Charlie Dean’s Blog

I’ll be brief.

As much as I like the Story Conference, I disliked the workshops on the following day.

I really loved Skye Jethani, author of Divine Commodity.  But I knew going in that I would like him.  He did a great talk on preaching vs. teaching, and Dallas Williard’s VIM model.  This may be the thing that I’ll be pondering/thinking about the most after attending.  (He should have been a speaker on the previous day!)

I also thought Ron Martoia’s talk was good and may have been challenging for some.  However, one could have read Scot McKnight’s Blue Parakeet, and gotten most of the same content.  I was amused by the fact that after Martoia spoke, the conference director got up and made some qualifying statements about truth and the Bible… he must have been a little nervous about Martoia’s content.

I don’t want to dwell on this, and I don’t want to be a critic, but I’ll just say, a good chunk of the Story Workshops seemed to be about church communications and branding which is just not where I live.  I found myself looking at the options at various points and feeling like I didn’t want to go to any of them.  I probably wouldn’t go back to the workshops portion — especially without knowing in advance what the workshops will be.

Last week, I attended a conference called Story.  Honestly, I went, not knowing exactly what it was really about.  The poster I got only said, “There is a story that calls to the hearts of men.  A story of rebellion, rescue, and redemption.  The greatest story ever told.”  If you followed my tweets last week, you saw some quotations that intrigued me.  If you want to discuss anything in detail, I can always be bribed with a cup o’ joe.  (kinda like Elaine’s Peach Schnapps.)  Anyway, here are some of my thoughts, a week later:

• The Paramount Theater is Aurora is BEAUTIFUL.  What a cool environment!
• The very first speaker of the conference, Ed Young, seemed out of place.  Not sure what his talk had to do w/ anything else.  It seemed more like a stock seeker-church vision statement.  Which is fine, just didn’t seem to fit.
• Favorite talk in the AM was Chris Seay.  I probably could have guessed this would be true, just because I already resonate with where he’s coming from.   The takeaway for me was his reflections on this book, where he said something like, “The failure of teaching history in America is we teach propositions, not stories… You have to tell a story that draws people in to want to ask questions and discover.”   (ps: didn’t love his dig on a conservative pastor: low class)
• Here’s what I loved about Nancy Beach’s talk: say what you want about Willow Creek, but they really do engage the creative arts.  I admire them for that.  In their context, it works so well!  I will read Buechner’s Telling the Truth.
• Donald Miller was awesome.  Favorite quotations: “the stuff we want is what our story is about.”  and “success doesn’t tell a very good story.”  Great way to end the day!
• Got to meet and hang out with a Mennonite Pastor who plays the drums and reads some of the same stuff I read.  Very cool.
• I really liked the one-day conference.  I would probably go back – depending on the slate of speakers.  I really do like this format — shorter speaking times, one full day.  Of course, some of the speakers just didn’t scratch where I itch, but others were great.
• I wished I would have had more of our leadership team with me.  I’m sure it would have lead to some great discussion.

UPDATED:  forgot to mention: loved the story written and read during Nancy Beach’s session… loved the style & story.   also — pics here.

Okay, so if you follow my Twitter/Facebook accounts, you know that I’m at a conference called Story held in Chicago.

This morning, Skye Jethani, author of The Divine Commodity, talked about how we commodify Jesus and challenged us to preach – to pull back the curtain and reveal Jesus as the end, and not just a means to an end.

There are other breakouts.  Let me copy one description from the conference notebook:

The session is called “Please Listen to My Demo,” and it’s with two Christian music execs:

How to engage and maximize a record label relationship.  (Name of music label & execs withheld) walk you through the process of developing your music ministry from a local to an international ministry.  What you should be doing today.  HOW TO GET ATTENTION. (emphasis mine)  What a fan base means.  The process of finding the right relationships and developing them to maximize the impact God has for your ministry.

Does anyone else see the jarring juxtaposition?

(me thinks Skye won’t be at their breakout session)