Resource Spotlight:
"Conferencing" with Your Team October 2019 - Jason Sniff
In general, conference travel has provided some key experiences over the years for our ministry team. As I reflect back on some of our experiences, “conferencing,” (the term I affectionately attach to traveling with my team) has been the antidote for spurring on new life in ministry. Here are three reasons why conferencing can be helpful for you and your ministry teams:
Conferencing provides team building opportunities. From the planning to the travel, conferencing provides a shared experience that is outside your functioning ministry norm. Even if all your plans fall through, or you get stuck in an airport for longer than expected, you’ve found yourself with a lasting memory that you and your team can look upon. More so, if you are traveling with a team, allowing other members to take the lead on various parts of your conference experience can provide an opportunity to see them in a new role. I highly encourage you and your team to have fun along the way. Eating at a local dive or niche restaurant, or exploring the surrounding area your conference is located are just two of many creative ways to create shared experience with your team.
Conferencing provides a different rhythm. Although it’s unspoken, it’s widely understood that you do not have to attend everything at a conference. However, depending upon your personality style you might feel the pressure to cram every keynote, workshop, roundtable and networking opportunity into your conferencing experience. But you don’t have too. Being “anti-social” and resting is a perfectly acceptable conferencing action. Strategically taking a walk in order to “clear your mind” is well within the bounds of conferencing. The point is to mix up your rhythms and to enjoy, dare I say, relax while conferencing.
Conferencing provides affirmation and acknowledgement of your ministry. As you intake everything a conference has to offer, there is a tendency for the knee jerk reaction. It’s the, “we’ve done everything wrong and this one new thing will solve all of our problems,” response that can be dangerous. If done well, conferencing allows you and your team to take a step back to first affirm the vision and methods that are working and aligned well within your ministry. Then, after affirming the ministry directions and work, spend time acknowledging new ideas or methods that may enhance your ministry. Properly couched, acknowledging new ideas or concepts have the freedom to stretch and challenge you and your team. Often a good application question to ask yourself is, “How can I/we apply that idea within our context?” Or “What implications would (insert said idea) have upon our current reality?”
Whether it’s a half day retreat experience or a full week conference across the country, I encourage you to strategically craft conferencing into your ministry rhythms. I think you will find conferencing might be what the doctor ordered. Of course, I also recommend attending The Groups Conference in October of 2020.
"Conferencing" with Your Team October 2019 - Jason Sniff
In general, conference travel has provided some key experiences over the years for our ministry team. As I reflect back on some of our experiences, “conferencing,” (the term I affectionately attach to traveling with my team) has been the antidote for spurring on new life in ministry. Here are three reasons why conferencing can be helpful for you and your ministry teams:
Conferencing provides team building opportunities. From the planning to the travel, conferencing provides a shared experience that is outside your functioning ministry norm. Even if all your plans fall through, or you get stuck in an airport for longer than expected, you’ve found yourself with a lasting memory that you and your team can look upon. More so, if you are traveling with a team, allowing other members to take the lead on various parts of your conference experience can provide an opportunity to see them in a new role. I highly encourage you and your team to have fun along the way. Eating at a local dive or niche restaurant, or exploring the surrounding area your conference is located are just two of many creative ways to create shared experience with your team.
Conferencing provides a different rhythm. Although it’s unspoken, it’s widely understood that you do not have to attend everything at a conference. However, depending upon your personality style you might feel the pressure to cram every keynote, workshop, roundtable and networking opportunity into your conferencing experience. But you don’t have too. Being “anti-social” and resting is a perfectly acceptable conferencing action. Strategically taking a walk in order to “clear your mind” is well within the bounds of conferencing. The point is to mix up your rhythms and to enjoy, dare I say, relax while conferencing.
Conferencing provides affirmation and acknowledgement of your ministry. As you intake everything a conference has to offer, there is a tendency for the knee jerk reaction. It’s the, “we’ve done everything wrong and this one new thing will solve all of our problems,” response that can be dangerous. If done well, conferencing allows you and your team to take a step back to first affirm the vision and methods that are working and aligned well within your ministry. Then, after affirming the ministry directions and work, spend time acknowledging new ideas or methods that may enhance your ministry. Properly couched, acknowledging new ideas or concepts have the freedom to stretch and challenge you and your team. Often a good application question to ask yourself is, “How can I/we apply that idea within our context?” Or “What implications would (insert said idea) have upon our current reality?”
Whether it’s a half day retreat experience or a full week conference across the country, I encourage you to strategically craft conferencing into your ministry rhythms. I think you will find conferencing might be what the doctor ordered. Of course, I also recommend attending The Groups Conference in October of 2020.
UPDATE: The Groups Conference 2020
October 2019 - Brad Himes & Jason Sniff
We are excited to announce The Groups Conference is coming back in October 2020 and the host church is Eastview Christian Church in Normal, IL. The conference will be a 2-day event and feature main sessions along with multiple workshops geared specifically for the group leader.
The theme for 2020 is As We Go... and our focus will be on how groups (and individuals) can impact the communities around us.
October 2019 - Brad Himes & Jason Sniff
We are excited to announce The Groups Conference is coming back in October 2020 and the host church is Eastview Christian Church in Normal, IL. The conference will be a 2-day event and feature main sessions along with multiple workshops geared specifically for the group leader.
The theme for 2020 is As We Go... and our focus will be on how groups (and individuals) can impact the communities around us.
- Dates: October 16th & 17th, 2020
- Workshop speakers:
- Amy Jackson - The Perch
- Dr. Richard Knopp - Lincoln Christian University
- Danah & Brad Himes - Christian Campus House - Eastern Illinois University
Stay tuned for more announcements in the coming months regarding:
- Main speaker
- Workshop details & speaker bios
- And more...
2020 Location - Normal, IL
Host ChurchEastview Christian Church
1500 North Airport Rd Normal, IL 61761 |
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