Why You Should Attend #GCA2014

I've spent the week in Orlando. Yes, that itself is nice since I am from Toronto, which has dipped well below the freezing mark this week. The highlight of the week has not been the weather, though. It has been the very helpful, practical teaching of the Global Church Advancement Conference, a training event for church planters.

If you haven't heard of Global Church Advancement, you're not alone. It's not as well known as some of the bigger conferences out there. I wish I had received this training earlier, but I've received it now, and I'm grateful. They run an annual training event that gives you the nuts and bolts of what needs to take place in planting or revitalizing a church.

Here's why I think this is such an important event:

It's theological. I love that this is more than a pragmatic, inspirational conference. I've had my fill of those. This is a group that clearly gets the gospel and how it applies to life and ministry. Everything is grounded in Scripture, and it's also soaked in the beauty and the power of the gospel.

It's practical. I don't think I've ever attended a more practical conference. I'm walking away with a very good understanding of what needs to take place next in order to plant a church. They don't just impose a model; they help you understand the key decisions and steps that need to take place to plant a church faithfully in your context.

It's visionary. I love the quote that appears at the beginning of every module:

Do not pray only for your own spiritual renewal. Pray for a springtime of the Spirit which will enrich the church and the world, an awakening for which all earlier renewal movements have been only rehearsals. (Richard Lovelace)

That's a much bigger endgame than just planting a church.

Steve Childers says that he wants to save us from having puny goals, like merely having a large church. He's much more concerned with a vision for God's glory, expressed through church planting but extending that visibly expresses the Kingdom. The mission is not to have a great church, he says, but to have a great community as the world is changed by the transforming power of the gospel.

I'm grateful that someone (Adam Sinnett) told me about this conference. I'm going home with a much clearer picture of what has to happen next as we plant Liberty Grace Church.

If you are a church planter, or you are investigating church planting, or if you are interested in helping to revitalize a church, then I strongly urge you to consider attending next year's conference (January 28-31). It's one of the most helpful conferences I can imagine for anyone who is involved in church planting or revitalization. Check out the blog by Steve Childers, follow him on Twitter, or read more about GCA at their website.

Liberty Grace Church Information Night

On Saturday, October 13, we’re holding an information meeting for Liberty Grace Church. If you have friends in Toronto who might want to learn more about this new church plant, please share this information with them. If you live in Toronto, we’d love to have you attend this event as well.

Please pray for this meeting!

What is this meeting about?

This is an information meeting for Liberty Grace Church, a new church plant in Liberty Village, Toronto. Come for a time of worship, to hear me share the vision and plan for Liberty Grace, and answer questions about the church. Tom Haines, FEBCentral Director of Church Planting, will also be present to share his vision and to answer questions.

Who should attend?

This is a meeting for people who have already committed to the Liberty Grace Launch Community, people who are considering joining to the Launch Community, and people who simply want to learn more about the church and how to support us relationally, prayerfully, and financially. In other words, everyone is invited. Children are welcome, although there will be no childcare provided.

When is the meeting?

Saturday, October 13 at 6 p.m. Plan on arriving early in order to find parking. The formal part of the meeting will last about an hour. Plan on sticking around for a while so that we can all mingle and get to know each other better and to enjoy the coffee.

Where is the meeting?

The meeting is at danceology, a dance studio in the heart of Liberty Village. It’s located in the Liberty Market building at 171 East Liberty Street, Suite 109. The closest intersection is Hanna Avenue and Liberty Street. The dance studio is on the west side of the building, and faces Hanna Avenue.

There is some parking available at our meeting space, and a Green P parking lot directly across the road.

Please let us know you are coming by registering.

My Week at Exponential

I attended Exponential Conference last week. It's the world's largest church planting conference with over 5,000 attendees and almost every speaker you can imagine. This was a new experience for me, as I've generally grown weary of large conferences like this.

Here are some reflections from last week:

• The theme of Sifted was perfect. We've had some of the hardest months of our lives since we began church planting. It turns out that we're not alone. If one can be encouraged by the suffering of others, I was. At least I felt like we're not alone.


• I like church planters. They're a bit edgy and a lot of fun. One of the best parts of the week was the opportunity to hang out with other planters, and I loved it.


• On a practical level, I needed what I learned at the conference. The seminar on prelaunch funding by Generis was excellent. I picked up enough content in that workshop alone to make the trip worthwhile. I also attended workshops by Auxano, and picked up some good resources from the displays.


• I can't tell you how much I enjoyed hearing from the wives and families of some of the speakers. It seemed to bring a completely different dimension to their stories.


• I'd developed bad attitudes against some of the speakers. I had to repent of this. I learned from some of those that I thought had nothing to teach me. I was wrong.


• It felt good to get out of my bubble. I still like my tribe, but I also like getting out of it. If I ever become so entrenched in my tribe that I stop relating to other tribes, somebody please whack me.

I've generally not a fan of big conferences, but this one was really helpful. Check out the details of next year's conference if you're interested.

Exponential Books (Cheap) and Simulcast

Exponential Conference begins today in Orlando. Even if you're not attending, there are some great books and resources available. Two new books were released yesterday, and both are on sale for the Kindle. There's also a live simulcast of the conference.

Sifted

Sifted: Pursuing Growth through Trials, Challenges, and Disappointments is on sale for $2.99. Here's the blurb:

The book will challenge leaders to persevere and rededicate themselves to their calling, their marriage, and their family. Instead of a 'how to' book on models and methods, this is a combination of a self-assessment book that challenges leaders' scorecards of success, encourages leaders to realize that they are not alone in what they are experiencing, and provides wisdom for the long haul to position younger leaders for a life of ministry and finish strong.

It's Personal

It's Personal: Surviving and Thriving on the Journey of Church Planting is on sale for $2.99 as well. Here's the blurb for this one:

Brian and Amy Bloye know firsthand that planting churches isn't easy. While planting a church, they learned that God does not promise to make up for mis-guided priorities. In this book they talk about having a healthy marriage, raising children, finding the right balance of family and ministry, dealing with spiritual warfare, staffing and leadership challenges, and dealing with criticism---issues every church leader must deal with.

Both books look interesting. It looks like the other books in the Exponential Series are also on sale right now.

Simulcast

If you can't attend the conference, the live simulcast of the main sessions and backstage interviews are available.

Uncanny Resemblance

We had a great Good Friday service at Convocation Hall a few nights ago. Around 1,300 gathered. Christ has proclaimed clearly, and I'm grateful.

The following picture was taken before the service started.

Someone commented, "This kinda reminds me of Da Vinci's The Last Supper." Maybe. But then someone pointed out the similarity to a sketch of Greek philosophers and sophists:

I'm not sure what to make of this, so I'd better say nothing.