HAMMOND | From the stately pulpit, Pastor Jack Schaap asked his faithful in barely a whisper to turn to the fifth verse and the only sounds that followed were 7,500 fingers leafing through the delicate pages of the Holy Bible.
Minutes later, the church leader was on his knees, looking toward the heavens, his voice echoing as he preached about multiplying the power of prayer. His congregation, moved to tears, raised hands and cried out "Amen."
"God wants you to thank him in the same way you needed him," Schaap said. "When he does something for you, how many words of praise does he hear from your lips?
"You fasted, cried, begged and pleaded, but that's not matched by the tender, passionate expression of your love for him. I want you to put that same emotion in your prayer. Praise is telling him simple gratitude and that your heart is overwhelmed."
Schaap addressed a crowd of more than 7,500 pastors, ministers, school administrators and lay people from across the United States and 12 foreign countries who were attending the 44th annual International Pastors' School.
The four-day conference held at the First Baptist Church started Monday and offered more than 300 training classes on a variety of topics, including marriage counseling, legal issues, finances, music, Sunday school, property, growth, addiction and youth problems.
In 1964, the school drew 167 people, growing to 650 people by 1968. More than 2,000 churchgoers volunteered for the event, with 35 needed solely to operate the auditorium's media technology, media coordinator Dan Wolfe said.
Speros Batistatos, president of the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said there are plenty of value-priced hotel accommodations to house the participants.
"And anytime we get that number of people, it's worth its weight in gold because they go back to their homes and tell them what a great time they had along the South Shore," he said.
Jon Shook, pastor at Bailey's Grove Baptist Church in North Carolina, lived in Hessville for two years while a student at Hyles-Anderson College and has been attending the conference since 1996.
"I come for inspiration," Shook said. "Learning how to reach people. I know what kind of things I'm going to get here and that's why I come. We love it, and we'll keep coming back. "
He is impressed by the relationship the church has with the city of Hammond.
While staying at a hotel in Merrillville, he always makes time to visit local restaurants.
During the church's summer teen conference, Shook brings a group of 35 and typically stays an extra day to sightsee along the Dunes.
David Gibbs, the Florida-based lawyer who was the lead attorney for the Terry Schiavo case, attended the conference not only as a speaker for legal issues but as a participant.
"I hope to walk away encouraged," Gibbs said. "I come here to learn and get the best advice. I walk away inspired by what others are doing."
Gov. Mitch Daniels is expected to attend tonight's services.
Gibbs said many conference attendees come early and stay longer, and the location is easy to reach by airplane or driving.
"This is a wonderful place even though in March you're not sure what kind of weather you're going to get," he said. "It's a very warm and friendly culture."
