More than 70 people attended The Hub Conference in January, an annual event for those on their journey into pastoral ministry.
Organised by the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), The Hub is a chance for those training for ministry or exploring the call to come together for a weekend of teaching, seminars and practical advice.
Alongside the delegates at Horwood House in Milton Keynes were 30 experienced gospel workers from FIEC churches who were on hand throughout the weekend to offer advice and counselling.
This year, Bible teaching came courtesy of Mez McConnell (Senior Pastor of Niddrie Community Church and Director of 20schemes) and Richard Lacey (Pastor of Woodgreen Evangelical Church, Worcester).
Amongst the delegates was Dave Couch who is Pastor-in-Training at Christ Church Hemel – an FIEC church plant in Hemel Hempstead. Commenting on the weekend, he said: ‘My wife Izzie and I have attended The Hub Conference three times now, and each time we have found it a great opportunity to really grapple with questions about ministry. It is also really beneficial to get to know others and share things we have learnt with them.
‘“Ministry is hard. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.” That was the message that came through loud and clear this year, especially as Mez preached from 2 Corinthians 1. He reminded us that more church plants fail than succeed, and even if they do succeed, ministry is not a bed of roses.
‘Mez went on to speak from Nehemiah 3. He challenged us to really think about how we serve in the church. The glory of God should be our first concern, not the praise and admiration we get from being at the front. To spend a good deal of time asking “Who are we doing this for?” was really beneficial to me, and to others we spoke with over the weekend.’
The Hub Conference deliberately tailors seminars for those who are at different stages of the journey into ministry. But there are also sessions that are repeated every year on important topics such as godliness, service and friendship.
The final teaching session was ‘The Antidote for Anxiety’ by Richard Lacey, who preached from Philippians 4. Dave Couch added: ‘Richard reminded us that the Christian life should be joyful. Even though ministry is hard, we can find joy in it. We can do that through a thankful prayer life, as we remember God’s goodness to us, and we can do that through a disciplined thought life as we remember the gospel. This encouragement was a great note to leave on, and set us up for the journey home and beyond.’
The purpose of The Hub is not to be a selection conference, but rather to support Independent churches as they consider raising up men and women for ministry. The dates for next year are now fixed for 8-10 January 2021. If you’re thinking about pastoral ministry or looking to raise up leaders, why not add the dates to your diary?
