Twin Cities Inspired To ‘Get Growing’

By Ruth Graham & Friends 

      Change was in the air as Ruth Graham & Friends launched the second half of their 2007 conference schedule with their first-ever appearance in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul on Sept. 21-22.

      It wasn’t just the seasonal change from summer to fall either. Several new changes within the ministry, including the adoption of a new name and graphic look and the addition of several new workshop leaders and speakers, were being unveiled at the conference as well. As a result, people were not quite sure what to expect.

      “I’m not coming with a lot of expectations, but I have a lot of respect for the Graham family. My sense is there’s going to be a lot of ministry this weekend,” said one of the attendees – Cindy – as she prepared to leave on Friday night. “I anticipate that there will be a lot of transparency in a safe place,” she added. “There are not too many safe places anymore.”

      Cindy was right on all counts: a tremendous amount of ministering took place on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 21-22 at North Heights Lutheran Church in suburban Arden Hills, all of it in a reverent atmosphere of complete safety and transparency.

      More than 400 people gathered for the two-day event, which included several new-to-the-group speakers and workshop leaders such as Dr. Ray Giunta, nationally known emergency response chaplain and founder of the We Care Ministries out of Las Vegas; Kim Jeffries, a well-known Twin Cities radio personality and founder of a ministry to help women deal with abortion and post-abortion issues; Dr. Don Miles, an expert on treating depression; and Aleta Nichols, current director of the Living Free Ministries at James River Assembly in Springfield, Missouri who speaks on addictions and other life-controlling issues..

      They were joined by long-time Friends and speakers Lysa TerKeurst, Pastor Steve Wiese; Jacqueline Skog; Dr. Mark Laaser; and Dr. Linda Mintle. Jason Catron, described by Ruth as having “the voice of an angel”, served as  praise & worship leader, while Damaris Carbaugh, through her formidable vocal talents, stirred feelings of exaltation in the audience.

      As Ruth explained, “The Bible talks about us being grafted onto the family of God, one of many biblical references to gardens and growing. Just as you receive Jesus, the Lord continues to grow with you.”

      The basic tenet of the conferences remained unchanged, however. “Our hallmark is transparency,” Ruth said. “This is a place where we can all take off our masks and be comfortable.”

      “The Father gives us a safe place for revealing our sins, our transgressions, our grief – He gives us unconditional love,” said Ruth. “This conference is a safe place for you.”

      The Twin Cities conference also marked the beginning of an effort to reach out more consciously to people in a position to help others deal with the issues covered by Ruth & Friends. This audience included the addition of more church leaders – pastoral staff, lay ministers – and counselors within the larger community as well as churched and non-churched individuals that came for various reasons that included helping others, but also helping themselves, or just plain curiosity. The idea is to expand the impact of the conferences by equipping the helping professionals with more tools and techniques that they can use in their day-to-day ministering and counseling.

      Ruth Graham & Friends conferences also emphasize accessibility. Speakers and workshop leaders are encouraged to be accessible at all times to members of the audience. To get things off on the right foot, all the speakers gathered together on stage Friday night for their introductions – and Ruth teased them with gently barbed questions about such matters as what was their most embarrassing moment in life. The goal was to show that the speakers were people on the same level as all other attendees while giving the audience a “taste” of their personalities and workshop topics.

      That message came across clearly, according to conference attendees such as Rosalind, who said afterwards: “The people connect. They don’t put themselves up on a pedestal. They’re just like us.”

      That “just like us” feeling “gives people permission to be honest with themselves,” said Pam, another attendee and Christian counselor.

      Time and again, attendees emphasized that it is Ruth’s personal testimony on Friday night that really puts them at ease. “It is so humbling to hear Ruth speak and realize this is Billy Graham’s daughter,” said Karen, another attendee. “Now I can look at my own life, and ask myself, ‘why do we need to hide?’ It’s inspiring.”

      Added Kim, another attendee: “What most intrigued me is that this is Billy Graham’s daughter and she has problems…she comes from a very Godly family…hearing her and the others speak so honestly and openly, it didn’t make us feel so bad. They are real people and talk from the heart.”

       “This is the heart of the church – caring for people wherever they are,” said Gary Borgendale, ministry director for the Salem Communications family of radio stations in the Twin Cities. “It’s what the church is all about – people saying, ‘Let me share with you what God has done for me, so that you can come alongside me and share the grace of Christ.”

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