2010, the event saw over 25,000 young adults attend. The conference focuses on worship music and sermons on prayer, evangelism, and Christian eschatology. Bickle is known for dressing casually while preaching and for his avoidance of "charismatic self-referentiality". Bickle endorsed Ted Cruz for president in 2016. Theology Bickle's teachings have primarily focused on prayer, worship, fasting, the Great Commandment, the Great Commission, spiritual gifts, and the Bible with a particular focus on passion for Jesus, the first commandment, and Prophecy, preparing people spiritually by understanding what Jesus said about the end times. In 1988 Bickle began studying the Song of Songs, a book that he had dismissed in the past as being only for women. He interprets the Song of Songs as an allegory of the relationship between the body of believers (= the church) and God. After studying this book for several years, he began to focus his ministry primarily on the Great Commandment. Bickle teaches extensively on prayer. Bickle began teaching on the Tabernacle of David in 1983 after an experience in which he claims to have heard the audible voice of God. He encourages churches and Christian ministries to develop a "culture of prayer" with worship and prayer meetings. Bickle has focused some of his teaching on God's spiritual purposes for Israel. He believes that it is important for Christians to pray for the spiritual salvation of the Jews. Reception There has been criticism of aspects of Bickle's theology and ministry practices. Aspects of his ministry which have been particularly controversial include his view of the prophetic ministry today. Most of the criticism involving Bickle's ministry, however, focuses on the sexual activities of some of the ministers that were closely connected with his ministry in the 80s and 90s, including Bob Jones and Paul Cain though neither has been involved with Bickle's ministry for several years as a result. However, as of 2017 Mike Bickle continued to praise Bob Jones and would credit him with the start of the International House of Prayer with no mention of the sexual abuse. In 1990 Kansas City pastor Ernie Gruen published a report entitled "Documentation of the Aberrant Practices and Teaching of the Kansas City Fellowship (Grace Ministries)". After the publication of this document, Bickle announced that he was submitting to John Wimber's oversight and joined the Association of Vineyard Churches in part to address the issues raised by his