By Jess Mitchell Communications Intern
To the unfocused eye, the lights above the auditorium were just flashes of
bright yellow against a backdrop of black. But after a few moments, if you let
your vision adjust, those lights transformed. Hundreds of single bulbs hung on
individual cords, dangling above the heads of the conference members, almost
as if they were stars.
OMS flag bearers marched down the aisles of the auditorium. More than 30 flags, carried by
current or former residents of that country, rippled onto the stage. All the while, “God is on the
move, on the move, hallelujah….” boomed throughout the auditorium.
The flag presentation was the opening ceremony to One Mission Society’s
biennial international conference, Illuminate. Reflected by the conference’s title,
this four-day weekend brought hundreds of missionaries, families, and guests
from around the world to gather in community and dive into the concept of being
a light for Christ in a dark world.
More than 500 people arrived for Illuminate, held on Indiana Wesleyan University’s
campus. Each day was packed with exciting presentations that centered on the
theme of being a light and illuminating the darkness. Attendees had the opportunity to pray in community for different nations and people groups, participate
in break-out sessions, worship with the Hunter Smith Band (bottom photo, page
19), listen to four keynote speakers, and enjoy a variety of extra activities.
18