On The Verge - Part 1

*I'm running a series of short posts on attending & experiencing Verge.*

Pre-Verge

I'm not a big conference-goer. I tend to get more excited about the idea of conferences more than enjoy the experience of them. I don't like leaving my family. Yeah, I know. Neither do you. But I've realized that I'm quite the homebody. I hate to leave home for a couple of days without the family with me. Home and family and privacy energizes and encourages me. Travel and itineraries and going through security and all that does not make me happy. So when invited to join the Verge Social Media Team and fly to Texas I wanted to say "no." Wisely my wife urged me to go. And, you know, Verge sounded cool and fun and interesting. Plus I love going to the "weird" cities (Boulder, Madison & Louisville are 3 of my fav places in the world). And Austin is not only a "weird" city but also a key part of the music world, the kind of music I love. So I decided to go.

Honestly, I'm a bit of a cynic at big events. Going to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting will do that to a guy. I'm especially skeptical of big events with lots of flash. I easily cluck my tongue and roll my eyes at the slightest twinge of showiness, celebrity, and self-importance at big conferences. Yeah, I'm a jerk like that. And that worried me even more because as a Verge Social Media Team guy I wanted to be generous and kind and to expect the best from the conference speakers and experience. I'm sure I left for Verge a bit guarded, but I would try my best to be open.

What I know now is that God was working on me for months prior to Verge, to hear from Him. I didn't know Verge would have anything to do with the struggles and sufferings and sins God has been pointing out in my life. I didn't know the things I've been reading and thinking would come together at the conference. I didn't see my family devotions, current sermon series, and Verge merging. I thought Verge would be a conference full of practical how-to's with a bunch of look-how-amazing-we're-doing-it's. And while I love the idea of missional communities and want them at Doxa and I knew I needed the practical stuff, I didn't think these three days of my life would amount to much. I was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Comments

[Brad]

Wow, you state my thoughts/feelings as well. I too was skeptical, and frankly was at the point of passing on all conferences. However, I came away from Verge deeply convicted of my own sin and short comings and at the same time greatly encouraged my the conversation in/out of each session. I have been processing much the past few days. I know at least for me (and I think with many others) something significant happened in Austin. I had planned on waiting a week before writing out my "post-Verge" thoughts. But after reading your thoughts here maybe I will simply link to yours ;-)

Keep up the good work.

[Josh Montague]

Madison's weird? You mean we're weird in a good way, right?

[Steve McCoy]

Thanks Brad.

[Steve McCoy]

Of course, Josh. It's the whole "Keep Austin Weird" kind of thing.

[Christa J]

I too went to Verge. My church was one of the ones that put it on. Honestly I could not have said why I made the snap decision to go except that if my church was deeply involved I wanted to be there. I hoped rather than expected the experience to be important. What I am finding in my post-Verge life is that my thinking and my actions are more deliberately Kingdom focussed -in ways I would not have thought. I am glad you joined us at Verge and I hope that God moves mightily through those you lead.
Christa