Monday @ SBC

Today was a packed day.  We put aside the pastor's conference schedule (gladly) and began setting up meetings with a number of different guys.  We left this morning for the exhibition center which is full of SBC booths for Baptist colleges, seminaries, agencies, ministries, and of course a Lifeway bookstore. 

We met up with Marty Duren (the third musketeer), picked up a few books from the discount table, and made a round through the dozens of booths.  They put out mints and candy to attract the SBC wildlife and Marty wolfed on every "Bit-O-Honey" he could get his hands on.  We spent a few minutes talking with Mark Overstreet, and old friend from seminary who is the Assistant VP of Development at Criswell College in Dallas.  Good guy, and it sounds like Criswell is heading in a good direction.

At 11am the three of us had lunch with Chris Turner, a media relations guy at Lifeway.  Chris has become a good friend to us and has helped out in immeasurable ways.  He took us to a very "Nashvillian" place, Granite Falls, and the food was great.  They are famous for "Rattlesnake Chicken."

We took a break at our hotel for a bit and then met up with Marty again at the convention center.  We wanted to spend some serious time talking about the future of and a vision for the Emerging SBC Leaders site.  Our talk was good.  We thought through some important issues. 

We also caught a few moments of Dr. Jerry Vines' preaching.  It was a few moments too many.  I quote: "If I had one toe and it wiggled toward liquor, I'd cut it off."  Are we unable to stick to what the Bible actually says?  Frustrating.

Our meeting was cut short by the opportunity to talk with Darrin Patrick of The Journey in Clayton, MO and Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper of Sojourn in Louisville, KY.  We talked for a little over an hour about the SBC and the Younger Leaders Summit, as well as about our local churches and missional ministry.  Great stuff.  We were all very encouraged.

Then we ate dinner at Big River Grille and Brewing Works.  Great food, nice place, good conversation with Joe and Marty.  The cheesy spinach jalapeno dip was fantastic.  On the way out I saw my buddy Clay Layfield and his wife Amy.

Marty left to go watch a movie (a chick-flick to be sure).  Joe and I went back to the Gaylord Center to waste some time.  We went to the laptop section (where you can use their laptops to browse the web) and checked for comments on our sites.  As we browsed a guy who works with Lifeway came up and said something like, "Are you THE Steve McCoy?"  Weird.  I froze at a weird question from a stranger.  "Uh..Yes."  The guy has found the blog and been reading for some time.  His name is Craig.  He offered to set up a table for us tomorrow to blog at now that they have Wi-fi hooked up.  Really good guy, very helpful and generous.

Then I called Chris Seay and Joe and I went to meet him at the Marriott at Vanderbilt.  Spent a little under an hour talking about incarnational ministry, hearing stories about church planting, discussing emerging leaders issues and the future of the SBC.  Chris is a laid back guy who really encouraged us, but was real with us.  I'm glad we were able to get to know him over the past two days.

On the outside it looks like today was really about networking, making connections.  In many ways it was about that.  But all the conversations and questions worked in my heart some other things.  Some of them are too personal to share, but if there is one thing I learned today it's that life is too short to sit back and get a paycheck for preaching.  We need to be people incarnated in our culture and our local communities.

Comments

[Ryan]

I've enjoyed the updates on how the convention has been going for you and Joe. I'm not a part of the SBC but it is encouraging to hear of the conversations and relationship building among like-minded people that is taking place.

[Marty Duren]

Chick flick? Dude. And this coming from Mr. "Mild at Heart" himself.

[David Phillips]

Man I so wanted to be there and hook up with you guys. Greensboro is already on the schedule next year, esp if you guys are planning on making it...

[Alex]

It's interesting that you're talking to so many people I know. I used to work with Mark, for a year we lived above the Layfields, and I go to Daniel and Mike's church. I too find myself wondering if I should have gone to meet you guys and others and see what's happening. (Oh, and the discount book table sounds nice too).

[George Frink]

Your blog's visual design, and to a greater degree the various designs of the church web sites to which you link, bring to mind a magazine I read almost 40 years ago as an undergraduate member of the Raleigh Wesley Foundation at N.C. State University. "Motive" was distinguished in part by the quality of its visual design. Last published in 1971,"Motive" was the official publication of the Methodist Student Movement. Some of my best design is inspired by memories of it. My peers and I in the MSM were about renewal, too, BTW. Some became ministers. Many were ground up by the burdens of that role and lost all of the inspiring enthusiasm I see among you.

[Paul]

Too bad our VBS is this week.

[Rodney McCarty]

I think that what happened on this day will cause me to regret not being there with you guys more than any other...... The rubbing of the bald head, and the Bit-o-honey run too!

[Georges Rousseau]

thanks for the time you are expending to help many of us know what is going on. Also I trust your view on things, so it's nice to hear your take on things.