I just got back from two church leadership conferences I was speaking at in Virginia - the first was the "Connecting with the Disconnected" conference in Stafford, VA and then right after that one was the "Lead Now - Fusion" one in McLean, VA. They both were really great.
* Below is a photo of some of the wonderful fellows who put on the Fusion and LeadNow event, Marc (in the nifty orange Fusion shirt), Brian sitting next to him and Lonnie sitting there in the corner, along with some of the other speakers at the event - Donald Miller, Mark Batterson, , Amena Brown sitting on Margaret Feinberg and Cliff Young from Caedmon's Call who was the worship band.
But as I was thinking about what is "great" about these types of conferences, I am realizing that for me, it isn't the bands or the main sessions or speakers.
*Now I do hope that whenever we speak at events pour ourselves into whatever we are saying - it is worth listening to. And I have been challenged and encouraged by speakers in main sessions and workshops.
But I think the longer term impact and memories are from conversations that happen outside of the workshops and main sessions. I actually don't usually make it too often to most main sessions primarily because I am out in the hallway or in a workshop room talking to people (and also as they sometimes are a bit too noisy, flashy lights and a bit too much whizmo).
But I realized more vividly at this one, how the times I hang out and chat with people who I meet there who are attending the event and the times hanging out with the other speakers is really the best thing to me about going to these conferences. One of the days at Fusion-LeadNow, I walked into a room to speak at the first morning workshop and didn't leave that room until after 5:30. I did speak several times in that room, but then I hung out with people in between every single session until the next one began. Sometimes we would be in there talking right through an entire main session and then it would break and people come back to the room we were in. But these conversations were so incredibly fun, energizing and meaningful.
As I think back on conferences, the best things that make a lasting impact on me actually is what happen through conversations like these, not in main meetings or workshops.
I learn so much from talking to people. I learn so much about what they are going through, what they are learning, what they struggle with, what they are doing that seems to be used by God to bless others through. I learn so much from discussions what pastors and leaders are going through and doing at the churches. At this event I met so many people, and I had such a wonderful time hanging out, going out to lunch and dinner, talking in the workshop rooms afterward etc.
We had a really fun meeting that Margaret Feinberg set up with Donald Miller and Mark Batterson discussing books and the publishing world. I enjoyed meeting Mark, as I hadn't yet spent time with him and it sure seems God is using him at National Community Church right there in downtown DC.
For me, it is in smaller meetings and hang outs like this, and in between workshops and sessions talking with people, and hanging out with Brian and Marc who put on the event, and going out to lunch and dinner with people I meet there which totally transcends what the larger meetings and workshops do at events like this.
So if any of you reading this, are ones I have chatted with or had lunch or dinner with or hung out with during the breaks at various conferences - thank you so much for taking the time to hang out and talk. You are what I am realizing is the most helpful, encouraging, inspiring, learning, challenging and motivating part of conferences for me. Thank you!
