Black Sheep

BSHDFC E-Mag January 2018 | Page 3 During the early 2000's Black Sheep was growing rapidly. While most of the ini al growth took place in California, other states were coming onboard as well. It soon became clear that if there was to be any con nuity between the coasts, a na onal gathering would need to take place. The first NLS (Na onal Leadership Summit) was in Cincinna , OH but only twelve members a ended. While the numbers may not have been impressive, the distance that some rode their motorcycles was. One brave rider named Robert rode his Sportster 883 nearly 2,200 miles (one way) from Rialto, CA. And what was the agenda of NLS-1? We had no idea. We just knew we needed to meet. It was ins nc ve to come together. Small event or not, those present agreed that this needed to happen again, and in Southern California where the lion's share of the members were. For the next two years NLS a endees were hosted in the homes of local members. The first two summits were in Temecula and later moved to Lake Elsinore where the number began to really grow. The purpose of the event, however, was s ll a bit of a mystery. How does one prepare for motorcycle ministry conference? Where does one go for a model? Evidently some of our early guest speakers didn't know either, as they brought an enthusias c evangelis c message to a crowd of less than a hundred already saved bikers. In me, however, NLS and ILS began to grow in both numbers and meaningful content. Speakers were followed by break out sessions dealing with everything from "Roadside Rescue" to "How To Share Your Faith" and "How To Set Up A Booth." In more recent years, Interna onal Leadership Summit has enjoyed hundreds of riders (drivers and flyers) from most US states, Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Mexico, Turkey and even China! An informal, no host, pre-Summit, Wednesday night gathering was introduced as a place for incoming riders to meet, eat and get to know one another before the actual summit began the following morning. Between the day sessions, we tried a number of events in the evenings to keep the fellowship flowing, including concerts, private go-cart par es and man caves, but the regional "bike night" proved to be the most popular. The Friday night event included "best bike" contests, adult tricycle races, raffles, music and line dancing - but just being with brothers and sisters from around the country was perhaps the most important thing we did. Na onal and interna onal friendships were being made and the iden ty of Black Sheep was being forged. ILS2017 was the big experiment when, a er more than a dozen years in Southern California, we moved the summit out of state to Mesa, Arizona. It was a lot of work, but worth it – proving once and for all that Black Sheep HDFC is not just a California organiza on. The Arizona team did an amazing job in welcoming us! Anyone can come to our annual event; members and non- members alike. Why should you come to ILS2018 in San Jose California? To learn more about this ministry and what we do. To be er prepare yourself for motorcycle ministry! To make new friendships that will last a life me. To be an encouragement to those who are struggling. To warm up for ILS2019 (des na on unknown) where Black Sheep: Harley-Davidsons for Christ will celebrate their 20th Anniversary! What is iLs2018? And Why Should I Go?

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