The 2019 New Canaan Society New England Regional Retreat was held September 13-14 at the Heritage Hotel in Southbury, CT. The theme was “Understanding Changes Everything”, and Dr. Mark Gordon Fee was our Guide for the weekend. This is Mark’s talk on Saturday morning.

The 2019 New Canaan Society New England Regional Retreat was held September 13-14 at the Heritage Hotel in Southbury, CT. The theme was “Understanding Changes Everything”, and Dr. Mark Gordon Fee was our Guide for the weekend. This is Mark’s opening talk on Friday night.

Kicking off our 2019-2020 NCS New Canaan season, Mark Fee powerfully and emotionally walks through a new way to think about sharing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus. Instead of being "obnoxious for Jesus" or merely sharing our personal faith testimony, he urges us to begin loving people and to become so much like Jesus in the way we love people that they want to learn more.

Fee emphasizes that people--not worship bands or elaborate programs--are meant to be the attraction of Christianity. He explains the self-absorbed failings of "performance" Christianity and contrasts it with a Christianity that is all about loving people as Jesus first loved us. Fee also helps reframe "sin" in terms of its harm to others (being unloving) rather than as "rule-breaking". He gives examples of how the little things--seeing people, noticing them, asking their name and caring--can have a huge impact on lives.

Although he generally hates talking about himself or his past, Terry Wilcox humbly and transparently shares the amazing journey of his life with Jesus. Terry explains the decisions that set the course for his life--accepting Jesus, surrendering his life to the Holy Spirit and telling God he would embrace any opportunity God provided to talk about Him--and he reveals the incredible adventures that were in God's plan for a "farm boy from Western Pennsylvania who barely got through college". Terry also shares the conclusions of a life lived fully with Jesus--God is faithful and His grace is sufficient.

Although he generally hates talking about himself or his past, Terry Wilcox humbly and transparently shares the amazing journey of his life with Jesus. Terry explains the decisions that set the course for his life--accepting Jesus, surrendering his life to the Holy Spirit and telling God he would embrace any opportunity God provided to talk about Him--and he reveals the incredible adventures that were in God's plan for a "farm boy from Western Pennsylvania who barely got through college". Terry also shares the conclusions of a life lived fully with Jesus--God is faithful and His grace is sufficient.

Pivot Choir performing "Because of You" at NCS New Canaan on 5/24/19 following a talk by Richard Williams, the Executive Director of Pivot Ministries.