To say that the past 12 months have been challenging would be an understatement. Overwhelming would probably be more accurate. Arise! 2020 was an amazing success. In fact, we broke every attendance record up to that point. But just a few weeks afterward, COVID graced us with its presence. For a time, we didn’t know if there would be an Arise! 2021. But, thanks be to God that there was, and that it was perhaps the most successful year yet.
The decision was made in January to go forward with the workshop, but to trim it down a bit in order to make COVID precautions a little easier. We worked under the assumption that participation would be down due to folks still feeling a bit uneasy about the virus. We’ve never been happier to be so wrong. We were overwhelmed in the most positive of ways by the enthusiastic response, the challenging and well-timed lessons, and the sweet fellowship enjoyed by all.
An event like this is not possible without the sacrificial labor of so many. I want to express my sincere gratitude to each one who worked so hard to clean and prepare the building, prepare and serve food, set up chairs and tables, clean up after the meals, and every other job that helped the weekend run so smoothly. Thank you to the Southwest members the SWSBS graduates and visitors from area congregations who supported the event. And thank you to the Southwest elders who stand behind and support the work ever year.
We live in a wicked world (1 John 5:19) that challenges us daily. Now is the time to arise a meet those challenges. Lord willing, Arise! 2022 will take place February 24-27. The theme is Arise and Evangelize! We hope to see you there!