FatherHeart of God Conference - PAST EVENT
Unlocking the truth of God’s Love from the Lie
January 29 - 30, 2010
Many thanks to Lee for an incredible and moving conference!
Conference Materials
Speaker Presentation - Lee Bennett
Order Conference Audio CDs
- Purchase the 4 CD set from Valley Vineyard Fellowship at a cost of $5.00 ($7.50 with shipping)
Order "No More Secrets" DVD (Saturday afternoon)
- Purchase directly from Bethel Church at a cost of $15.00 plus shipping
- Choose: Session #5 - Writing Unto the Glory May 09 Panel Discussion
Grace Worksheet - COMING SOON!
Quote by C.S. Lewis
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”
Description
The FatherHeart of God is my life message.
I grew up broken. I don’t remember how it happened because it was before I was two. My dad was in the army and when he was home he drank too much and when he was away he did not provide for my mom and me. It was a confusing and painful time for us. I was told by her that one day while drunk he almost killed us and that was what led her to divorce him.
Though I don’t remember those years and the events, I can feel the pain and fear I experienced. It felt like it was never safe and without warning something awful would happen. It was like living in a war zone where there was no place that was safe and there was no predictability. It was like being terrorized.
My heart became fertile soil for a self image born out of fear and abandonment that would rule my life for more than 40 years; I was a step-child unchosen and unloved. It was my own personal myth constructed to explain me and my life. I was someone who was not worthy of care, respect or attention or of being properly treated, supported or appreciated.
Like many of us I was lost in a world of hurt and on a desperate journey. The answer I sought was a father who would choose and love me, a family where I belonged and a self I could accept and celebrate.
The problem was out of my pain, fear and anger I had erected a powerful force field to keep out any and all intruders. It would take many years and powerful forces to break through what I had built and set me free. It would take a severe mercy.
This is the story of my journey and how I found my Father, and my home and myself.
Technically a step-child is someone who is the son or daughter of a step parent but there is also another definition. It is someone who is not worthy of care, respect or attention or of being properly treated, supported or appreciated. I had adopted this as my self-image. It was my own personal myth to explain who I was and why things happened in my life the way they did. This is a story of how God personally replaced this debilitating myth with the truth.
Biography
Lee and Sue were privileged to meet the Lord at an early age and be raised in Christian homes. Lee was called to serve and lead the church as a pastor/teacher at the age of sixteen. He took the counsel of his pastor and began pursuing a four-year secular education at Santa Ana College in Orange County, California. It was then that through the efforts of a close church friend, Lee met Sue McGill on a blind date.
Lee and Sue were married one and a half years later on May 1st. This was in the Spring of Lee’s junior year at Fullerton State University where he was majoring in speech communication, with a minor emphasis in psychology. With graduation came decision time. Would it be seminary, a Campus Crusade ministry or graduate school in speech? After much prayer the Bennett’s were confident that the Lord was directing them to Campus Crusade. They sold their southern California bungalow, packed their belongings and moved to San Bernardino, where they received extensive Bible and evangelization training.
The next move came in September of 1966 when the Bennett’s were assigned to train at Washington State University. Their Christmas gift that year arrived on December 22, a son, Bradley Paul Bennett. They also finished their training that month and moved to Moscow, Idaho to begin Campus Crusade work at the University of Idaho.
Summer of 1967 was a time for more in-depth Bible school and new assignments. For the school year of 1967-68 Lee and Sue directed Washington and Northern Idaho, which meant over- seeing seven staff members and five college workers. After another summer of in-depth Bible study they were assigned to direct Orange County, Long Beach and Pomona Valley in the 1968-69 school years, where they directed twelve staff members.
On December 22, 1968 in Fullerton, California, Lisa Marie Bennett arrived on the scene. Her proud parents now had their ideal family!
After three wonderful years, the Bennett’s left Crusade in March of 1969 and Lee began what was to be a ten-year career in medical sales.
In the winter of 1969, after searching for a church home, the Bennett’s visited Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. There they experienced what they had so long sought after—a releasing in the Spirit of God like that of the early church in the Book of Acts.
Although Lee and Sue were somewhat apprehensive, one taste led to another. They regularly attended Sunday services, as well as Monday and Thursday nights. At the depth of their need, both were released in the Holy Spirit, which birthed a new joy, and ability in each of their lives. Ministry grew out of rela¬tionship and soon Lee was counseling, teaching a marriage class and leading an early morning prayer meeting. Lee was ordained on November 8, 1972 in response to God’s fruit¬fulness in his life. The Bennett’s moved to Dana Point in the fall of 1974 and on December 23, Greg, the first member of Lee and Sue’s “second family” put in an appearance, and two years later on December 31, 1976 Mark Timothy joined the family.
In 1975 came involvement with a new church pastored by Chuck Smith Jr., Calvary Chapel, Dana Point. As an elder and lay pastor, Lee ministered along with Chuck for three years.
After nine years at Calvary Chapel Churches, the Bennett’s clearly heard God’s voice in 1978, telling them it was time to be sent out. Desiring to be led only by the Holy Spirit, they told only a few close friends of God’s call.
During this time of waiting they were visited by two couples who were close friends and past members of Calvary Chapel of Dana Point. Both couples had moved to the Seattle area and were involved in a home Bible study with 8 other couples, all originally from California. Because of their Calvary Chapel/ Vineyard background they desired to start a church with the same style of ministry in the Northwest. The Bennett’s friends shared with them their vision and one step led to another and Lee and Sue visited the group in June of 1979. They were subsequently called to begin the church that fall, which would be called Calvary Northshore.
In 1984 Calvary Northshore became a Vineyard and John Wimber asked the Bennett’s to serve on the board and oversee the work in the Northwest and they did so until 1993. Today the church is called Northwest Community Church.
