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Tag Archive - Leadership Network

ReThinking How We Do Conferences

March 12, 2009 in Ministry-Theology, Technology-Social Media with 7 Comments

A couple of months ago I started a series called ChurchTechCamp-8 Things To Know If You Want to Help Organize One. You can see my last post, with the previous posts at the bottom. I actually did have 8 posts within me, but got distracted which is easy for me to do. I could continue those posts, but I think I’ve made my point….(and to be honest, it’s part of my letting go process of perfection…I don’t need to finish 8 posts…haaa).

Conferences are changing, and the traditional way of doing them will disappear for many, but the few elite ones.

Church Crunch had a recent post, Hey Where’s My Conference?!?!

Eric Jones writes:

Has anyone else out there become aware of all the church conferences going on around the US? We’ve got leadership conferences, worship leader conferences, youth ministry conferences and more. It seems like every time I turn around I see a new conference popping up for my pastor, associate pastors, church staffers, worship leaders etc to attend.

I like to check out these sites to see what, if anything am I’m missing. The speakers are all people I typically am aware of and have much respect for. The topics are as expected, slanted towards church leadership and church staff.

But then I started to wonder, what about me? What about the church attender? Where is our conference circuit?

Cynthia Ware at The Digital Sanctuary says this in The Idea Camp Lives On (Idea Camp):

The entire event (free, of course)is still openly challenging all of us who are used to paying for conferences to see speakers we can listen to rather than those we can collaborate with.

And yet, Generation “We” seems to clearly resonate with a new set of values. Open source cross-pollenation, dynamic conversational collaboration, elevating innovation, celebrating creativity, participating, dreaming, designing, doing.

A taste of things to come.

So I’m wondering where you stand on all of this conference stuff. I know some people are frustrated with the sheer number of “conferences” or “unconferences” popping up, while others are thrilled.

Innovation3 Gathering: Incarnational Reality

February 3, 2009 in Ministry-Theology, Technology-Social Media with 3 Comments

incarnation: the act of embodying or state of being embodied in human form

I have been thinking about that word quite a bit in recent months as I have come “face to face” with more and more of my online friends on Facebook, Twitter and blog. In fact, if you have read my blog recently, you know that one of my 2009 goals is to “take online community offline.”

But I’ve really been thinking about this idea after Innovation3 Gathering last week where I participated as a live blogger. In fact, I’m not the only person thinking about this concept. Cynthia Ware wrote the post Face to Face at Innovation3 Gathering, and Rick W. Smith wrote the post Innovation3 aka Nationwide Tweet Up (see Rick’s video below).

I remember just a few years ago when I used to attend a conference and the only people I knew were a) people I had met at that conference the year before; b) someone whom I “ran” in the same ministry circles with; c) someone famous (aka author/pastor/speaker). But most of the conference was spent getting to know people at the most basic level…exchanging of information and informalities.

But that has all seemed to change here in the last year or so. With the large number of people on Twitter, it’s almost as if these conferences are becoming a reunion, rather than a first time meeting. And the reason I mention Twitter is because it’s different than Facebook, in that the daily conversation creates a relationship that other technologies do not (look for my upcoming post in Collide Magazine on this topic). My first experience of this was at ECHO in August of 2008. Then at ChurchTechCamp:.Dallas in January of 2009. Then at Innovation3 Gathering this last week.

Innovation3 Gathering: Day 1 Recap & Tomorrow’s Online Connect

January 27, 2009 in Marriage-Family, Ministry-Theology, Technology-Social Media with 2 Comments

Today was a great day. As always, the highlight for me was meeting a lot of people–those that I know only online, and some that are new faces. By the end of the day I was super energized as well as exhausted. It was connecting on steroids.

There is lots of great content out there from the event online, so I’m not going to recap the entire event today, but just a few things that stood out for me. Some of these are quirky, but they are things I have been thinking about today.

I thought DJ Chuang and the Leadership Network team did an amazing job putting on this event.
This was the first conference that I have ever been to that hands you a flash drive to keep that has all the speaker’s notes on it.
Camron Ware’s lighting design was amazing.
The opening session on failure had a wonderful diversity of personalities speaking. Loved it.
I learned a lot from Anne Jackson’s session on burnout. Anne in “real life” is who she is on her blog. Awesome!
The Catalyst Team is awesome. Had great time chatting and hanging out with them.
People desire conversation and collaboration more than ever. Want to work together not just be talked at.
For the world to be transformed, the Church must rely on the totality of it’s “body” not just individual members.
People want to know what you are passionate about. Do you have an answer to that question?
Jesus has gifted each of us uniquely, therefore, are we being good stewards of those gifts. Are you?

Those are a mixture of some random thoughts, things I have been wrestling with, and some observations–all from today.

Connecting Tomorrow

I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I loved the Cover It Live blogging tool I used for today’s events, but I thought for tomorrow I would steer you in a couple of different directions. I will post a couple of more formal blogs, but I want to provide to you some great online live resources as well.

Tony Morgan has been doing a great job of live blogging. Check out his site tomorrow.
Check out Tweet Chat. Log in and join the i3 room and follow all of the Tweets at the event. Awesome tool.
Watching live streaming video and sessions at the Innovation3 Gathering live site. Watch-Chat-Tweet.

Those are just a few great ways to stay in touch all day long and get a large perspective with what is going on. With over 100 speakers in a day and a half, it’s like drinking water through a fire hose–which is impossible. So I would think.

And then check back into my blog at intervals (I will tweet about it) to see some posts on some specific thoughts, experiences from the event.

Innovation3 Gathering–Live Blog by Rhett Smith (Tuesday & Wednesday)

January 26, 2009 in Marriage-Family, Ministry-Theology, Technology-Social Media, Therapy-Psychology with 3 Comments

I’m very excited to be a part of the live blogging team for the Innovation3 Gathering, put on by Leadership Network, and hosted by Bent Tree Bible Fellowship.

I hope that you can join me on my blog Tuesday and Wednesday as I will live blog 4 specific sessions, and as much of the rest of the event that I can. I hope to see your input and comments throughout the day (via this blog and Twitter–please use the #i3 hashtag), and if you have any questions you would like me to pose the speakers in or out of their sessions, please let me know. You can reach me via the live blog or on Twitter @rhetter.

If you are having trouble viewing this live blog, try watching it in a pop-up window: Click Here

Not only can YOU participate, but the tweets of 11 other Twitterers will post automatically to the live blog. So stay tuned for their behind the scenes insight and thoughts: gregatkinson, cynthiaware, djchuang, scottmcclellan, decart, lancebauslaugh, camron_ware, flowerdust, innovation3, tonymorganlive and mbstockdale.

Connect In Other Ways

Innovation3 Twitter Announcements @innovation3

Innovation3 Twitter Hashtag #i3

Innovation3 Website

Innovation3 Blog

Innovation3 Flickr Photostream

Innovation3 Bloggers Meetup/Tweetup

See you there in person or online….

Leadership Network: Innovation3 Gathering

January 25, 2009 in Marriage-Family, Ministry-Theology, Technology-Social Media with 4 Comments

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week I will be one of several live bloggers for the Innovation3 Gathering in Dallas, TX. What is Innovation3?

Innovation3 is a two day gathering of church leaders and innovators for the purpose of connecting, networking, and collaboration. Sure, there will be speakers and sessions and breakouts… but the real power behind the Innovation3 concept is that you will get to rub shoulders and bounce ideas off hundreds of innovative church leaders about what’s working in today’s church (and what’s not). We’ll level the playing field, allowing you to meet and interact with many of today’s thought leaders. You’ll learn from others, and have an opportunity to share your ideas as well.

Those who attend will have the opportunity to “hear from and interact with nearly 100 innovative church leaders that will be a part of our organized program.”

I’m super excited to be a part of this gathering and I’m looking forward to not only connecting with these leaders and those who attend the conference, but all of you online as well.

You can find a schedule of the events here, but let me tell you about four specific events I will personally be covering on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tuesday, January 27

3:00 – 4:30 pm Anne Jackson (MadChurchDisease.com)
Join Anne Jackson for a lively, informative, and potentially life-saving discussion
for anyone in ministry—vocational or volunteer—who would like to understand,
prevent, or treat the epidemic of burnout in our churches. Ann will provide
research and insight she has learned from leaders from across the United States,
providing statistics, stories, and hope for healing.

6:00 – 7:30 pm — Dinner On-Site
Internet Campus Pastors

Wednesday, January 28

10:00 – 11:30 am “Author Side Conversation” – Kingdom Impact: Church, Culture and
Community: Join Mel Lawrenz, author Whole Church, Rex Miller, author of Millennium Matrix and Hugh Halter
and Matt Smay, authors of The Tangible Kingdom in a conversation about the kingdom impact of
Church, culture and community.

11:30 – 1:00 pm — Lunch
Choose a table discussion group – Architects and Designers

Hopefully you can “tune in” to this blog on Tuesday and Wednesday and get a sense of not only what is happening at the conference as a whole, but four very specific conversations that I will be a part of.

I will be using Cover It Live (embedded on this blog) for those two days. So hopefully you will have an opportunity to get online and chat, or ask some questions during the conversation.

Twitter Information

@innovation3 is the Twitter ID for the event and #i3 is the hashtag

@rhetter is my Twitter ID if you want to message me.

See you Tuesday and Wednesday…

Two Opportunities to Meet Your Online Community In Person

January 12, 2009 in Marriage-Family, Ministry-Theology, Technology-Social Media with 1 Comment

A few weeks back I posted “Taking Online Community Offline:” What I’m Doing About It And My 2009 Goal. Since I posted that, and since 2009 has rolled around it’s quite amazing how many opportunities I’ve already had to connect in person with the people I’m friends with online.

And it just so happens that January is a great month for me to continue to meet these people.

So here are two opportunities for you as well:

First–
ChurchTechCamp:.Dallas Website

ChurchTechCamp:.Dallas Registration

The Twitter and Blog tag for this event is:
#ctcdallas

Second–
Connect, Network and Collaborate are just three of the things that I hope to do at the Innovation3 Gathering in Dallas, TX on January 27-28.

The event is put on by Leadership Network and is host to a plethora of speakers in just two days. Leadership Network says this about the conference:

I will be one of the live bloggers along with Carlos Whitaker and Cynthia Ware at the event so I hope that we all can have an opportunity to meet and connect with one another.

In the meantime, peruse the website to get a look at all the speakers that are presenting.

Also, check out the Innovation3 blog.

Innovation3=Connect-Network-Collaborate

December 15, 2008 in Ministry-Theology with 1 Comment

Connect, Network and Collaborate are just three of the things that I hope to do at the Innovation3 Gathering in Dallas, TX on January 27-28.

The event is put on by Leadership Network and is host to a plethora of speakers in just two days. Leadership Network says this about the conference:

Innovation3 IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE CONFERENCE…

Innovation3 is an opportunity for you and your team to have up-close, face-to-face conversations that will transform your mind and ministry. Over 100 presenters from some of the most innovative churches in America will be on hand.

Innovation3 is a chance for you to do some real networking. You won’t just be adding “Facebook friends”, but you’ll be interacting one-on-one with peers that will help you sharpen your views and collaborate to help change the world.

I will be one of the live bloggers along with Carlos Whitaker and Cynthia Ware at the event so I hope that we all can have an opportunity to meet and connect with one another.

In the meantime, peruse the website to get a look at all the speakers that are presenting.

Also, check out the Innovation3 blog.

And check out what Tony Morgan has to say about the event.