Story, the conference for creatives, is coming to Chicago on September 23-24.  I’m trying to figure out a way to go.  Part of my strategy is to post this link (if I post the link I get entered into an “occasional drawing to win some creative resources.”  Hoping I can trade the resources to go to the conference!).

Don’t miss the upcoming FREE 60 minute webinar with Bill Donahue and Steve Gladen!  It’s a rare opportunity anytime you get a chance to hear both of these guys at the same event.  If you had fun watching The Summit: A Convergence of Small Group Experts, this will be a can’t miss event.

“Leveraging Mid-Size Groups to Build Community” is part of a series of conference calls and webinars developed by the Group Life Training Network to promote their October simulcast Unconventional.  I really like the way they’re positioning this webinar:

Medium-sized groups in churches of all sizes, often become an end point – a final destination for church attendees as opposed to a bridge to community. Learn from Bill Donahue and Steve Gladen’s experience on staff at two mega churches and consulting with hundreds of churches around the world. Discover strategies and tactics that will help mid-size groups catalyze growth in your small group ministry and get answers to your current challenges.

That sounds like something just about all of us need help with.  If you’ve got an existing Sunday School or ABF structure, this would be a good conversation for you to catch.

Wednesday, June 16th, 1 p.m. Eastern, 12 p.m. Central, 11 a.m. Mountain and 10 a.m. Pacific

Click here to register for Leveraging Mid-Size Groups to Build Community.

Looking for a way to provide training for your small group leaders?  If you’re near Chicago you may want to take a look at Breakout Chicago 2010.  Coming up on Saturday, April 20th, the training event features 10 breakouts to choose from on a wide range of topics presented by a top notch panel of practitioners, authors and speakers.  The best part?  At $29 per person it’s a great value (there’s also a 10 pack price that brings the per person fee down to $25).

With the cancellation of Willow’s onsite small group conference, Breakout Chicago 2010 is a very good training opportunity.  Do you have a local opportunity I could help get the word out on?  Let me know!  I’d be glad to help.

If you missed The Summit: A Convergence of Small Group Experts you missed a great 90 minutes.  But it’s not too late!  They filmed it and you can watch it right here.  What a great conversation!  Bill Donahue, Steve Gladen, Carl George, Lyman Coleman, Bill Search, Reid Smith, Rick Howerton, Randall Neighbour, Eddie Mosely, and Greg Bowman.

This is a great 90 minute conversation.  You’ll definitely come away with some great takeaways, some concepts that will immediately become part of your thinking.  Whether you watch it now or later…don’t miss it.  You can watch it right here.

If you haven’t heard about The Summit: A Convergence of Small Group Experts, now is the time to jump in and register.  This FREE 90 minute online event features many of the most recognized small group names including Lyman Coleman, Bill Donahue, Steve Gladen, and Carl George.

Thursday, February 18, 2010, 10:30 a.m. to Noon Central Standard Time

You can find out more or register for this free event right here.  I want to encourage you to take advantage of his online event.  I learn from these experts every time I’m around them.

Anybody planning on catching Innovation3?  Be sure and let me know you're going to be there.  Always good to get time to connect!

I'm excited about my upcoming schedule!  I've got some breakouts planned on topics that I love talking about (including GettingToThere). Really looking forward to seeing a lot of my friends around the country over the next few months!  Will you be there?  Be sure and let me know!

Here's where I'll be:

January 27-28, Dallas, TX Innovation3 (just hangin' and learnin')

January 29-30, Greensboro, NC, Anglican Mission Winter Conference

February 19-21, Lake Forest, CA Saddleback Small Group Conference

March 3, Vacaville, CA Western District Evangelical Free Church

March 26-28, Houston, TX Saddleback Small Group Conference

April 23-25, Atlanta, GA  Saddleback Small Group Conference

May 14-16, Cincinnati, OH Saddleback Small Group Conference

Already jazzed about four locations in 2009! 

• February 19-21, Lake Forest, CA
• March 26-28, The Woodlands, TX
• April 23-25, Norcross, GA
• May 14-16, Cincinnati, OH

You can find out more or register right here.  I'll have more on my breakouts when the details become available.  For now, put down the dates and join me at a location near you!

Can't make one of these locations?  I'll also be here.

Redefine your evangelistic starting point.  God responding to the cries of a broken world.  That’s the starting point.  "I’ve heard your people crying."  Exodus 3:6  When we stop hearing the cries of people…

Identify God’s response to the brokenness of your own life.  When we begin to feel like we’re fixed and we are now fixers…we’ve missed the point.  We’re still being fixed.  We haven’t arrived.  If we don’t know that, evangelism becomes information.  Not transformation. 

Move from a basketball christian to a football christian.  When you’re a football player you run through the line, get knocked down, pounded, get back up and are ready to run again.  When you’re a basketball player you only have to be touched to go to the line for a free shot.

Identify and love the brokenness of the people in your church.  People are crying all around our churches.  People are crying in our cities.  We need to know it’s there and we need to do something about it.   "The only thing that travels faster than light is darkness running away."

Reestablish your evangelistic priority.  Who’s your neighbor?  The church is the only organization ever created for the people who aren’t in it yet.  What will kill your ministry, your church, will be keeping it to yourself.  What won’t kill it?  Doing what Jesus did.  Going where He went.  Being with the people that He went to be with.

Oh my…I wish you had been here.

Dr. Will Miller was hilarious last night.  I have to tell you that that is a HUGE understatement.  When he was telling about driving someone else’s beater car I very nearly wet my pants, which according to Bill Search is about the bladder (as opposed to the bowels as John Burke mentioned).  Ever seen Will Miller?  Click here to see a short clip of a previous talk.