2005 Conference Highlights
testimonies from Nashville, Tennessee
The enthusiasm of the attendees was evident as they attentively participated in the sessions.
The ATI Regional Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, inspired attendees with the theme of “Total Surrender for Total Success.” The sessions addressed the importance of surrendering one’s entire being to God in order to experience the fulfillment of His purposes in one’s life.
More than 2,500 people attended the conference, held May 31–June 3, 2005. Many have shared testimonies of the blessings they experienced!
The conference began with a flag ceremony in which the ALERT Cadet fathers and sons participated.
“Attending the conference in Nashville was such an encouragement to us! We feel that our children need the opportunity to develop a larger view—to think outside of their box and to realize that there is a bigger world of opportunities and believers out there.”
—An ATI family from Rochester, Pennsylvania
Timeless Testimonies of Faith
Experienced couples shared about raising dynamic young people who will remain faithful to the Lord.
“The concepts that were presented from Scripture on total surrender gave vision for what God can do through those who are completely yielded to Him. The testimonies of great men and women of God who have been standing for what is right, and taking the heat for it, gave new zeal and understanding for trusting in God.”
—An ATI student from Minnesota
George Keller shared about God’s faithfulness in the midst of severe trials.
“I really enjoyed the sweet spirit that I sensed in all of the speakers. I also appreciated Dr. Gothard’s willingness to take the time to speak with me. It was truly an inspiration, and I am thankful for his sessions with all the young people. The topics he discussed were very relative to where we are.”
—An ATI student from Tennessee
Ministering to the Men
The men’s sessions focused on helping them fulfill their God-given life roles.
“We were blessed by Dr. Gothard’s encouragement to husbands to cleanse their wives with the washing of the water of the Word (see Ephesians 5:25–26) by pouring Scripture into their own hearts for memorization, meditation, and application. Yesterday I began memorizing God’s Word with a fresh approach to the spiritual cleansing produced by engrafting large passages of Scripture into my soul.”
—An ATI mother from Florida
It was encouraging to hear testimonies of older students who are following the Lord whole-heartedly.
“The men’s sessions in the morning with Dr. Gothard were wonderful—especially the one on father and son bonding. These sessions provided practical tools to build a solid relationship with our Dad, to manage resources wisely, to be effective ‘sowers of the seed,’ and to be successful in the five basic roles of a man.”
—An ATI student from Minnesota
Highlights for the Entire Family
Dr. Karl Coke spoke about the Biblical standards of education.
“Dr. Coke’s ability to communicate Biblical truth allows you to grasp concepts that you might have otherwise missed.”
—An ATI family from North Carolina
The young ladies in COMMIT were encouraged through the personal testimonies of their leaders and were challenged to seek God with their whole hearts.
“Nothing could have been so fully and perfectly designed for the heart of a boy than what they did in the ALERT Cadet program. The boys learned about becoming mighty men of God through God Himself, and they benefited from the first-hand examples of Godly men.
“At the first-year family sessions, we gleaned so much from the Bowmans. The session on teaching the Wisdom Booklets was valuable to both of us. The slow realization came that educating our children is not about how much information we could get into their heads, but rather it is about how to instill the character of God and the things of God in their hearts.”
—An ATI mother from Pennsylvania
Students enjoyed sessions with Dr. Gothard on maintaining daily victory and being successful in life roles.
“The highlight of the conference for our oldest daughter was the Question and Answer session for the students with Dr. Gothard. A whole range of topics came up! Each night, though we could barely keep our eyes open, our family sat together in the hotel room and listened as our daughter retold the answers Dr. Gothard had given during the student sessions.”
—An ATI family from Pennsylvania
“Total Surrender for Total Success”
The student choir and orchestra, led by Amon Baker, concluded the week with a beautiful musical presentation.
“This conference was an incredible encouragement for our family. We needed the opportunity to refocus in several areas. The theme of totally surrendering one’s whole life to the Lord has been very significant to us, and it was very good to be challenged and reminded of this teaching.
—An ATI mother from Virginia
“This year’s conference theme of ‘Total Surrender for Total Success,’ was exactly what the Lord has been prompting us to apply this year. Our family, though far from perfect, is being perfected through the ATI conferences and constant support of this ministry.”
—An ATI family from Ohio