Over the last month, I’ve been doing a lot of talking and thinking and writing about the Cause Conference and why you all should go. I’ve gotten to hear lots of exciting, inspiring stories as I’ve interviewed different people about the Cause. As a team, we’ve been buzzing with ideas, and planning all the details so that everything will be ready for a life-changing experience for everyone who walks through the doors of the Cape Vineyard on March 19th.
And all of this talking and thinking and writing and planning has got me reflecting on some of my own experiences. My first Cause Conference. My journeys. And as a result, after all the reasons we’ve told you that you should go to Cape Coral, I want to issue a brief word of caution.
Because all this stuff we’ve been telling you, about purpose and adventure and the kingdom of God, well, it’s dangerous. You don’t realize what you’re really getting into. You might go into it thinking, “It’s just a conference. It’s just a trip.” That it’s a nice pause out of your normal life, but that you’ll be able to just hit “play” again when you get back home.
Well, I’ll tell you right now, it hardly ever works that way, and here’s why—when you spend your time and money to get in touch with what God is up to, whether you are attending a conference or a workshop or going on a missions trip, he takes that as a signal that you want more of him in your life. That you want him to capture your heart more for the things that he cares about. That you want your life to be rearranged more around his kingdom. That you want your will, your hopes, your desires to be more aligned with his. And he’ll go right ahead and answer that signal from you. You’ll find your priorities changing—your perspectives, the choices you make for your future, all jumbled and rearranged.
So, for example, the time in highschool when I agreed to let my parents take me to visit a school that wasn’t at the top of my list of colleges? I fell in love with it. I didn’t even apply anywhere else. Or the time in between my junior and senior years of college when I went to Brazil for 6 weeks on a missions trip? That was supposed to be an isolated trip, but everything (I’m not exaggerating) I have done since then has been steered by that experience. Even my own experiences attending Cause Conferences: I just went because it was something interesting happening at my church, something to do on a weekend. But the resulting tug on my heart for church planting, and the people I met who have encouraged me ever since? Those things have left a permanent mark.
That’s the danger. If you go to Cape Coral this spring break, you might not ever be able to go back to how you were. The shape of your life could change forever. So I want to warn you—if you feel like you have things figured out, don’t go to the Cause Conference. If you feel comfortable and safe with your life the way it is, stay home.
Because, bottom line, this conference is about discovering a cause that’s worth organizing your life around. A cause worth living and dying for. God’s kingdom. Is that what you want? If it is, then we’ll see you in March. But if it’s not, don’t risk it. You might never be the same.
Becky Pechek is on staff as a writer for the Multiply Vineyard team. She also pastors a campus of a multisite church in the northwoods of Minnesota.
