Why Do We Have The Relay Conference?
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
BENJAMIN KREPS:
Hey everyone and welcome to the Mark Prater podcast — where our aim is to connect our global family of Sovereign Grace churches with our executive director.
Mark, as we record this, you are a bit tired because it is the day after our Relay conference.
For anyone who doesn't know what the relay conference is, it's a conference for young adults, basically ages 16 or 17 through 30, that we've held for the third year.
So, three years in a row. And you were just expressing how grateful you were for the time spent over the last few days singing together, sitting under preaching, and so forth.
So, a question for anyone who may not be as familiar with the Relay conference: why do we have a Relay conference?
MARK PRATER:
Yeah, it's a great question. I think it's a question we have to ask of conferences—why do we do them and keep doing them?
For the Relay conference, I think there are a few reasons that we want to do Relay and will continue to do Relay. Our next Relay conference will be in 2028, by the way, you'll be hearing more about that. The reasons we do it, I think, are really three.
1. It's a biblical mandate to invest in the next generation. You see in the Old Testament in Psalm 78:5-7,
He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.
So there's the biblical mandate—you see it in the Old Testament, you see it in the New Testament. In 2nd Timothy, Paul has—it's the last letter he writes—he has invested in Timothy, a younger man, Paul knows that his time of departure has come. Death is not too far away. Timothy is prepared to take his place, and he tells Timothy in 2nd Timothy to invest in men, entrust them with the gospel, etc. Prepare them for when your departure comes as well.
You just see that biblical mandate throughout Scripture. So Relay is just a practical expression of that and our desire to do that in Sovereign Grace.
2. It's an intentional living out of that biblical mandate. It's an intentional step to invest in the third and fourth generations in Sovereign Grace. I think one of the things we often talk about as a leadership team and think about is that D.A. Carson quote—the first generation, they get the gospel, right? I think the language he uses is that they believe the gospel. The second generation assumes the gospel, and the third generation loses the gospel.
That can happen quickly and it can happen subtly. And we don't want to see that happen in our family of churches, just like other denominations. So we just want to be very intentional in investing in the next generation for the sake of the gospel.
We want the third and fourth generation members of our churches and pastors to continue to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ through our churches, in our churches and through our churches throughout the world.
3. It's a conference where we can instill our shared values and our shaping virtues.
Each of the main session messages and the breakout session messages had that in view. In fact, in Jared Mellinger's breakout session—excuse me, main session—he referenced the shared values, discussed some of them, and exhorted the third and fourth generations to own them for themselves. Some of the breakouts were related to our values and virtues as well.
4. The reason that we do it is that it just gives us a chance to build relationally across churches. So, you know, we had over 500 third- and fourth-generation folks there from churches from really throughout the world. And they're just getting to know one another. In fact, because we've done relay three years in a row, it's becoming a bit of a reunion for some of them, since they met at a previous relay conference.
And so, given social media and texting, they stay in touch after the conference, and it really does strengthen partnership in Sovereign Grace, because we want to continue to build relationally, should God allow, to be a multigenerational family of churches. Those are just a few reasons why we hold the Relay conference and why we plan to continue holding it. Our next one will be in 2028, and we hope it will serve the future generations in our family of churches.
BENJAMIN KREPS:
Yes, so my guy Kevin Bush also just got back from Relay, and he was extremely happy with what he experienced there, identified, and strengthened personally by sharing some of the messages with us. You mentioned Jared's sermon, one of the main sessions. Talk to us more about the sessions there. What was this year's theme, and what were the sessions about?
MARK PRATER:
Yeah, this year's theme for relay is really simple, but it's very profound: The Church—the dearest place on earth.
It was really about the local church, and that "dearest place on earth" language is that of Charles Spurgeon, obviously, that we picked up on. But it's been a phrase that we've had for a number of years because of Spurgeon's influence in our family of churches, and it's something that our founder, C.J. Mahaney, built into our family of churches.
For the local church, you want to give your life to serving it because it is the dearest place on earth. And so the very first main session, Jeff Purswell did a biblical theology of the local church, and it was simply outstanding.
One of the things Jeff said is that the church is the dearest place on earth because it is dear to God himself. And really, what Jeff did is he just walked us through the Bible, Genesis through Revelation, about God's initiative and heart to dwell with his people, and he just developed that so well. If you've never heard that sermon, you've got to listen to that.
All of the messages are available online. In fact, I was looking this morning—they already posted the main session messages. So listen to Jeff's message. That kicked off the conference on Monday night. And then on Tuesday morning, I mentioned Jared's message. He preached on the heritage of the church from Deuteronomy 32 and pointed out that the "remember" language is used several times in that chapter. Very intentionally.
He's just calling us to remember what we have, what's been built in Sovereign Grace, and what the third and fourth generations are being handed, and to treasure that and to remember it and to continue to build with it. That was really kind of the essence of that message. And then that same morning on Tuesday, Walt Alexander preached on the fellowship of the church from Ephesians 4. Did a great job preaching.
I think one of the things that came across in Walt's sermon was his heart for the local church. At the end, he's wrapping up his sermon. He's in tears, and he's exhorting the third and fourth generation: "Give your life, give your life to serving the local church." It's better than what the world offers because it is the dearest place on earth. And I pray our young people really remember Walt's exhortation.
And then on Tuesday evening, John Payne spoke on serving the church from Matthew chapter 20—that wonderful passage where Jesus says, "I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many."
John had this section in his sermon where he was really pastoring the people. He was talking about forgetting ourselves and ways that we can forget ourselves and not think about ourselves as much—which, regardless of what age group we're in, we do think about ourselves and we need help. Yeah, so you can listen to that sermon and benefit, but his point in doing that was the more we think less about ourselves and forget ourselves, the better equipped we will be to serve the local church.
And then Joel Shorey wrapped up yesterday morning, Wednesday morning, on the church triumphant from Isaiah 62. If you've never read Isaiah 62, it is a beautiful, inspiring passage that communicates God's heart for his people, and obviously, Joel was applying it to the church.
We are—because of Christ and his gospel and what he has accomplished on our behalf—the church is guaranteed triumph. Even though we will face difficulties in this life, even though we are imperfect in this life, as local churches, we will prevail because the gates of hell will not prevail against us. And it was just a wonderful message that Joel gave. And I think all those main sessions—please listen to them.
Then the breakout sessions—there were two pre-conference breakout sessions that were intentionally chosen: one on biblical manhood taught by Josh Blunt and then one on biblical womanhood taught by Nicole Whitacre. And the feedback that I got from both those breakouts was those were solid, they were really good. Those will be up and available soon on the website.
And then there were breakout sessions on Tuesday afternoon. Josh did one basically on biblical counseling—counseling with God's Word, especially in a therapeutic age. Nick Kidwell did one on social media and just doing away with the idol of social media. The title of his breakout was "Scrolling Ourselves to Death," which was a great title.
Then Steve Whitacre did one on John Calvin—Calvin's God-centered theology in a me-centered world. Great breakout title and I'm sure topic. I'm eager to listen to that one myself.
Jace Hudson did a breakout session on generosity, which is one of our shaping virtues. And you know, once we're Christians, we don't wait to be generous when we're adults, is kind of the point he was making. We're generous from the point that we are converted and born again by the regenerating work of the Spirit. So listen to that. And then John Loftness did one on relationships—appropriate, obviously, for a number of reasons for that age group.
And then, oh by the way, I did a breakout session—I forgot. I did a breakout session. They asked me to do a breakout session on the gift of prophecy in the local church. And I just had a great interaction. In fact, I answered questions for over an hour after the breakout session.
And it was just great. But one of the joys from relay for me is seeing the third and fourth generations just embrace who we are—our gospel centrality and our values and our virtues—and to really want to just give their life to the local church. And many of the conversations I had reflected that.
BENJAMIN KREPS:
Wonderful.
Well, thank you to all the men you listed and the way that you guys served to our young folks at the relay conference. We are, as a team, discussing how we can use Josh's message on biblical manhood locally in the church with our guys. And so I'm looking forward to listening to each one of these sessions and breakouts.
Before we go, what are some takeaways that you have having experienced the last few days? Really, the last three years of relay?
MARK PRATER:
Yeah, I'm so grateful for Relay. I'm glad we're going to continue to do it. This could be a very long list. I'm trying to keep it short for the sake of time with the episode.
So here are a few reflections, takeaways from the time I've had with our third and fourth generations.
Here's the first one that comes to mind. This is a godly group of young men and women. They really are—not a perfect group—but they are pursuing godliness.
That's really reflected not just in their response to the preaching, but just a number of conversations I had with young people, where they're just being humble, they're talking about the struggles in their own heart, they're asking for help because they want to grow in godliness. That's the first thing that comes to mind.
Second is a clear passion for Christ and for His church. All of them, there's a pronounced joy—just being with them, you listen to them sing, they love Jesus. You listen to them talk about their church, they love the church of Christ, and they love the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Kind of leads to the next one—there's a clear love for their local church, and for the partnership we share in Sovereign Grace. To hear them talk about their church and their pastors with affection and gratitude. And then to talk about how this conference is so great because they're getting to know people in other Sovereign Grace churches, and it casts a vision for their future. They're going to be leading this denomination someday. They're going to be involved in serving this denomination someday. And I think they're eager to do that.
And then, I just think that the worship during our conference was led by second generation pastors, which was so much of a delight to watch. So Devon Kauflin and David Zimmer and Eric Schmaltz did most of the leading. Leo Parris, I think, helped lead one session. It was just a joy to watch that and to see that—there was just wonderful singing to Jesus that was happening. There was no drop off at all and that brought a lot of joy.
And then, I would just say that they are a group of young people that are taking responsibility. Now, here's what I mean by that. So you see the second generation—Jared, John, Walt, Joel, you, Ben, others—they're taking responsibility to invest into the third and fourth generation.
So the first generation has purposed to invest into the second generation. Now I see the second generation investing into the third and fourth. What you're seeing begin to emerge now is that third generation is assuming that responsibility. And they're eager to fulfill that and carry that out.
So it's just a wonderful thing for me as a first generation pastor in Sovereign Grace—an older guy—to just step back and watch all that happen. It brings a lot of joy and it brings me a lot of hope, at least from a visual sense, a human sense, that God will continue to build Sovereign Grace to be multigenerational.
BENJAMIN KREPS:
What a great report. And it sounds—not surprising—when you get together five to six hundred young adults that there would be a lot of energy and activity. But with everything you were just describing, it strikes me you are describing the fruit and effect of the gospel just widespread throughout that gathering. And so, that is a cause for rejoicing, celebration, and gratitude for what God's doing in the lives of our young adults. May He continue to do so more and more in the days ahead. So thank you.
Thank you, Jon and Jared, especially for the way that you intentionally have led this conference. Thank you to everybody involved, and looking forward to seeing what God does at future relays.
Next Relay—2028. So two years from now, looking forward to that. So thank you, Mark, for the update, and thank you all for checking out the podcast. We'll see you here next week, Lord willing. Bye for now.