Written by: jimwideman 4/7/2010 11:59 PM
The first national children’s ministry conference I heard about was the Fellowship of Christian Magicians Conference. (It was much more than magic, there were workshops on every type of ministry performance methods to children there where back then) I wanted to attend so badly but my church did not have a conference budget so I remember getting the brochure listing the workshops and workshop speakers and after the event I looked up some of the presenters phone numbers and called them and asked them about their workshops and asked for any notes or cassette recording they had I could get my hands on them. One of the people who took my call and sent me his notes was Dick Gruber. Dick thought I was some” country bumpkin” from the south calling him up asking him to teach me “how to do clown ministry over the telephone.” Not only did I find out what I wanted to learn but it was the start of a wonderful friendship. In fact, most of the dearest and best friends I have on this earth I met at a conference.
I still attend conferences for these same reasons. Number one to learn. Number two to network and meet people and number three to find resources and helps to aid my ministry. But I’ve also learned two more important reasons to attend a conference. The forth reason I attend conferences are that it is good to get away and listen to God. Jim can’t you hear God in your own town. Yes, but there’s some real benefit to leaving the cares and responcibilities of the local church and just get away. It’s really the same benefits of getting kids to get away from their normal lives and go to camp and listen to God. Some of the most important conferences in my life that I attended were not life changing because of the information I learned or received but because of what God confirmed or spoke to my heart. It’s good to get away and listen, to pray to expose yourself to different or new thinking and let God so a work in your heart.
Who have you called out of the blue to network with and why do you attend conferences?
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