My conference has come to a bit of an early end. Because there are so many Canadians heading home from Florida this week, we were not able to find me a flight that left after the conference. Instead I’m having to duck out a few hours before it all wraps up. I’ll be heading home through Montreal and, if all goes well, should be home on time to sleep in my own bed tonight.
It has been a very good conference. Not too many organizations do a better job of putting these things together than Ligonier. You know, earlier I found myself thinking that the Ligonier conference is unique in the attendees it attracts. Some conferences cater to pastors, some to young people, some to parents. This one draws all of the above. Of all the conferences I’ve been to it probably has the largest number of “older” people (I’ll leave that term general and undefined) attending it. Yet I also haven’t been to many conferences that have more families attending together. There are many families here with children and teenagers sitting with their parents; there are groups of teens sitting together. The conference attracts people of all ages.
Also noticeable at this conference is how long and how often some people have been attending it. Earlier on I met a gentleman who is currently enjoying his twelfth consecutive National Conference. It has become an annual tradition, whether he travels with friends or whether he travels alone. I don’t think too many other conferences can boast people who have attended for twelve years running. This is, I am sure, a testament to the long and faithful ministry of R.C. Sproul and the people who serve him and who serve the Lord through this ministry. It is a testament to this ministry’s faithful service to the church.
For those who come from northern states or provinces, it certainly doesn’t hurt any that the weather in Florida this time of year is just beautiful and a full seventy or eighty degrees higher than what we’re experiencing at home. It’s supposed to be over eighty degrees here today. When I get home it will be below freezing.