Moody Church Responds to THIRST Conference

Is there a church anywhere in the world more widely known or more historically rooted in revival than Moody Church? This church has a rich history of periodic revivals and prolonged fruitfulness, and their pastor has carried a burden for revival for many years.

Dr. Erwin Lutzer recently celebrated 30 years as lead pastor. His own roots include vivid recollections of revival in Canada four decades ago:

I had experienced revival in the early '70s up in Canada, and once you've seen God work in people's lives, something inside you says, "We need to see this again." I'm talking about failing marriages, seemingly without hope; people with addictions; families estranged. I have seen God bring about in several hours what months of counseling sometimes has not accomplished. So ever since I came to Moody Church, I've had the vision at some point to have a group come in and help us define what revival is, and to trust God to do something deeper in the lives of our congregation. 

"It was a bold step," acknowledged Dr. Luzter, "but at the very heart of revival is sacrifice." The call to invite the team was unanimous. "Our entire leadership wants a Life Action THIRST conference. We just wish we didn't have to wait until 2011 for you to come."

They didn't have to wait! The Lord rearranged our schedule, and with little time for planning, the third week of March became like no other in recent history at Moody Church. Over 1,000 adults attended Sunday evening, and on weeknights up to 700 returned to hear and respond obediently to core revival truths.

God's work was fresh and deep. Shallow substitutes for passionate love of Jesus were confessed. People experienced repentance, reconciliation, joy, fullness, freedom, and fruitfulness. Though a widespread outpouring of God's Spirit did not occur, a widespread thirst for God to move in revival escalated dramatically. And thousands of hearts gained a wonderful vision for what God might do in the future.

God has begun a powerful work of fulfilling His promise to "pour water on him that is thirsty"—even in a well established church in downtown Chicago.

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