On the long holiday weekend of Matariki, we held our “Encouraging Families” family conference in Cheltenham, New Zealand. Temperatures were in the 40s to low 50s Fahrenheit, as we are now in the winter season. The families who attended were all from the lower North Island and traveled about 2–3 hours to reach the conference center.

The theme of the conference was “Beholding the Glory of God.” While we did not have a solar eclipse like the one that occurred during the April conference in Big Sandy, Texas, our nation’s holiday coincided with the timing of the Pleiades constellation, which first becomes visible at this time of the year. In New Zealand, the constellation is called Matariki.

At our weekend gathering, we had some new families join us along with several of our regular attendees. One of the new families sent a thank you note, explaining that they had heard of IBLP, and it was good to experience some of the teaching firsthand. The family was grateful for all the preparation that goes into planning and hosting our conference, and they were encouraged by like-minded families seeking to follow Christ and raise their children in a Godly way.

One message presented was by Joe Mueller, entitled “The Glory Within.”  Joe spoke about how God is not tempted nor does He have weaknesses, but He is completely victorious over Satan. Linking this truth with Galatians 2:20, he talked about how we need, by faith, to let Christ live His victorious life within us. One father commented afterward how this message especially touched his heart.

Another message given was by John Huffman. His message, “A Glimpse of Glory in Isaiah,” encouraged listeners to look away from earthly leaders and instead look up to our great God, Who will never disappoint.

We also heard timely messages from Scott Pauley, Bob Fu, Gil Bates, John Van Gelderen, Conrad McDonnell, and Evan Tyler.

Meanwhile, the children enjoyed the Children’s Institute led by Keziah Smith and a team of helpers. One boy said, “The best part was the baking story. [The leaders] Matthew and Bethany-Rose each baked something. But Matthew’s was the best because he followed the recipe. Bethany-Rose just put in whatever [ingredient] she thought was best, but it did not turn out any good.”  This young boy seemed to grasp the lesson that we need to follow God’s instructions, not just do whatever we think is best!

We are looking forward to our next family conference in the New Zealand summer, January 9–12, 2025. For more information, please visit https://encouragingfamilies.org.nz/.