Have you ever been to a leadership or work conference that said it would be one thing, but it turned out to be something different? Sometimes that’s not a great outcome. The speakers were average, the workshops were dry, and the environment failed to set a positive tone.
On other occasions, the conference, as is all sales-teams desire, under-promised and over-delivered. There was a positive vibe to the crowd, and you walked away refreshed, encouraged, and ready to take on the proverbial “world.”
I’ll be attending the Best Practices for Ministry (BPM) conference for the next couple of days, and my past experiences have always reflected the latter. Their team emulates their desire to help others in ministry be the best servant they can be.
If you’re going, here are a few things to help your conference experience and any conference experience you attend:
Embrace the “Same.” Many of you have graced the patios of the BPM experience in the past. Come with an eagerness to renew old relationships and catch up on conversations with others you’ve known for years.
Embrace the “Bumps.” Last year, (and every year, now that I think about it), Pastor Jeff Schrank encourages the attendees to remember that nothing is perfect and if a hiccup or two happen, that the conference is free and the people serving are, well, serving. This year, we are blessed with a downpour of rain and a breath of chilling weather. Don’t complain. Be kind and humble as Jesus would have you do. And if something completely falls apart, always ask, “What opportunity does this present?”
Embrace the “New.” This is the secret sauce. When you are open to “new,” it can challenge your “old.” It can push you to higher thinking and action. It can move you to places you didn’t this you could or wanted to go. You don’t have to agree with everything or template someone else’s model over your own. But never outright dismiss something because that’s not the way you’ve done it before. Ask why God would have allowed you to experience this event.
See you there!
Todd Stocker 