Even though the Corbin District has less than 9,000 members and is next to the smallest in membership among the 12 Districts of the Kentucky Conference, and is also one of the farthest districts from Louisville, they made up 1/10th of the 3,000 folks who participated in this year's Winter Blitz.
What a joy to gather with sisters and brothers in Christ from all across Kentucky, and to join together in worship and fellowship, as Bishop James King taught/preached and reminded us the entire weekend that as disciples of Jesus Christ, we are "522" people: Galatians 5:22 (Fruit of the Spirit). His theme was "Heat It Up" with the acronym of "Heat" being: Health, Energy, Attitude, Transformer.
The average Sunday Morning Worship Attendance among the 62 local churches in the Corbin District is 56, so for many of the 311 people from the district, this was the first time they had experienced corporate worship with 3,000 people present. It was wonderful seeing so many young people come to Christ for the very first time, as all of us grew and heated up in our relationship with Christ and with one another.
Exactly one week later, Feb. 5, in spite of it being an icy and cold winter afternoon and "Super Bowl Sunday", 374 people from across the 9 county/200 mile wide area in southeastern Kentucky attended the 4:00 pm Corbin District Gathering at Corbin First UMC with powerful music and worship, Roll Call of the 62 churches with the photo projection of the 49 pastors, testimonies from 9 people who attended Winter Blitz,ranging in age from a child to an adult, middle school, high school, and college age.
One of the teenage boys shared: "5 + 2 + 2 = 9, and those are the 9 Fruits of the Holy Spirit, and I want to be filled with them and live by them.
One of the teenage girls shared: "I'm from a small church, and I didn't know there were that many Christian youth in the United Methodist Church in Kentucky. I'm going to live for God, and share His love with my friends."
One of the adults shared: "I never heard a Bishop preach before, and didn't really know who Bishop King was, but now I know that he is a man of God, and a warm servant of the Lord, and he loves us all."
Also at the Feb. 5 gathering, Dr. Terry Faris (D.S.), preached a message based on I Timothy 4:12 - "Don't let people look down on you because you are young; see that they look up to you because you are an example to them in your speech and behavior, in your love and faith and sincerity" J.B. Phillips.
The Feb. 5 Corbin District Gathering was a postlude to Winter Blitz and a prelude to the 9 County Cluster Weekend Revivals (February - April). The next Corbin District Gathering will be on Sunday, May 7, and the Bishop's Hour will be on Sunday, October 22.
Several pastors and churches in the Corbin District will be participating in the Bishop's Leadership Institute (March 31 - April 1) in Lexington, and the Corbin District is preparing for Winter Blitz next year (Jan. 26-28, 2007).
