The New Room Conference, hosted by Seedbed, is an annual gathering of Christians hungry for spiritual awakening. Named after the first Methodist meeting house founded by John and Charles Wesley in Bristol, England, the conference blends worship, prayer, discipleship, and stories from the field (global church) to stir renewal and ignite an awakening through the ancient holy habits of faith.

This year was my second time attending, and I came with great expectations—to pray deeply, sit in Scripture, share table life with friends from Macland Community Church, sing from my soul, and let the Holy Spirit rekindle my fire. And the Holy Spirit did not disappoint!

Here are five takeaways that marked me:

1. “Darkness sticks to everything.” ~ J.D. Walt
   Evil has no fear of God. Yet I will not shrink back but walk boldly into every room, knowing Christ’s light is already there.
2. “God is good all the time. All the time God is good—FOR THAT IS HIS NATURE. Wow!” ~ David Watson & Tara Beth Leach
   A fresh twist on a familiar phrase. Yes, we’ve starting this in kids’ Sunday school!
3. “I believe Jesus is right about everything.” ~ Andrew Forrest
   Peace comes when we live God’s way. Loving first—even those who hate us—means moving forward, terrified but with open arms. What other option do I have?
4. “Ask for God’s ‘No.’” ~ Jon Thompson
   God’s “no” is often His best gift, learning contentment and rebuking coveting. Trusting His limits is trusting His love. God saying, “Yes!” is not normal.
5. “I wait on tables.” ~ James Aladiran (confirmed by the Spirit in me)
   Like Acts 6, my role is to serve with excellence so my pastors can not neglect the Word of God. Humility is leadership.

Along the way, I met amazing disciple-makers—from Louisiana to Mississippi to Georgia—sharing stories, ideas, and encouragement. Out of those connections, the fabulous Allison Vandenbergh and I began to design a two-day gathering in March 2026 in Albany to explore the “Ruts, Roots, and Rhythms” of ministry with children and families. Stay tuned!

The Spirit is moving. My heart is full. And my fire is stoked.

“So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7

I first learned about LifeWise Academy two years ago on Dr. Michael Easley’s Ask Dr. E podcast in August 2023 when founder Joel Penton was a guest. I was immediately interested and conversations started! Several members of our church leadership team also heard the episode, and now—by God’s grace—we’re on the ground floor of bringing LifeWise to our county and throughout our state, Georgia.

LifeWise Academy was inspired by a program launched in 2012 in Van Wert, Ohio, where an incredible 95% of local elementary students participated in Bible education during the school day. Joel Penton took that model and designed a replicable, scalable system that equips communities with “plug-and-play” tools to launch and sustain effective Bible education programs.

Yes, you read that right – during the school day, not after school!

How is that even possible? Back in 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Zorach v. Clauson that Bible education during the public school day is constitutional and legal in all 50 states—as long as three conditions are met:

1. The program is held off school property.
2. The program is privately funded (no government funds).
3. Parents give permission for their child to participate in the program.

This has been legally available for over 70 years, but most local churches have never even heard of it. I’d never heard of it! LifeWise wants to change that by offering a clear, replicable model for elementary, middle, and high school students nationwide—including right here in our community. Right now there are more than 1,000 LifeWise Academies in the United States and growth is exponential.

The biggest obstacle? Simply a lack of awareness.

That’s why we’ve scheduled two 30-minute interest meetings before Wednesday night family programming this fall to start spreading the word.

LifeWise recently hired Paige Dees as State Director here in Georgia. She leads a LifeWise Academy program herself, partnering with the Atlanta Public Schools, and is an incredible resource. I’ve also connected with leaders in Bartow County (partnering with multiple churches), along with other children’s ministry leaders in Ohio. Right now:

• 13 school districts in Georgia have Steering Committees (including ours!)
• 85 districts have signed petitions
• 9 Georgia schools are confirmed with fall 2025 enrollment already at 568 students

That means 568 students will be engaged in Bible education every week during their school day in the state of Georgia. Amazing!

Since its first two programs launched in 2019, LifeWise has grown to more than 1,000 schools nationwide in 2025. Their “secret sauce”? Staying gospel-centered and pursuing excellence in every detail—because they know they represent the King.

Not only does LifeWise have a top-notch curriculum focused on Bible literacy, but they also have a proven plan to help churches launch successfully. Intentional. Clear. Doable. Ten incredible steps to launch.

Just imagine: 50 million public school students across the nation learning God’s Word during their school day.

Churches, family ministry leaders, children’s pastors—we can do this together!

• Do you have parents in your community who work Sundays (medical, law enforcement, hospitality, retail)? → Get started here.
• Do you have a school nearby, within walking distance? → Get started here.
• Does your church not currently have children? You can still partner in countless ways! → Get started here.
• Do you have a church bus that sits idle during the week? → Get started here.
• Do you want to be part of a national movement of gospel impact? → Get started here.

Want to talk about it? Go here or reach out to me directly at dedereilly@comcast.net.

Say “YES!” and get started here. We’ve been given an open door to fulfill the Great Commission. Why not? Now’s the time!

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

In 2019, I stumbled upon a whole new world—apologetics! A fresh book had just been released by Hillary Morgan Ferrer called Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies. I devoured it cover to cover, and before long I was following public apologists on YouTube and social media, soaking in all I could learn.

At the same time, I began praying for a ministry partner among the families I served. I knew the Lord was preparing us for what was ahead, and that equipping families in apologetics would strengthen our faith for the cultural and spiritual choices we’d all soon face as a Body of Christ.

Apologetics simply means offering a thoughtful, reasoned defense of the Christian faith. As 1 Peter 3:15 reminds us: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

In 2020 I attended an online conference on a Friday and Saturday offered by Women in Apologetics and I was energized, continuing to pray fervently for that partner. I’ll never forget how I pounded a TV tray in my bedroom, in tears, shouting praises to the Lord for opening this door after what He’d revealed to me across a screen.

By fall 2021, the Lord answered my prayer and provided that ministry partner. A quiet hallway conversation started an incredible journey. Together we launched a Tuesday-night women’s small group and began weaving apologetics into our Sunday discipleship with 3rd–5th graders and their leaders. God blessed that step of obedience with clarity, excitement, and momentum.

And then last Thursday—what a full-circle moment! Hillary Morgan Ferrer herself came to speak at a nearby church. Six of us enjoyed dinner beforehand and then joined a sanctuary of men and women eager to learn.

I took pages of notes, but four of her insights especially stuck with me:

1. Use apologetics tools—like asking good questions—to lower the temperature of culture and bring back civil dialogue. That’s one way we can shine as set-apart people today.
2. Moms usually get questions first. Mama stands to equip their children for what is true and false in the world, so let us ROAR like a Mother. Our kids (biological, adoptive, spiritual) need to hear us both affirm the truths and reject the lies.
3. “Faith in Jesus saved my life, and apologetics saved my faith,” as a preteen.
4. The “Founder’s Effect”—the first person to introduce new information often becomes the “expert” in the minds of those who heard it. Go back to #2 above.

Oh, how faithful the Lord has been on this journey—from a book in my hands to a fire in my soul to a ministry that equips families with truth and love. And a ministry that equips disciples of Jesus to engage in healthy conversations about a faith in Jesus that is worth defending.

“For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” 1 Peter 3:17

One of the church consultants I follow on social media recently said, “The sabbatical is over. It’s time to put away the resort wear and pick up the clipboards. It’s time to prep for fall.”

He encouraged churches to set a re-entry marker—a clear, exciting moment to help people shift out of summer mode and back into a rhythm of worship and ministry. The key? Name it, hype it, and invite people back with clarity and expectation.

In the past, “Promotion Sunday” filled that role, but we decided to try something new this year: a Tailgate Party on the Sunday evening before the kickoff of college football. It was the perfect re-entry marker for our intentionally multigenerational congregation.

Each ministry hosted a tailgate with games, activities, and ministry info—like a ministry fair, but with all the fun of a tailgate!
Children’s Ministry: decorated megaphones and fan flags with fabric markers
Engage Team: pickleball matches
Youth: face painting with team logos + free popcorn
Family Ministry Dinner Team: a dessert potluck
Men’s Small Group: boiled peanuts
Men’s Ministry: grilled hot dogs
And, of course, corn hole everywhere!

A gifted lay leader shared a great devotion about hydration (timely, since it was HOT!), and we played a game at the volleyball court that our youth had learned while serving at an English Camp in the Czech Republic.

Everyone left with a church-logo drink cup (thanks, Imprint.com!) and plenty of ice water to stay cool. Best of all, folks came dressed in their favorite team gear—hats, shirts, and jerseys—which made for lots of fun conversations. Now we know who’s rooting for who, and new friendships are springing up in hallways and parking lots as people swap football stories.

We learned a few things too:
* We’ll move the microphone and speakers to a better spot under the trees.
* Next year, we’ll add a corn hole tournament (because with that many boards, how could we not?).
* We’ll start 30 minutes later to enjoy more shade.

The following Sunday, I noticed something beautiful—people lingering after worship, chatting about the weekend’s games, and connecting in new ways. Folks who might never have struck up a conversation before now had something in common to share.

That’s what this re-entry marker was all about—connection, community, and coming back together with joy and intention.

So, what did your church do for its re-entry marker this year?

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” Psalm 47:1