p.m.