Revival Night Conference Recap - 25

God's presence changes everything. This truth crystallized during our recent Revival Conference where we witnessed what happens when every distraction is stripped away to make room for divine encounter.

The journey began months before the event when we felt a clear directive from the Lord: remove the merchandise, simplify the marketing, and focus solely on His presence. What emerged was a conference atmosphere repeatedly described as "reverent" and "bathed in prayer." Attendees from 24 churches across five states experienced something rare—a tangible sense of God's holiness that was evident from the moment they entered the room.

What made this gathering extraordinary wasn't elaborate programming but authentic spiritual hunger. During Friday evening's message challenging believers to greater desperation for God, one man walked to the altar before the invitation was even given. This act of surrender—the fruit of years of faithful prayer from his wife—created holy momentum that swept through the room. As one attendee testified: "I didn't hear God speak anything specific, but I experienced the most peace I've ever had in my life."

The prayer panel featuring diverse perspectives on developing meaningful prayer lives became a catalyst for transformation. "That moment wrecked me in the best way," one participant shared, while couples reported receiving fresh fire to pray together and for their families. James Whitford's powerful testimony reminded everyone that revival begins with personal encounter.

Perhaps most encouraging was seeing pastors find rare space to receive ministry rather than always giving it. These spiritual leaders left refreshed and revived, ready to become "fire starters" in their own congregations—fulfilling Rise Up's mission to walk alongside churches rather than competing with them.

As we look toward future worship nights and ministry opportunities in 2026, we remain committed to creating environments where people encounter God's presence so powerfully that no one leaves the same as when they arrived. Will you join us in pursuing revival that begins with desperation for more of Him?

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Rise Up Podcast
• 3:40 Conference Overview and Church Impact
• 6:09 Stripped Back for God's Presence
• 10:42 Experiencing Holy Reverence
• 15:10 Desperate for More of God
• 18:43 Prayer Panel and James Whitford
• 22:10 Looking Forward: Future Vision
• 26:20 Closing Thoughts and Invitation

Transcript

Kim McIntire: 0:07

Hey everyone, welcome to the it's Time to Rise Up podcast. I'm your host, Kim McIntire. We know there are so many things you can do with your time, so we want to thank you for choosing to spend your time listening. We pray you're encouraged and blessed by what is shared. If you're not familiar with our show, please check out our website at itstimetoriseup. org, where you will find our social media links. And as for our podcast platforms, you can find us on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify and everywhere else you find your podcast.

Kim McIntire: 0:38

We are excited to announce that the Abide Study is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The Abide Study is currently the discipleship piece of the Rise Up movement. There's more about that on our website, but let's get to today's episode. We are here to talk about Revival Conference and we're recapping the highlights of the conference that we had just a few weeks ago. I want to welcome back to the studio Holly Hoyer, Kelli Keener and Amber Sampson. Ladies, thanks for being here.

Kim McIntire: 1:12

Yes, I'm excited, I'm so excited to have you and I know you have been a guest on the podcast before, but we're still just going to just take a moment to just tell who you are and what you do with Rise Up, Holly. Let's start with you.

Holly Hoyer: 1:26

I'm Holly and I'm married to Chris. We have three adult children, eight grandchildren, and I'm the leader of Rise Up. I do my best to lead. She's our fearless leader.

Kelli Keener: 1:41

Okay, Kelly. Yeah, I'm part of the Rise Up team. I serve on the benevolence piece of Rise Up and so I've done that for a couple years and I have three children that are grown. I'm an empty nester and four grandchildren and just love being a part of God's work.

Kim McIntire: 2:00

Yeah, it's been amazing, amber.

Amber Sampson: 2:03

I kind of handle the administrative piece of Rise Up and I'm married and have four stepchildren and empty nester as well, like Kelly, and we have a four-legged child at home Named Hoss. Named Hoss, and he keeps us busy. He's kind of like a kid.

Kim McIntire: 2:24

I've been to your house. For sure, he's a really cute kid. You can lock him in his room and he's good. Yeah, exactly For a little while anyway. Okay. Well, we're excited to talk about what the Lord did, because the Lord, he showed up. He showed up big at conference, and so we're so thankful. It was amazing to be at Keter Center again. This was our third time and we had several pastors attend. I'm just going to lead out with that. It's exciting to us that pastors show up for conference. They're catching our vision. They're catching the vision. Yes, I think we had 25 churches represented. Amber, is that right? 24. 24? Yeah, overshot by one, yeah, but that's a good representation.

Amber Sampson: 3:13

Yeah, that's incredible. Part of the vision of Rise Up is to cast a wide net, preaching people of all denominations and churches and get out of the Joplin area of all denominations and churches and get out of the Joplin area, and so we had people from Nebraska, florida, oklahoma, obviously here in Missouri where we're located. So that's a fun piece of it is seeing that people are willing to come a long ways. Oh, louisiana, louisiana.

Kim McIntire: 3:39

I know I was like I think there was. I was like I knew that I thought there was too. Yeah, Louisiana, yeah, Well, one of the things that I love is you talked about it in your intro, Kelly is the benevolence piece and just the heart for seeing some people. We have a budgeted amount that we are able to, you know, bless people. Do you want to just speak into that a?

Kelli Keener: 3:59

little bit. We were just able to bless some individuals by, you know, getting them to the conference and helping them get there and just bless them and let them know that we love them. The Lord loves them. They've been seen and the Lord's going to meet them.

Kim McIntire: 4:13

Yeah, with expectation, did he ever?

Kelli Keener: 4:16

Really he did, did he ever?

Kim McIntire: 4:18

He sure did. Holly, tell us. You know for you what were some of the highlights. As the leader, I mean, you're kind of the visionary for this group, so what did the Lord do? That really stands out to you.

Holly Hoyer: 4:32

Well, first, with benevolence, we were able to bring our friends from Louisiana in and just bless them and really spoil them.

Holly Hoyer: 4:43

I felt like God really lavished himself on the sweet family, and so I was so thankful and really blessed by what the Lord did there. But I think just overall I was just in awe of all that he did at conference because he met me in a personal way, with just a freedom to worship him but yet just to look around and see pastors and friends, it was just amazing. It was just amazing to sit back and watch.

Kim McIntire: 5:18

The worship was really meaningful and the team was just just so. They were flowing in the Holy Spirit so well and I feel like the presence of God was just evident in the room and I heard a lot of people saying that as soon as you walked into the room you just felt the presence of the Lord and people could tell the atmosphere had been prayed over and prepared, prepared by prayer. What about you, amber?

Amber Sampson: 5:45

Well, I want to tag into what you said about the atmosphere. The Keter Center is a godly facility. It's a godly, it's part of a college, it's a godly college. But one of the things that happened a few months before conference is that the Lord really stripped away a lot of things. We were in the middle of merchandise and we had various things I can't think of them all right now that were budgeted out, and we had it all figured out, you know, and we had an off meeting about some other things and not a regular scheduled meeting, and we just felt like God took the budget line by line and stripped it away and we all went with that. You know, we tossed out the T-shirt ideas, we tossed out all sorts of these things, because we just felt like God was saying I want to be, I want to be the focus of this conference, I want no distractions, all eyes on me, and so, um, yeah, that's where we went, and even down to I mean I was the one who was supposed to kind of create the pre-service slides, you know, promoting this podcast, and abide in some different things, and I really I couldn't move into that and I talked to the team about it and I mean, I felt kind of crazy because I'm like really it's not, it's not that big of a deal, but it did feel like a big deal and so, anyways, we just pulled back. The team was like don't do it.

Amber Sampson: 7:22

And so and that's the fun thing too about Rise Up is that if that we all want to move wherever God's moving, and if he and if he's saying this and we're all in agreeance on that, then that's the way we go. And so it was a real no frills, no fuss conference, and even the color scheme for the marketing of it was black and white. Color scheme for the marketing of it was black and white, and so and that's kind of how it was. So and I had, yeah, numerous people say you can feel the prayers, you can feel that this has been bathed in prayer, and then somebody shared with me that she said you can if the atmosphere felt reverent, and I was like that's such a compliment because, that's, that's, that's not.

Amber Sampson: 8:07

I would say, that's not exactly like easy, and I would say that, sure, that's just special, that's a special thing that I'll carry with me and carry into other events of like we want to. I don't even know how to put it, but that was, that's just so special to me and I'm thankful to serve with the team. That that's everybody's heart is the presence of the Lord and revering him and honoring him and being in awe of him and letting him do whatever it is he wants to do, even when we don't maybe understand it or see it.

Kim McIntire: 8:37

Yeah, A lot of people on our team and in prayer team on prayer team have read that book I've referenced more than once on the podcast. I'm not getting a kickback from John Bevere people, but the awe of God by John Bevere. I think has spoken to all of our hearts about how there is.

Kim McIntire: 8:54

There is something about seeking the presence of the Lord in reverence and awe, and I think that was part of the, you know, stripping things bare. I think it's all about you, god. It's all about you, yes, and I think from forever.

Holly Hoyer: 9:12

from now on, we'll all have a reverence and an awe. I don't even look at it the same after reading that book. I don't even look at it the same after reading that book. I don't even look at it the same. I don't desire the same things. It's truly created a hunger in me for a fear of God, an awe, a reverence, but just to be able to lead people into the Holy of Holies, where they'll be changed in His presence.

Kim McIntire: 9:40

That's so true and that reverence and that awe can look very different but still be very authentic, Because there were moments of like praise and worship, where people were clapping and raising their hands and dancing before the Lord, dancing in the spirit and then there were moments of holy hush and utter silence before the Lord and the awe of God, the reverence of God can be both.

Kim McIntire: 10:12

Right and I feel like that really set the conference apart this year is just those moments of you just knew the Lord is in this place. So the Lord is present, he's omnipresent. We know his presence is with us, but then there is the manifest presence of God, and I know that's what people were experiencing. I feel like this would be a good time to share a testimony. This is written by a friend of mine and I love to get the testimonies from people, people that take the time to write them out.

Holly Hoyer: 10:46

Thank you, just a shout out, if you were a person that wrote a testimony.

Kim McIntire: 10:49

Thank you, we read them, we read all of them and they encourage us. And, by the way, listeners, if you were there and you did not write a testimony, it's not too late.

Amber Sampson: 10:57

Yes, please do. Yeah, message us on our social media. You can email us. You can reach out to us directly if you know us. But yeah, we would love to hear what God did for you at conference.

Kim McIntire: 11:10

It's just. It's a way of saying Lord, do it again. Testimony means do it again. Here is her story or her testimony of those prayers. Are felt and experienced in ways which cannot be communicated in a normal conversation, but God is the only understandable explanation and somehow, you know, the effects of those prayers will continue throughout eternity. I'm so thankful to all that participated in making prayer a priority.

Kim McIntire: 11:57

I've attended conferences before and sometimes have felt a letdown after leaving. This did not happen. I have felt a continued renewal and encouragement since returning home. There are still scriptures and words which I am meditating on and pondering and praying to have a permanent place in my heart. The speakers were incredible. James Whitford particularly impacted me with his personal testimony. Scriptures and phrases such as Numbers 23, 24 and the phrase but God and rise up. It's a prophetic condition and position. I loved when he said don't play it safe, rise up now, which is exactly what I plan to do. I mean thank you, my friend Jackie, for sending that, and I didn't know she sent it. She texted me a few days ago. Did you know I wrote a testimony? I was like thank you. So how? I mean that's one of many testimonies of what the Lord has done so. Kelly, what's what stands out to you from conference? Is there anything specific?

Kelli Keener: 13:04

For me personally, I feel like the Lord. You know the Lord. Just every time you go before a stone, he meets you right in some way and I just really, I really felt like this conference. I was praying for family, right. That was my goal was to pray for family, so that was something that was really on. My heart is Lord. I'm not expecting anything from me, but I'm expecting for my family, and Cindy got up for her prayer time. She got up to speak and she quoted Psalms 24-7. That says I'm going to read it for you. It says Lift up your heads, o you gates, and be lifted up you everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall come in.

Kelli Keener: 13:44

And it's repeated three times in that scripture. Come in, and it's repeated three times in that scripture. And when she said, lift up your head, I literally felt the hand of God lift my chin up. I was bowed out of reverence, I thought. And the Lord said you're bowing your head out of shame and you don't have to do that anymore. Lift up your head, praise God. And every time I would go to like, be reverent, right, because that's what we do as good Christians. Right, we bow our heads when we're supposed to, and the Lord's like, lifting to my chin. Literally the hand of God touched me and raised my head and said lift up your head. Wow, there is no shame, there's no shame.

Kelli Keener: 14:27

And so I have just really walked away with just a different confidence in the Lord, Like am I doing things because I'm really being reverent or is there something in me that is still that the Lord wants to work on? What is the Lord doing inside of me? And just every day there's like more and more confidence in the Lord. You know, just walking in more God confidence, that's beautiful.

Kelli Keener: 14:49

I hadn't got to hear that yet. Yeah, so good, the Lord just. And it was really interesting because several times I felt like the Lord, it was just really literally, and I was like, and then so it became this chuckle within me right, yeah, like, okay, lord, I'm not very obedient, am I, you know? Yeah, and so he's just so good to us.

Kim McIntire: 15:06

So, yes, holly's husband brought the word Friday night and I loved that. You know, just call to check your heart. Are you desperate? Are you desperate for the Lord? Are you hungry for the Lord? And that challenge that he brought forth, and it brought a response at the altar. I would say that's probably if I had to choose one moment, I would say the altar, call Friday night and seeing, oh, this many people are desperate for the Lord, this many people are hungry for more of God, and I consider myself to be desperate for God, but I, after his message, I was like you never reach a ceiling of desperate, you never reach a ceiling of hunger for him. There's always more and I won't mention any names, but this was precious and Everett, and I will never forget this. Before Chris Hoyer closed his message, a man responded to the altar before an altar call was even given and he just walked forward in such humility like I'm going to be the first one at the altar because this word is for me and that's I'm desperate.

Kim McIntire: 16:24

Yes, and I feel like that was an answer to prayer, because we were asking God, put that desperation in people's hearts, that hunger for more of you, lord, because that's what. That's what starts. Revival is when God's people get desperate, when God's people get hungry. And did we ever see?

Kelli Keener: 16:41

it and you know, for that situation there were. There's a wife that was praying for that man for years, and so, for the wives that are praying for their husbands, you keep praying that man. You know there's a woman, a wife, praying for him. Continue to do that. Lift your husbands up. Don't lose hope. Lift up your chin. That's so cute Well somebody sitting behind me.

Kim McIntire: 17:03

Because you know, this man just humbly walks forward and the message is still coming forth and the altar call hasn't officially been given and he just goes and stands up there at the altar like I'm just going to wait here till the altar call is given. And this lady behind me was like what's he doing? And I wanted to turn to him. Like he's getting humble before the Lord, he's hungry for the Lord, he's desperate for the Lord. But I mean, it's just a sweet moment. You know it's just a sweet moment. You know it's just a sweet moment. Okay, I'm talking a lot, so I'll share the mic.

Holly Hoyer: 17:37

Other thoughts, other moments we need to bring to light. I had a friend text me that I just thought it was so precious what she said. During the impartation I didn't hear the Lord speak anything, but I had the most peace I've ever had in my life. She said that was the greatest feeling ever. Peace yeah. And if you haven't, you know she's a single mom, she worries about bills and all the things yeah. But when the Prince of Peace met with her there and gave her a peace that maybe she had never felt in her whole life, I just was like thank you, lord, that I don't want to take even that moment for granted. I want to say thank you, lord, for meeting her in that way.

Kim McIntire: 18:23

That's right. Well, let's talk a little bit about Saturday, the Saturday sessions and what stands out about Saturday.

Amber Sampson: 18:33

I think the prayer panel was really impactful. We've heard a lot of people say this, that and the other about the prayer panel. That was some fun. We hadn't done that before.

Kim McIntire: 18:41

So, yeah, so I'll share a little bit about the prayer panel, but not too much, because it's actually going to be an episode. Our podcast producer recorded it and I didn't know he was going to record it. He's like I didn't want to tell you because I wasn't sure if it would turn out because of the sound system, but it did. But we were talking about how, as a team, we would like to have a focus on prayer and how that looks different for different people in different seasons of life and how people can grow in prayer, and so the Lord gave us four names, and so we're really honored to have four people say yes, jay St Clair, chantel Coffey, christy Marion and Cindy Ritter were all part of that panel and they really poured out their hearts about prayer and it was impactful, and I had a lot of people make comments about that after, and so, yeah, it was kind of an interview format, so we would encourage you to stay tuned after this episode.

Kim McIntire: 19:43

That should be the next episode that drops, and so a couple of weeks from now, listeners, you'll be able to listen in to the prayer panel, and I think it's going to give people some direction and clarity, yeah, especially if you're feeling stuck in prayer or maybe you don't have a prayer life at all and it might spark that desire where that's what we're praying, that it sparks a desire in people to have time with the Lord in a way they haven't had before. Because it's a gift, we want to steward it, yeah, so we had the prayer panel that morning and then we had a special speaker later that morning, holly.

Holly Hoyer: 20:21

Yeah. So James Whitford was our Saturday speaker and I thought he just did a tremendous job. He shared his testimony but also just shared the word of God through his testimony, and it was just really powerful.

Amber Sampson: 20:39

Mm, hmm.

Kim McIntire: 20:41

Yeah, I had never heard James Whitford speak before, and so that was a real joy. He's the director, executive director at Watered Gardens, which is a homeless ministry in Joplin, missouri, and we were honored that he said yes. So thank you, james Whitford, if you're listening, we're very grateful for your yes, yes. Other thoughts about Saturday.

Amber Sampson: 21:07

Well, I'm just kind of looking through testimonies here and you know, one person got a life changing moment. God really spoke to him through that prayer panel and he said that moment wrecked me in the best way and it's changed him ever since. Another lady said her and her husband have a fresh fire to pray for each other and pray for their families, and so and I've heard other people you know just really reference the prayer panel and of how it's encouraged them to, you know, pray for their spouse or different things, so for sure, tune into that episode. But I just it's just so fun to see. You know, you never know what moments are going to really impact people, but but that's, that's been something that's really kind of keep surfacing. It's just the impact of that, of that prayer panel.

Kim McIntire: 22:02

So good. Well, conference is behind us and I'm sure there are people who are wondering what's coming next. So what can we share about that, holly? What can we share about what people can be anticipating for the future?

Holly Hoyer: 22:18

well, we're just seeking the Lord, but we really feel like the Lord's are getting ready to open some doors for Rise Up, to maybe go in to some places that we haven't been before. So we're praying about that. We're going to make an ask and see if the Lord opens that door, if he's in it or not, and it could be really transformational for our community if, if these doors begin to open, I think it could really set our city and the four state area on fire for God.

Amber Sampson: 22:54

Amen, yeah, but I think we can really kind of say we feel good to say like most likely there'll be a worship night in the first few months of next year, with no specific date set. But so be, stay tuned to our social media accounts. Kim will share those at some point here, but make sure you're staying tuned to that to be um to know when those dates drop yeah, and I think it's also to continue our mission of walking beside the church.

Kelli Keener: 23:21

I think that's going to be a piece of next year is coming along the church with the church. Yeah, I love that.

Kim McIntire: 23:28

Because Rise Up is not a church, nor do we seek to be a church. We want to just reiterate that we are all part of different churches in our local community and we support pastors and pastors, wives and people who serve in leadership roles, who maybe don't have a title, but they're leaders within their churches. Those people need encouragement, and that's what I've had pastors tell me. They were so encouraged by being at the conference, being in a place where they're not pouring out and they're not ministering, but they are being poured into and they are being ministered to in the altars. There's a place for pastors to go, and that shouldn't be the exception to the rule, and so I feel like part of our vision is we want to see a shift in that, where pastors have a place to be refreshed and restored in their wives and their staff and then they take it back to their church and they go back revived and restored.

Holly Hoyer: 24:27

Fire starters Fire starters Fire starters yes.

Kim McIntire: 24:30

So we all have a passion for revival, we have a passion for prayer. It's what Rise Up is rooted in, and we continue just to champion the local church, the pastors of our area and all across the nation. We know we have listeners in almost every state and in many countries, and so we just want to be a source of encouragement, strength and light and hope. Before we close this episode, are there any final thoughts that anyone wants to share?

Amber Sampson: 24:59

I would just say if you haven't been to a Rise Up event, pay attention to when we're going to, when our next events are, and come be a part, because people's lives are changed, and my life's been changed at conference. I've obviously been to all of them, but my life, god's done so many things in my life. I've seen God do things in my husband, I've seen God do things in my friends, and I mean a lot of the testimonies that we see is I left changed, I left free. I left this way, that way, and so I left free. I left this way, that way, and so Invite your pastor.

Kelli Keener: 25:32

Yes, invite your worship leader yes, yeah.

Holly Hoyer: 25:36

It's true, it just takes one invite and, kelly, I think you and Marcus really had part of inviting your pastor and he came.

Kelli Keener: 25:54

And he's on fire. Yes, it's so exciting to see that, that spark and how he's taken it. It's a flame now within him. You can just see it. It's amazing.

Kim McIntire: 26:00

It is amazing Super cool. And that's one of our prayers is, when we meet as a prayer team is may no one leave the same as when they arrived. And as I think about that comment, I think about how, three years ago, we're around a table planning a conference, and I think about how none of us are the same oh for sure.

Amber Sampson: 26:22

None of us are the same as when we came to the table Right.

Kim McIntire: 26:26

He's done such a work in every one of our hearts and spirits and lives. To God be the glory, amen. To God be the glory, amen. Ladies, thank you so much for your time. This has been super encouraging to me. Yes, it's been fun. Thank you, listeners, for being part of today's episode. Thank you for taking your time to listen to our podcast. We would love to hear your feedback. Thank you for taking your time to listen to our podcast. We would love to hear your feedback. Please rate or review or leave a five-star review on Apple Podcast. May God's grace and peace be with you all, in Jesus' name.