Advance09
Advance… A resurgence of the local church… A conference about the power of God’s gift to his people – the Church.
The Advance09 conference was held June 4-6 in Durham, NC. If you’re interested in finding out more about this event (though it’s over), check it out here. I would encourage you to check out the conference blog where many of the speaker notes were posted, along with a series of questions all churches should be asking and answering to ensure they measure up to the marks of a healthy church. In the days ahead, I’m sure the conference organizers will have the video and audio online for you to download or simply watch. The following is the outline of speakers and their topics for the three days of the conference.
Day 1
- What is the church? [Mark Driscoll]
- Decline and Resurge [Tyler Jones]
- Communicating the Gospel Through Preaching [Bryan Chapell]
- Preaching the Gospel to the De-Churched [Matt Chandler]
Day 2
- Keys to Understanding the Church and Kingdom [Ed Stetzer]
- Planting is for Wimps: Revitalizing a Church Around the Gospel [JD Greear]
- The Ultimate Shepherd [Eric Mason]
- Ministry Idolatry [Mark Driscoll]
- Let the Nations Be Glad, Part 1 [John Piper]
Day 3
- Marks of a Healthy Community of Faith [Danny Akin]
- Let the Nations Be Glad, Part 2 [John Piper]
I hope to present some of my notes here over the course of the next few days and hope you take some time to read some of the blog entries on the conference blog as well as begin pondering some of the questions asked by these speakers. What is the church? What does it mean to be missional? Is my church missional-minded? Am I seeking my own prestige in the church? Am I using God as a means to other ends? In other words, is something other than God your ultimate treasure? We must not only ask ourselves these questions, but also be willing to realize we may not like our own answers to them and then seek how scripture instructs us to remedy the problems and shortcomings by the power of the Holy Spirit.
6/8/2009 Update – Desiring God has posted the audio from the conference messages to their blog (http://www.desiringgod.org/blog)
