I’m in Orlando, Florida this week for the 2012 North American Christian Convention. The NACC is an annual meeting of members of the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ.

My wife and I started attending the NACC in the mid-nineties, and the only one we have missed since then is the year we took a mission trip to Thailand. The convention means a lot to us, and we always look forward to attending.

I have long thought that the word “convention” is quite misleading. I don’t know what I would have called it, but the NACC seems to be more of a gathering for fellowship and worship.

We always see a lot of old friends at the North American—many of whom we met in school, or served with in previous churches. It’s wonderful to see old familiar faces and get caught up with people we haven’t seen in a while. It’s fun to see other people exchange smiles and hugs as they meet up with their old friends too.

This particular NACC is especially exciting for me, because in addition to my wife, I also have my mother, two aunts and the youth minister from our church here with me. I look forward to spending time with them.

However, the worship services at the NACC are more important to me than the fellowship (although I suppose it could be argued that you really can’t completely separate the two). It is always a moving experience when thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ gather to worship God in spirit and in truth.

The fellowship and worship that I so eagerly anticipate is a glimpse of what heaven will be like, when countless believers—from every age and from all over the world—will be gathered together to praise God forever!

It’s going to be a great week!