July 2013 in Tampa

Free Will Baptist Logo

 I am a part of the National Association of Free Will Baptists. Our National Convention meets this next week in Tampa, FL. Thousands of Free Will Baptists from around the globe will converge on the city to conduct business, worship and fellowship together. While the Association convenes to conduct business, there are also two other conventions that also meet. The Women Nationally Active for Christ along with the Free Will Baptist National Youth Conference will take place.

WNAC is a group of ladies who are active in ministry, primarily focusing energies on supporting missions. They certainly do much more, but they do a tremendous job in assisting in the promoting and supplying our missionaries with many of their basic needs.

NYC (no, not New York City), is the youth / student component of the convention. The National Youth Conference features many students involved in various competitions. There's competitions in Bible studies, denominational studies, music and arts, you get the idea. Additionally, they will be involved in doing service projects throughout the city of Tampa. There are seminars for youth and youth workers, as well.

This convention is an annual meeting. I've attended many of them in various parts of the country. Even as a kid, my family would go to the National Association. Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Memphis and Nashville. Fort Worth, TX three times, Detroit, Anaheim, and Wichita have all hosted this event. I've been to Kansas City and Charlotte; Atlanta and Macon. Oh, and there's Birmingham and Little Rock, too.

Those are just the cities I've been to attending the convention. There were several that I couldn't make along the way. I've not had the pleasure of attending the last few. Maybe that's why I'm so looking forward to attending this year. I've been reading on Facebook the last couple of days as people are making their way to Tampa. Friends have posted pictures of watermelon trucks and signs along the road. Many times people turn the few days leading up to a convention into a bit of a vacation. After all, what better place to vacay than Florida's theme parks with the kiddos! There was even a friend who posted a story of meeting strangers at a rest area who were headed to the convention. Their children were attending our annual leadership conference that works at the NYC, and were on the same flight headed to the meeting. Needless to say, they are strangers no more!

Yes, the next few days will be hectic. I'll be busy. I'll get tired. But it will be the absolutely the best hectic, busy schedule resulting in the best kind of tired I can be! Calling all Free Will Baptists ~ let's go to Tampa!