I will be hitting the road at the end this week for a few days. I hope to see you there or, if not, I ask for you to be praying for me and these events.

Here are some upcoming stops this week:

The Conclave Conference in Chattanooga, TN (January 29, 2010)
Conclave, a training event for youth pastors.

Here is some information about the conference:

Conclave is the ultimate Youth Ministry training and worship event in the Southeast for your entire Youth Ministry Team. Send your youth minister, adult leaders, youth minister's spouse, and your core student leaders (grades 9-12) to Conclave 2010 for 3 powerful days full of Authentic Worship, Relevant Training, Honest Conversation, and Personal Encouragement that will help jump-start your student ministry for the new year. There will also be over 60 Breakout Seminars, a student leader tract called "The Core" for your developing leaders (grades 9-12), and over 125 Exhibitors ready to enhance your student ministry in new and exciting ways!

The keynotes for the conference are Clayton King, Ergun Caner, and me. And, Ergun is stalking me. Why do I say that? Well... we are both speaking in Jacksonville, FL immediately after Conclave. (We texted a bit last night and I also will be at Liberty University March 3, speaking at convocation and then speaking at the campus church service that Ergun leads each week.)

Anyway, on to Jacksonville.

The Jacksonville Pastors Conference (January 30, 2010)
The Jacksonville Pastors Conference has a long and powerful history in my denomination. Their theme this year is navigating ministry in uncharted waters. I have been impressed at how they work so hard to serve pastors. Their website includes this section:

• The opportunity for a one-on-one counseling session through our Counseling Ministry and Pastoral staff, available for free upon request


• FREE child care (birth - Kindergarten) to provide ministry families an opportunity to rest and re-energize


• Financial assistance for those who cannot afford to attend the conference. We offer scholarships as well as free housing to ensure that if a pastor is facing financial difficulties we have an opportunity to help and bless him in his ministry

I think it is great to see a conference where the hosts love and serve pastors like they do in Jacksonville.

Finally, I am heading to Johnson Ferry in Atlanta (without Ergun Caner!).

Marietta at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (January 31, 2010)
I will be preaching all the Sunday morning services at Johnson Ferry and then leading their leadership training that evening. Then, I am staying over for their staff retreat the next day to talk about how they might be missional in their unique context and situation.

See you on the road... thanks for praying.