Galations 6:9

Steve Gambill

I hope that you are healthy, rested and ready for a great summer. Your summer can be great because of the great opportunities that it brings. One of these opportunities is something very close my heart... Rocknations.

Over the past few years, Rocknations has become more than just a conference; it is a testimony of what God can do through young people who truly know him. When I first began ministry in the UK, my heart was filled with a dream of helping thousands of young people to discover the awesome life available to them in Christ. The problem was it was only a dream. And like any dream, when you awake the challenges of life overwhelm and the dream begins to slip away.

I remember one evening in the early days of our youth ministry. I had invited a key youthleader to come speak to our young people. The group of young people playing music. (I say group because they weren't good enough to be a band,) were out of tune, out of time, and had finished the one and only song they knew. At that moment the guest youthleader turned to me and spoke. I will never forget the words he said to me. He turned to me and said "I guess you have to start somewhere". Where he could only see a struggling group of ragtag musicians I could see possibility and dreams. Sometimes the only person who can see your dream is you. And that day I realised that I was seeing what the experts couldn't see.

What is your dream? Is it to own a great business, or maybe have a great marriage or to make a difference in the world? Whatever it is I want to encourage you to start. Start today with what you have and your tomorrows will turn into an awesome future.

So, I started to encourage, teach, equip, empower, laugh, cry and pray with young people. Our days were filled with music lessons, school assemblies, lessons, and bbq's at universities, setting up, tearing down and setting up again. Before I knew it a decade had passed and I was still going towards my dream!

I have made many mistakes over the years, but each mistake I faced a choice. Either, I give up on the dream or I commit to learn from them and to start again. Never let go of your God-given dream. When the usual feelings of failure creep in I realised as long as I was learning from my mistakes that God was not finished with me yet.

When our youth band could barely play, instead of giving up I invested hours of private lessons. I helped to inspire others to use their skills to help. Gradually these same young people began to write powerful anointed songs. The young teenagers carrying the heavy speakers, learned how to wire it into the PA system and to mix. Others took up dance, others began to teach God's word and bring their friends. And this was happening in Bradford North of England.

I believe that God is a dream giver. Once you have got that dream hold on! Many things in life will attack your dream. But the truth is that if you don't become weary in doing good, at the proper time you will reap a harvest, if you do not give up. Gal 6:9.

That's why I want to invite you to join us at Rocknations 07 8-11th August. As you gaze on thousands of young people in worship and see hundreds of talented, faithful, confident, anointed young people serving behind the scenes you will see this dream in operation. That is why I say that Rocknations has become more than just a conference. It is a living testimony of what God can do when people are willing.

'To Know You' is the theme of RN07. It represents more than a song by RPM, it is the anthem of a generation who are learning to know their God. Have you ever met someone and discovered that the better you know that person the more you liked them? When I first met my wife, Charlotte (before she was my wife) I liked her. But as I got to know her more, I realized that I loved her. The better you know God, the more of God you will know to love.

In a short time, we will be recording a live cd/dvd with many of the same musicians who years ago could barely play...yet inside each of their hearts they too had a dream. It is essential that we began to dream and dream big. Big dreams have a way of unlocking others to fulfil theirs to. That's why people like Christine Caine, Andy Hawthorne, Mal Fletcher and other leading UK youth ministers will be joining with me to inspire a generation.

I would like to personally invite you and your friends and family to come and experience this very special opportunity this summer...Rocknations

In the meantime...Keep Dreaming!