I'm not sure why, but I'm attracted to big things. I love to be involved in big events at big venues with big crowds. I'm the kind of person that, when asked about the success of an event, will often simply report the size of the crowd and the number of delegates.

With this in mind, you could imagine my response when I found out that the new TWIST Away event had only 30 people registered for the 'Early Bird' rate.

I had been used to the 600 plus delegates at our non-residential TWIST events in previous years. I was confident that we were heading for a failure.

Six weeks later, we closed with around 70 registrations, which when combined with the presenters, musicians, technical team and support staff, meant close to 100 people staying together at Youthworks' Rathane Outdoor and Conference Centre at Port Hacking.

Not as small as I'd feared, but still less than the 300-plus I'd originally aimed for.

Yet, every person involved with the conference claimed that it was the best TWIST ever.

The secret to its success was the intimacy and the community. The group was small enough to allow us to eat together and to informally relate (and jam!) in free time. The main sessions were the perfect size to allow delegates to pray in informal, extempore prayer. Our band consisted of a piano, a guitar, and two singers, yet because we could actually hear each other sing, it was an encouraging and special moment.

When it came to the smaller workshops, the residential nature of the weekend meant that participants felt far more secure and comfortable asking questions and even performing their own compositions to their peers.

The breadth of the exposure of the TWIST training was less than the big conferences, but the depth of learning and unity far outstripped that we had offered in the big events.

That is why I am thankful to God that he showed us afresh the importance of intimate, temporary-community events.

We look forward to the 'big' TWIST Conference day event on the 24th of October at the 'big' City Recital Hall, Angel Place. But we know that the purpose of that one-day event is different to the TWIST Away weekend. It's not designed as a hands-on, intimate, community event. Instead, it's designed as a 'big' celebration of and motivation for great church music, with some terrific teaching and master-classes.

As you try and work out the diet of you and perhaps your church, make sure you provide times to be small and intimate. There is no substitute for the temporary community that occurs when you getaway with your church or a group for a weekend or longer. Invest the time and resources, and reap the rewards.