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The 2004 ATI Regional Conferences provided valuable training and refreshing fellowship for many families. This year, conferences were held in four locations across the Unites States: Big Sandy, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Sacramento, California; and Indianapolis, Indiana.

This year’s focus on doing mighty deeds for the Lord through great faith inspired fathers and mothers to continue training their sons and daughters in God’s truth. It has been a blessing to hear the testimonies of those whose hearts were challenged and lives have changed in response to the truths they heard at the conferences. Thank you for sharing with us!

Sessions and Speakers

The conference sessions were filled with inspirational messages from Godly speakers. Dr. Adrian Rogers shared his valuable understanding about the structure of God’s kingdom, as expressed in his book, The Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority. Dr. Karl Coke, a Hebrew and Greek scholar, excited audiences as he opened up the treasures of the Hebrew and Greek words in Scripture. In describing this session, one father remarked, “I had a glimpse of what it was like for those walking with Christ on the road to Emmaus as He spoke of Himself through the prophets and the Law.”

Ray Comfort, Jim Sammons, David Barton, and Roger Magnuson returned to this year's conferences, bringing challenging messages of conviction and spiritual refreshment. Many others contributed messages of truth that impacted all who were present.

Strengthening the Faith of Students

Many attendees grew in their personal faith and confidence in God. A student from Virginia expressed her joy: “I thoroughly enjoyed this conference! I think it was one of the most God-centered, God-exalting ATI conferences I’ve ever attended. The Lord strengthened my faith as we heard the Word and heard about and saw His glory displayed through testimonies and so much more. It was a great week!”

Students ages 4–15 enjoyed activities with the Children’s Institute, ALERT Cadets, Pre-EXCEL, and COMMIT. Older students volunteered to serve as leaders in these programs, and were blessed as they gave of their time, talents, and energy to make these programs a success.

“I really enjoyed being with other Christians who hold the same Christian principles that I do. The experience of being a Squad Leader at the ALERT Cadet Challenge helped me depend on God to help me lead the boys in my group,” commented a young man from Minnesota.

The Benefits of a Smaller Group

Attendance averaged at over 2,000 for each of the four conferences this summer. In comparison with previous nation-wide conferences held in Knoxville, Tennessee, many attendees commented on the smaller, family-style atmosphere of this year’s regional conferences.

A mother from California observed, “While it is a powerful experience to fellowship with thousands of like-minded believers all at the same time and in the same place, there was something so peaceful, streamlined, and up-close-and-personal about our homey, almost small-town-in-comparison atmosphere at the Sacramento conference.

“There was time to visit with other homeschooling families. Even better, there was almost instant accessibility to the speakers who were in attendance. There was time to talk, ask questions, and seek guidance. It was easy to connect with our area’s Family Consultant. To top it off, many people were able to greet Mr. Gothard personally and talk with him about their concerns.”

Revival and Refreshment

New and experienced families were reminded to keep their focus on the Lord and to rely on His strength for the tasks that lay ahead of them. One mother wrote, “Fifteen years ago, we left our first training conference saying, ‘We can do this!’ After our second training conference, we left saying, ‘We can’t do this, but God can do this through us!’ That is where we have camped ever since, and the Lord has faithfully, mightily worked in our family.”

One enthusiastic mother noted, “My husband and I both feel so built up, and already there have been significant changes in our home and in ourselves. We’ve even been doing school in the midst of unpacking and laundry! My husband has had a personal revival and is just filled with enthusiasm and courage to be the father and husband God is directing him to be. For over 2 years he had resisted joining ATI, and now you can’t slow him down.”

Renew the Commitment to Keep God First

Mothers and fathers renewed their vision of training their children to walk with the Lord. Those with older students look back with joy and thanksgiving as they see all that the Lord has done over the years.

One mother remembers, “Sixteen years ago my husband and I sat in the auditorium in Bloomington, Indiana, at our first ATI Training Conference. It was a hectic week, filled with information and a feeling of being overwhelmed.

“On the last day, the apprenticeship student choir of about 200 young people stood on the stage and sang, It Will Be Worth It All. With tears in his eyes, my husband said to me, ‘One day, I want my children singing in that choir.’ Our oldest at that time was 7 years old. My husband had observed many of the young people who served us that week. He could see a difference in their lives and in their eyes.

“Every year since then, when we have attended one of the training conferences, our vision is renewed to the call—the call to keep our children holy, pure, and protected. The vision that the Lord keeps bringing to us is to keep God first.”