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What is God saying to his people through the River of Life Conference?
How did we discern the movement of the Holy Spirit at the conference and God’s future directions for the city-wide church? You can help us better understand how God is speaking through his people by completing a 3-5 minute anonymous survey of those who attended the River of Life Conference.
Please visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/riveroflife
Thanks for your important contribution,
Peter Kentley
Conference Convenor
For the Conference Organisers
peter@riveroflifeconference.org
A Citywide Christian Unity Event
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf 3006
Today the Australian church is immersed in a world that is experiencing massive social, technological, economic, military and environmental changes. During similar times of uncertainty in South Korea Dr Cho started from humble beginnings to help grow the Christian population of South Korea to over 30%. Today we need similar hope and inspiration for the Australian church in the 21st century.
Many people can teach principles of leadership but what we need is growth in faith. Dr Cho has raised the faith of the church during previous visits to Australia and this conference will raise our faith capacity to live out the Christian faith in our everyday world.
Click here for a 3 minuite video clip introducing Dr David Yonggi Cho and Dr Young Hoon Lee.
Conference Benefits
This is a critical time for the church to rise up in her God given role as the salt and light of our society. Only the church is the hands and feet of Jesus that brings God’s care and kingdom values to our city and nation. The conference will bring the following benefits to the Church. Together:
- raise the faith of the church through the ministry of one of the greatest living apostles of faith in our time, Dr David Yonggi Cho
- raise the prayer of the church through the ministry of the Senior Pastor of the largest single local church in the world, Dr Young Noon Lee
- raise the unity of the church though opportunity to love one another in Christ across the city
- raise the vision of the Church as the River of Life flowing God’s blessing to the city and nation as we hear stories from some of the most strategic Christian leaders of our city
- raise the trust levels of the wider church as we share some of the great stories of how the Christian community is loving and serving our city, nation and world today.
Please note that the Conference dovetails with the Cre8 Kingdom Business Conference.
Conference Partners
Endorsements
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I am really excited about the upcoming visit of Dr. Cho to our great city of Melbourne and the opportunity it presents to gather the wider church together to celebrate our unity around the cause of Christ. I encourage you to make this significant event a priority.
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I am really encouraged that we have the opportunity to have Dr Cho come to Melbourne. It is only occasionally that Melbourne has the opportunity to host someone of this magnitude in the Kingdom of God. Crossway shall make this event a priority and I am honoured to be associated with it.
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Salvation Army officers throughout Victoria are looking forward with great anticipation to the River of Life Conference in Melbourne with Dr David Yonggi Cho. This will be an incredible occasion which allows the greater church to come together and witness to our unity and new life in Jesus Christ. I would encourage all churches to make this Conference a real focal point in their calendars for 2013.
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Mark Conner
Senior Minister
CityLife Church
Chairman
River of Life Conference Inc.
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Dale Stephenson
Senior Pastor
Crossway Baptist Church
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Major Graeme Rigley
Divisional Commander
The Salvation Army
Melbourne Central Division
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VISION
CONFERENCE VISION
Purpose:
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Vision:
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Mission:
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| To accelerate the capacity of the 21st Century church to bless the city and nation. |
We see the wider church working in united formation to honour Jesus in every domain of the nation. |
To connect, motivate and equip the saints for their ministry in their spheres of influence. |
River of Life Vision from the Scriptures
The River of Life flows through the Bible from the Garden of Eden, to its emergence from the Rock struck by Moses, and in Psalm 46:4 –
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High (NKJV).
The river emerges again in the vision of Ezekiel 47 and flows on through the prophets at Amos 5:24 and Zech 9:10. The river continues through the Gospels at John 4:10-14 and 7:37-39 and on through the teaching of St Paul at 1 Cor 10:2-4. Finally the river reaches its final destination and purpose at Rev 22:1-4.
Accordingly the River of Life Conference derives its theme by linking the vision of Ezekiel 47 with the promise of Jesus at John 7:37 and the purpose of Rev 22:1-2. To experience this vision we need to start at the headwaters.
In Ezekiel 47 and Psalm 46:4 we find an altar at the headwaters where God dwells at the mercy seat. It’s here that we are invited to come to the only safe place where we can lay down our pride, our independent, self-centred and self-justifying attitudes. At the Cross we want to engage with God through the humility that invites His presence. Into this heart attitude Jesus speaks: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them”.
From this place our respective trickles of water from our innermost being merge to form a river that is at first ankle-deep, then knee-deep, then up to the waist and then becomes a mighty river that cannot be crossed. This mighty river flows into the Dead Sea where the salty water becomes fresh and swarms of living creatures emerge. The tree of life is found beside the river in both Ezekiel and Revelation:
“Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing” (Ezek 47:12).
This conference is about translating this vision of a mighty river representing the gathered and scattered church flowing with unity and purpose into the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea in turn represents the world in need of knowing Jesus (Ezek 47:10, Rev 22:2).
ABOUT US
| The River of Life conference is an initiative of God that was birthed in prayer through the hearts of faithful intercessors. Radmila Zivanovic was a key prayer leader who over a ten year period interceded for the future of our city. It was Radmila who was first led to invite Dr Cho to come to minister in our city. Upon his positive response she felt called to approach Peter Kentley to bring representatives of the wider church together so that we could have a truly citywide ministry without the ownership of any one denomination or church. From the outset this project has been seen as a journey of unity at heart level across the citywide Church.We welcome Dr Cho’s contribution to increase our joint capacity to minister to the city and nation through the gathered and scattered church across our city in the 21st century. |
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Mark Conner Chair, River of Life Conference Inc.
Mark Conner is the Senior Minister of CityLife Church, a diverse community of Christ-followers meeting in multiple locations in Melbourne. Mark has a genuine love for people and a passion to help them grow and change. He has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Mark is married to Nicole and they have three children.
I am really excited about the upcoming visit of Dr. Cho to our great city of Melbourne and the opportunity it presents to gather the wider church together to celebrate our unity around the cause of Christ. I encourage you to make this significant.
Click here for Mark's blog.
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Peter Kentley
Convenor, River of Life Conference Inc.
Peter flew as an airline pilot with Ansett in Australia and overseas with Air Mauritius and Singapore Airlines. Peter served as an air safety development specialist with the International Federation of Airline Pilots and the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Since the early 1980's Peter pioneered and developed Christian fellowship groups in the airlines both in Australia and overseas. Peter was recently the CEO of Australian Marketplace Connections incorporating Integrated Leadership Groups which provides facilitated peer mentoring for business leaders. Peter is married to Robin and they have three children and five grand children.
Click here for Peter's blog.
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Oversight Team
| Mark Conner |
Chair |
Senior Minister CityLife Church |
| Sean Morris |
Vice Chair |
Senior Pastor Grow Church |
| Peter Kentley |
Convenor |
Former pilot and CEO of AMC |
| Paul De Mare |
Sec/Treasurer |
Arrow Marketplace Connections |
| Alex Choi |
Asian Ministry Pastor |
Crossway Baptist Church |
| Bob Carner |
Moderator (2011/12) |
Presbyterian Church of Victoria |
| Dale Stephenson |
Senior Pastor |
Crossway Baptist Church |
| Dan Daniels |
CEO |
Daniels Corporation Pty Ltd |
| Drew Mellor |
Senior Pastor |
Glen Waverley Anglican Church |
| Graeme Rigley |
Divisional Commander |
Salvation Army |
| John Park |
Senior Pastor |
Korean Melb Full Gospel Church |
| Lawrence Hirsch |
Director |
Celebrate Messiah |
| Melinda Dwight |
National Director |
Alpha Australia |
| Paul Molyneux |
National Chaplain |
Mission Australia |
| Seka Keillor |
Senior Pastor |
Doncaster City Church |
Special thanks to Stephen Hale, the staff and community of St Hilary's Anglican Church for their huge support in providing free of charge the River of Life Conference Office over the last 18 months.
Click here to download the Vision, Mission and supporting leaders introductory document.
CONTACT US
Peter Kentley
Convenor
River of Life Conference
12 John St Kew
Vic 3101
Office: (03) 9816-7111
Mobile: 0414 622-633
info@riveroflifeconference.org
