About the National Pastors Conference:
The conference is now sponsored by two publishers, Zondervan and Inter-Varsity Press. Knowing this the conference is really a chance for the publishers to sell books to pastors (granted at 50% off cover) and to showcase new and upcoming books and authors. I can not think of any breakout or general session that did not include a book to back up the topic. Every speaker was there to promote their newest(s). In all but the last general session we received several free books, trial CDs, magazine samplers and fliers. So under the guise of pastoral enrichment the NPC is really a very intricate and complex marketing gig.
Now, having said this, I must point out I was exposed to a lot of good resources and information with week. I learned a lot. I had a great time. I will go back. But lets call it for what it is, "The National Pastors Book Promotion and Sale."
Showing posts with label NPC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NPC. Show all posts
Friday, February 29, 2008
NPC #10
Well the week in San Diego is over and so is the 2008 National Pastors Conference. The week was full.
Here are some of things I did not blog about:
-Several mind melting sessions with Bishop N.T. Wright. I could never do his sessions justice. Pick up any of his books and drink deeply!
-Prayer with Calvin Miller.
-A panel discussion on the missional Church. Nothing ground breaking, but confirming. Everyone one on the panel was affected my Guder's "Missional Church." Getting ready to reread this very book.
-Coffee and catch up with Dan Kimball.
-Lukewarm tub'n. It was not hot.
-Meals with friends, some old, some new.
-Seeing Mom, Doug and Phil!
-Spooning with Bob.
-Morning prayer. (Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on my soul!)
-Challenge, confirmation and communion (good alliteration...Baptist roots).
-Several article/blog ideas emerged.
-Not much rest.
-Missed the family.
-Laughing with Chris, Dustin and Bob.
-Previewd the moive "Expelled" with Ben Stien. Go see it openning weekend!!!
Hopefully we will all get to go next year too.
Here are some of things I did not blog about:
-Several mind melting sessions with Bishop N.T. Wright. I could never do his sessions justice. Pick up any of his books and drink deeply!
-Prayer with Calvin Miller.
-A panel discussion on the missional Church. Nothing ground breaking, but confirming. Everyone one on the panel was affected my Guder's "Missional Church." Getting ready to reread this very book.
-Coffee and catch up with Dan Kimball.
-Lukewarm tub'n. It was not hot.
-Meals with friends, some old, some new.
-Seeing Mom, Doug and Phil!
-Spooning with Bob.
-Morning prayer. (Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on my soul!)
-Challenge, confirmation and communion (good alliteration...Baptist roots).
-Several article/blog ideas emerged.
-Not much rest.
-Missed the family.
-Laughing with Chris, Dustin and Bob.
-Previewd the moive "Expelled" with Ben Stien. Go see it openning weekend!!!
Hopefully we will all get to go next year too.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
NPC #9
Toward a Postconservative Evangelical Theology: Roger E. Olson
Olson's major premise:
"You can be evangelical without being conservative. You can be more evangelical by being less conservative."
There are several different ways to define an Evangelical. Olson mentions Beddington's four criteria:
1. Biblicism- The Bible is the supreme authority for faith and practice.
2. Conversion- Authentic Christian experience begins at conversion.
3. Cross centered worship- The cross was the salvific event of the world's salvation.
4. Activism- The intension to change the world, social justice or missions.
Olson adds a 5th:
5. Doctrine- A general respect for Christian doctrine.
A Postconservative Evangelical holds to this ideas:
-There is no position of privilege given to the past. New ideas are not held in suspicion, just because they are "new."
-The first order of lanague is worship not doctrine. Doctrine serves worship, devotion and proclamation.
-Theology is progressive.
-Not anti-conservative, but seeks to move beyond the "spectrum" they find frustrating.
-Not obsessed with certainty.
-Centered sets, not bounded sets.
-Everyone gets a vote, but never a veto. No system of doctrine is the final arbiture of all other systems.
Postconservative Evangelical Theology:
"eager to test tradition, critical reception of postmodernism, realism without foundationalism, concern with center not boundaries, anti-totalism without relativism, theology as second order language."
Pretty thick stuff. His book about this is called, "Reformed and Reforming."
Olson's major premise:
"You can be evangelical without being conservative. You can be more evangelical by being less conservative."
There are several different ways to define an Evangelical. Olson mentions Beddington's four criteria:
1. Biblicism- The Bible is the supreme authority for faith and practice.
2. Conversion- Authentic Christian experience begins at conversion.
3. Cross centered worship- The cross was the salvific event of the world's salvation.
4. Activism- The intension to change the world, social justice or missions.
Olson adds a 5th:
5. Doctrine- A general respect for Christian doctrine.
A Postconservative Evangelical holds to this ideas:
-There is no position of privilege given to the past. New ideas are not held in suspicion, just because they are "new."
-The first order of lanague is worship not doctrine. Doctrine serves worship, devotion and proclamation.
-Theology is progressive.
-Not anti-conservative, but seeks to move beyond the "spectrum" they find frustrating.
-Not obsessed with certainty.
-Centered sets, not bounded sets.
-Everyone gets a vote, but never a veto. No system of doctrine is the final arbiture of all other systems.
Postconservative Evangelical Theology:
"eager to test tradition, critical reception of postmodernism, realism without foundationalism, concern with center not boundaries, anti-totalism without relativism, theology as second order language."
Pretty thick stuff. His book about this is called, "Reformed and Reforming."
NPC #8
Bible Study with N.T. Wright
This was 45 minutes of drinking from a fire hose!
Fantastic overview of the entire book of Acts.
Sorry, I gave up trying to capture any notes.
This was 45 minutes of drinking from a fire hose!
Fantastic overview of the entire book of Acts.
Sorry, I gave up trying to capture any notes.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
NPC #7
Rethinking How to Read the Bible: Scot McKnight
There are those passages of Scripture that we like to pick and choose some part to live by and leave other parts.
Example: 1 Timothy 2:9-12
Which of these are commands and which do we actually live out?
*men praying with hands lifted up
*live without wrath and dissension
*women to dress modestly
*without braided hair, gold, pearls and costly clothes
*good works
*women to learn quietly and in submission
*women are to not teach over men and be quiet
Why do we think some of these are binding and some are not?
We read the Bible to force it into our lives, not to force our lives into the Bible.
3 Approaches to reading the Bible:
1. Return to restore- We read seeking to return to 1st Century Church/Christianity
2. Return and retrieve- We read to get tidbits of truth
3. Sacred tradition- We read through the lenses of our or a tradition.
5 Short cuts we use in reading the Bible
1. Morsels of Law- turning every passage into a principle for discipleship
2. Morsels of promise or blessing- just looking for warm fuzzies
3. Rorshach Ink Blot- you begin to see what you looking for.
4. Puzzling the pieces of God's mind- We can construct the will of God, but deconstructing the Bible
5. Maestro Approach- Pick an of author of Scripture and read everything else through that author.
e.g. Emerging church- Jesus and the kingdom of God
e.g. Reformed church- Paul
e.g. Cappadocians- John
The system of the Bible is story. Read it from start to finish. There is an ongoing plot. Understanding the primacy of Scripture, requires us to read Scripture with tradition, through the canon to the gospel. Know Scripture is story and that we need to listen to God and discern how to live. God spoke to Moses' day in Moses' way. God is speaking to us today in our way! Are we able to discern how to live.
There are those passages of Scripture that we like to pick and choose some part to live by and leave other parts.
Example: 1 Timothy 2:9-12
Which of these are commands and which do we actually live out?
*men praying with hands lifted up
*live without wrath and dissension
*women to dress modestly
*without braided hair, gold, pearls and costly clothes
*good works
*women to learn quietly and in submission
*women are to not teach over men and be quiet
Why do we think some of these are binding and some are not?
We read the Bible to force it into our lives, not to force our lives into the Bible.
3 Approaches to reading the Bible:
1. Return to restore- We read seeking to return to 1st Century Church/Christianity
2. Return and retrieve- We read to get tidbits of truth
3. Sacred tradition- We read through the lenses of our or a tradition.
5 Short cuts we use in reading the Bible
1. Morsels of Law- turning every passage into a principle for discipleship
2. Morsels of promise or blessing- just looking for warm fuzzies
3. Rorshach Ink Blot- you begin to see what you looking for.
4. Puzzling the pieces of God's mind- We can construct the will of God, but deconstructing the Bible
5. Maestro Approach- Pick an of author of Scripture and read everything else through that author.
e.g. Emerging church- Jesus and the kingdom of God
e.g. Reformed church- Paul
e.g. Cappadocians- John
The system of the Bible is story. Read it from start to finish. There is an ongoing plot. Understanding the primacy of Scripture, requires us to read Scripture with tradition, through the canon to the gospel. Know Scripture is story and that we need to listen to God and discern how to live. God spoke to Moses' day in Moses' way. God is speaking to us today in our way! Are we able to discern how to live.
NPC #6
Bible Study with Gordon Fee
1 Thessalonians 5:12-15
Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.
vs. 12-13
brothers- the whole community, men and women. These first 2 verses are for everyone.
The people of the church community are to appreciate their leadership for three aspects of their ministry:
1) They labor among them-The leadership is part of the community, not separate from it. They are defined by what they do, not by who they are or the position they hold.
2)They have charge over- Fee thought this was an acceptable translation of the words, but not so in this context. He thought it being the second imperative in the clause that the context would be better served if it was translated “cared for.” Again another acceptable translation.
3) They give instruction- Or admonish and correct the community.
14-15
brothers- same word as in verse 12, but the list of things to follow shows that Paul is now talking to the leadership.
1) They are to admonish the unruly- Fee likes the translation of this word. However he does not like translations that call leadership to admonish the “idol.” The unruly are doing something. Usually they are causing trouble, but they are not sitting still.
2)They are to encourage the fainthearted- Fainthearted is not the same as the feeble minded (KJV).
3) They are to help the weak- Pretty straight forward.
4)They are to be patient with everyone- This means everyone!
Vs 15
In the end everyone is to seek the good. Now here Fee mentioned something about doing the good thing this not always doing the right thing. But the good thing is the right thing. So take it for what you want, just avoid trading evil for evil and seek the good alternative.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-15
Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.
vs. 12-13
brothers- the whole community, men and women. These first 2 verses are for everyone.
The people of the church community are to appreciate their leadership for three aspects of their ministry:
1) They labor among them-The leadership is part of the community, not separate from it. They are defined by what they do, not by who they are or the position they hold.
2)They have charge over- Fee thought this was an acceptable translation of the words, but not so in this context. He thought it being the second imperative in the clause that the context would be better served if it was translated “cared for.” Again another acceptable translation.
3) They give instruction- Or admonish and correct the community.
14-15
brothers- same word as in verse 12, but the list of things to follow shows that Paul is now talking to the leadership.
1) They are to admonish the unruly- Fee likes the translation of this word. However he does not like translations that call leadership to admonish the “idol.” The unruly are doing something. Usually they are causing trouble, but they are not sitting still.
2)They are to encourage the fainthearted- Fainthearted is not the same as the feeble minded (KJV).
3) They are to help the weak- Pretty straight forward.
4)They are to be patient with everyone- This means everyone!
Vs 15
In the end everyone is to seek the good. Now here Fee mentioned something about doing the good thing this not always doing the right thing. But the good thing is the right thing. So take it for what you want, just avoid trading evil for evil and seek the good alternative.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
NPC #5
From Critic to Creator: Seizing Opportunities for Culture- Andy Crouch
I am waiting for Andy to put online the graphics he used during this break out. Otherwise, I would have to teach the whole thing in my blog in order for anyone to get it.
So, I wait. I will see if I can find him today to double check the URL.
I am waiting for Andy to put online the graphics he used during this break out. Otherwise, I would have to teach the whole thing in my blog in order for anyone to get it.
So, I wait. I will see if I can find him today to double check the URL.
NPC #4
Soul Craving: Erwin McManus
The Cultural Architect of Mosaic in Los Angeles spoke at the first general session this morning. Here are some thoughts, since he was all over the place. Good stuff, mind you, just a little free range!
-There are many answers to the same questions. Its is the questions that matter. They unite us and reveal the "eternity in our hearts." ecc. 3:11
-Romantic truth is just lying to ourselves.
-We have given up our children for our traditions.
-If you don't have doubts and fears, your are not thinking deeply enough.
-With trust you can have meaningful conversations about truth.
-We are not telling the story, God is telling the story.
Like I said, good stuff, although you may have had to be there.
The Cultural Architect of Mosaic in Los Angeles spoke at the first general session this morning. Here are some thoughts, since he was all over the place. Good stuff, mind you, just a little free range!
-There are many answers to the same questions. Its is the questions that matter. They unite us and reveal the "eternity in our hearts." ecc. 3:11
-Romantic truth is just lying to ourselves.
-We have given up our children for our traditions.
-If you don't have doubts and fears, your are not thinking deeply enough.
-With trust you can have meaningful conversations about truth.
-We are not telling the story, God is telling the story.
Like I said, good stuff, although you may have had to be there.
NPC #3
Leadership from the Inside Out: Examining the Inner Life of a Healthy Church Leader- Kevin Harney
This session was a great minder about boundaries.
Watch your heart.
Laugh more.
Bear only the yoke of Jesus
Understand your Libido
ETC
The best part of this session came in the first 15 minutes. The speaker spoke about regularly examining your life in order to deal with any problem issues that may arise. Dealing with these issues when they are small is easier than waiting until they are HUGE problems. Too many church leader have been destroyed by waiting and ignoring the warning signs that trouble lies ahead.
Personally, I was challenged to surround myself with people who will speak truth to me. These are the people who are not scared to stand up to me and point out things are I may find hard to hear. These people need to be brave, loving and honest. Their job in speaking truth is to call me on my sin and baggage. They job is not to cuddle me or worry too much about me self esteem. They are to point out my weaknesses and help me to be stronger.
I must give these people an open invitation and freedom to look, poke and challenge me in all areas of my life.
This session was a great minder about boundaries.
Watch your heart.
Laugh more.
Bear only the yoke of Jesus
Understand your Libido
ETC
The best part of this session came in the first 15 minutes. The speaker spoke about regularly examining your life in order to deal with any problem issues that may arise. Dealing with these issues when they are small is easier than waiting until they are HUGE problems. Too many church leader have been destroyed by waiting and ignoring the warning signs that trouble lies ahead.
Personally, I was challenged to surround myself with people who will speak truth to me. These are the people who are not scared to stand up to me and point out things are I may find hard to hear. These people need to be brave, loving and honest. Their job in speaking truth is to call me on my sin and baggage. They job is not to cuddle me or worry too much about me self esteem. They are to point out my weaknesses and help me to be stronger.
I must give these people an open invitation and freedom to look, poke and challenge me in all areas of my life.
NPC #2
So we all got to San Diego together. My travel partners had to get to the airport at 6:15am and wait on standby for seats.
I on the other hand, showed up about 9 am, went through the security check point “express” lane, waited 20 minutes and got on the flight in first class. The people who were gracious enough to buy my ticket found the coach portion of the flight I wanted to be full, so they booked me a first class ticket!
Anyway, once we got here we got settled (Dustin somehow had cancealed our hotel reseversations!), we eat lunch and headed to the Gas Lamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego. We took three trollies to get there. It was cool to be back in SD. Having lived about 2 hours up the 5 freeway from here, I have come to SD and south of the border many times.
Today will bring the first breakout session. Something on leadership.
Now, that you have this go to Debra's blog and comment.
I on the other hand, showed up about 9 am, went through the security check point “express” lane, waited 20 minutes and got on the flight in first class. The people who were gracious enough to buy my ticket found the coach portion of the flight I wanted to be full, so they booked me a first class ticket!
Anyway, once we got here we got settled (Dustin somehow had cancealed our hotel reseversations!), we eat lunch and headed to the Gas Lamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego. We took three trollies to get there. It was cool to be back in SD. Having lived about 2 hours up the 5 freeway from here, I have come to SD and south of the border many times.
Today will bring the first breakout session. Something on leadership.
Now, that you have this go to Debra's blog and comment.
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