It has been an incredible January.

For a little while now I have wondered if evangelicals have been losing the priority of training. We recognise its importance in theory, but so often fail to invest the necessary time and energy to motivate others to apply themselves in this way. It is so easy for training programs to be considered a distraction, and taking people to training conferences just becomes too 'hard' amidst everything else.

It was this kind of thinking, encapsulated in Psalm 78, that was behind the changing of the name KYLC (Katoomba Youth Leadership Conference) to Next Generation (Next Gen) just over 12 months ago. Whilst our natural tendency is to look back, we must look forward. The future is not in institutions or organisations. It is in people.

With this change in name, came an expanded philosophy for Next Gen as a Children's Ministry training stream was added alongside the Youth Stream that has been going for over 20 years, and exported to many locations around the world. And then this year a new Rising Leaders stream was added for younger delegates thirsty to be trained to be leaders.

In God's kindness, both weeks of Next Gen this year were sold out. There were many highlights to each week. We heard firsthand about the kcc first of Next Gen Uganda (see the inspiring short video, complete with dancing!) While the dancing was indeed quite a sight, it was overwhelming to hear how God has used the training package to help people on the other side of the world.

Phillip Jensen equipped us for some of the challenges facing evangelical Christianity. The fellowship with brothers and sisters from such a diversity of churches is one of the unique privileges of Katoomba Christian Convention - people from Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, Chinese and Uniting, just to name a few. We have an incredible amount to learn from one another.

However, the highlight was the powerful teaching of God's Word as Bryson Smith taught us from Jeremiah and a variety of gifted speakers from 1 Timothy. The heart of the conference has always been the strand groups, for the aim of the conference is for every single delegate to be more competent in teaching God's Word than when they arrived.

The new Rising Leaders stream (for those in Years 10-11) was an incredible success - I cannot measure how much of a privilege it was to see their hunger for the Word of God. Could it be that we have been holding them back, thinking they are too young?

However, I say it was an incredible January not just because of God's work through the Next Gen conference. Other training conferences too have gone very well in recent times. Remembering that many denominations, including Anglicans have not grown in number in recent years, could all of this be early signs of a revival in our midst?