Externally Focused Conference May 5,6, 2008

I am very pleased to personally invite you to the Externally Focused Conference (http://www.externallyfocusedconference.com/) at LifeBridge Christian Church on May 5th and 6th in Longmont, Colorado. This is the conference you want to bring a bunch of folks from your church to help them catch a vision of what God is doing and can do through externally focused churches. Last year's conference was very good and this year's event seems to be just as good. If you were to do one thing to advance the externally focused ball in your church, this would be the event to come to.

In addition to being with others of like mind and like heart, we will be hearing from and interacting with folks who are on the leading edge of externally focused ministry, many of whom Rick Rusaw and I wrote about in The Externally Focused Church. These are the leaders who have shaped my thinking regarding what church could be. These are the leaders whose stories I have been telling wherever I go. Here are our four keynote speakers who also will be giving breakout seminars:

Rick McKinley from Imago Dei in Portland. Rick McKinley is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Community in Portland, Oregon, a missional community loving and blessing the city. Rick was part of our second Externally Focused Leadership Community, is doing an incredible job of loving his city. He is the author of “Jesus in the Margins” and “This Beautiful Mess: Practicing the Presence of the Kingdom of God”. He will bring a fresh perspective on the kingdom.
Alvin Bibbs from Willow Creek. Alvin has done a great job in mobilizing thousands of suburban believers from Willow into the pain and need of Chicago. He is a real gem in the kingdom of God.
Robert Lewis—founding pastor and pastor at large at Fellowship Bible, Little Rock. Part of my externally focused journey was taking 35 pastors / Christian leaders from Boulder to Robert’s Church of Irresistible Influence Conference several years ago. Many of us can trace our passion to Robert.
Rick Rusaw from our host church—LifeBridge Christian Church. Rick and I co-authored The Externally Focused Church and Living a Life on Loan. Enough said!

Plus FIVE 3-hour pre-conference intensives (extra $49) with:
Jack Jezreel—founder of JustFaith.org. If you were part of the EFCLC you heard from Jack during our last gathering. The best stuff on mercy and justice ever!
Doug Pollock—Doug’s stuff on Irresistible Evangelism is the best stuff I’ve seen that fits hand in glove with externally focused ministry
Don Simmons—the master when it comes to volunteers. No one I know is better
Amy Sherman—Amy is a Senior Fellow at the Sagamore Institute for Policy Research, where she directs the Center on Faith in Communities. She is probably the most knowledgeable person in the world on churches that are making a difference in the community.
Yours truly—doing my 3 stock seminars on “Becoming an Externally Focused Church.” Of course I recommend the above folks but for those who need a “101” course in externally focused, these are very helpful and good sessions.

In addition, we will have 24 breakouts in three different breakout sessions—check out the website (http://www.externallyfocusedconference.com/) for details. All sessions will be recorded so you don’t have to miss a thing.