Saturday is for Seminars

This next week I'll be traveling back and forth between TN and the Midwest.

First, it is off to Michigan.

Michigan State Evangelism Conference, near Flint/Detroit, MI (March 2-3, 2009)
Next week I'm heading into the Midwest for the Michigan State Convention Evangelism Conference.

it will be good to see some old friends, but my time will be short since they have me speaking five (that's right, five) times in 24 hours. I am eating my Wheaties in preparation.

Then, it is back to Tennessee...

Chattanooga Pastors Conference, Chattanooga, TN (March 5, 2009)
Then I'm coming back to TN to speak at the Chattanooga Pastor's Conference at the invitation of the good folks at the Maclellan Foundation. The focus is on my new co-authored book, Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and Churches that Reach Them.

This is actually the first time I have presented on Lost and Found since the book has come out. So, it is a bit of a "launch party." In the Fall, Thom Rainer, Jason Hayes, Sam Rainer, and I will be doing a road tour around reaching and keeping young adults-- but this is still the launch for Lost and Found. So, I hope you can come and see us in Chattanooga.

They're making this very affordable - $15 per person or $50 per church (up to 4 people).

So, I hope you see you in Chattanooga.

Reaching The Next Generation, Granger, IN (March 7, 2009)
Then I'm heading back into the midwest for an "Enrichment Seminar" with the Missionary Church North Central District in Indiana. There I'll be addressing two topics: 1) Reasons 18 to 22 Year Olds Drop Out of Church - Can the Church Close the Door? and 2) Connecting Young Adults.

The Missionary Church is a remarkable small denomination. Of all the denominations we looked at in our Leadership Network church planting study, they had the highest church planting rate. If you have ever been to their home office, it is small and functional-- and has church planting literally written on the walls.

Good people-- and I am looking forward to being with them on Saturday.

Now, for an upcoming seminar.

The Flourish Conference

This one is a bit unusual for me. Actually, it is the first time I have spoken at such a gathering.

May 13-15, I am going to be a part of one of a unique conference. Flourish 2009 (www.flourishonline.org) will be hosted by CrossPointe Church in Duluth, GA. Sponsors include Southeastern Seminary, David C. Cook Publishers, and the National Association of Evangelicals. The subject is how to live as missional, evangelistic followers of Christ in a world full of poverty, injustice and environmental degradation, but that is not the most interesting part.

To me, the speaker line-up is most fascinating.

it is an interesting to see an unusual mix of speakers, For example, well known Southern Baptists such as James Merritt and Al Mohler will be speaking along side a whole assortment of authors and speakers including Chris Seay, Rick McKinley, Joel Hunter, Margaret Feinberg, Gabe Lyons, and a whole bunch of others from all kinds of denominations and perspectives.

The MCs for this event will be Jonathan Merritt, a faith and culture writer and well-known SBC troublemaker :), and Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making and Senior Editor of Christianity Today.

This will obviously be an event you won't want to miss.

My goal: get Chris Seay and Al Mohler together in the green room and start up a conversation.

The organizers asked me to pass on two things especially for my blog readers. First, there will be a church planters track led by Rand Clark, a church planter in Colorado (http://genesiscastlerock.com/), and Dr. Jack Allen (http://www.nobts.edu/Faculty/AtoH/AllenJ/Default.html), Director of the Nehemiah Center for Church Planting at New Orleans Seminary (nobts.edu). I will be some part of that, but I am not sure yet what that is. More on that soon...

Second, they are offering my blog readers a 25% discount if they register soon. Simply go to FlourishOnline.org, and when you are registering enter "Stetzer25" into the discount section. With the early bird discount, this will give you all three days for about 100.00, which includes a personal meet-and-greet / Q&A with many of the conferences speakers at a party the first night.

This is going to be a unique and enriching experience that you won't wanna miss. The early bird special ends tomorrow, although the discount code will continue to work throughout the month of March.