Blog
I want to invite you into a conversation around exploring ideas with me.

Are Conferences Really About Relationships

Posted Mar 13 2010 by Jonathan Brink in Humanity with View Comments

Are conferences really about the relationships and people?

Recently a lot of my friends attended the Theology After Google conference in Claremont, CA.  Needless to say I SOOOOO wanted to be there. Tripp streamed some of the video of the conference and it looked awesome. I heard Callid Keefe-Perry (aka: TheImageOfFish) just crushed it out of the ballpark. Being that I was only 400 miles away it was everything I could do from jumping in my car and just going.  But alas no money.

I’ve attended quite a few conferences over the last couple of years.  And in some ways there are soooo many conferences now there is some backlash that we’re too conferenced.  But we just keep going.  And I have kind of wondered in the back of my mind why we do that.  What is the real value of the conferences?  Is it the information?  Maybe.  But I doubt the Theology After Google conference will change the world.  The idea at conferences like this need time to ferment and develop.

It was a Twitter comment from KimberlyAKnight that finally made something click.  She said: “Immensely grateful for the time spent at Theology After Google – Lord bless my hearing & understanding and especially new friends“  We appreciate the data and need to understand.  But her emphasis was on “especially new friends.”

What if the real reason people go to these conferences is the relationships and connection to people who have similar ideas.  I know that when I go I totally Jones for the dialog.  Its like a gathering of like-minded people.  We know people who are there are going to think like us.  And we want to meet people like that for the sake of understanding ourselves.  We need connection even at great cost.

What do you think?

Tags: Category: Humanity

Jonathan Brink - I am an author, coach, speaker and consultant. I work with communities and networks looking to engage God's mission in the Way of Jesus.

  • It's all about relationships....I had a friend who attended TAG and I am a couple thousand miles away but she did a good job in sharing her excitement about meeting people and connecting.. you said it well. Thanks for the post.
  • Could'nt agree more jonathan. nice insgihts you have brother. You might be interested in our seminary
  • trippfuller
    Awesome. I think you nailed it.
  • trippfuller
    amen dude.
  • I appreciate your energy Tripp. You were a big part of the conference and I love that you invested your time to create stuff like that.
  • Kimberly Dinsdale
    "Jones for the dialog."
    Yes, you perfectly describe my ache for this conference and others like it. After experiencing the community at #C21, I knew I wanted to have more. Those kind of moments come f a r a n d f e w between in my local community. My virtual community of support is terrific and still . . . virtual. I loved being able to look into the eyes of another human being and connect and dialog and grow and stretch in ways I've been aching for, physically, mentally and spiritually. Thank you to all who participated and contributed to this relational experience.
    ~Kimberly
  • Kim are you the one who inspired this post?
  • KimbDinz
    Surely it was Kimberly Knight, who was the post inspiration. However, in addition to sharing some very special quality time with Kimberly at the conference, I deeply share her sentiments, “Immensely grateful for the time spent at Theology After Google – Lord bless my hearing & understanding and especially new friends."
  • John L
    You missed a great conference. And great golf..

    With a conference merging technology and religion, there came divergent opinions. But the spirit of TAG was one of harmony - engaging those differences with generosity. Callid was a highlight, as was Barry Taylor, Jana Reiss, Jeff Jarvis, Phil Clayton, and many others. In a moment of spontaneity, Doug asked if anyone could come up and play piano to "break up the program." Callid popped up and played a piece of original music that I straddled classical, jazz, and certain ethnic themes. Brilliant.

    I concur with Kimberly, who is one of my new friends as well, that this was mostly about the blessing of connection, perhaps a metaphor for technology opening up theology.
  • Maybe some day we can create something as good as TED John. Who knows.
  • yorocko
    I was a the conference, but I live here in town, so I went home after the sessions and didn't stay for the "relationship" stuff like beer, cigars, and cornhole. Yet, the openness of these presenters and conveners to converse with participants certainly had a feeling of friendship to it. Talking with Philip Clayton for two minutes here and John Franke for a minute there, and NOT being made to feel like a gnat: that's a great conference in my book.
  • I appreciated hearing Tony say, "We're gonna make mistakes. This is your conference." It opens things up.
  • sarooney
    I think that's a good perspective. And rounds out some of the debate/dialogue. I have an in-built resistance to making enterprise out of movements and the things God is doing in our lives collectively. The conference circuit doesn't have to turn into an enterprise, but it often has. So, I tend to be one of the "push-backers" - but you make some very excellent points here and it's important for people like me to hear the positives and maintain a balanced perspective.
  • Glad to know you are open Sarah. I like having you in participating.
  • Chadholtz
    Yeah, I think the main take-away from conferences are the relationships forged and deepened. Each summer in the Methodist church we have our annual conference which is a time I always look forward to. I get to see fellow pastors and lay leaders in my geographical area of service and catch up with people that I haven't seen since last summer. On a more local level we often have district pastors meetings that provide some sense of community amongst like-minded people striving for the same things.

    But then again, isn't that what meeting for worship each Lord's Day should be? A mini-conference, so to speak?
  • Chad, I have so many experiences like that. It can be local but there is something to gathering together. And maybe that is church.
  • I really wanted to go as well but, like you, my finances are tight right now.

    I think you're on to something. While I'm certainly not in the "virtual community ain't no community at all" camp, I think this shows the importance of embodied presence with others. I'm a huge Moltmann fan but I have to say that one of the best things about that conference last fall for me was finally meeting folks that I had been following online for a long time. It was really great -- and it made the online interaction I have with those people now so much more meaningful.
  • I think that's it Blake. Its blending the virtual and the real together to make something meaningful.
  • I couldn't agree with you more. I'm working out my reflection myself, and am almost certain I gained more from conversation, fellowship, and meeting others that I want to love than from "learning." Huh. Wierd. Almost like I heard that somewhere before... (1 Cor 8:1b)

    I'll have more on this stuff up at TIoF later. When I get my thoughts together.

    Oh, and as far as me crushing anything, I just hope that I was of use to some and that I was of service in helping hearts and ears be open to finding what they needed to find. I felt so grateful to be among so many creative and faithful people it was just a blessing to be able to experience ministry there.
  • Glad you able to be there Callid.
  • angelaharms
    Yeah, I'm with you here. I'm much more interested in a gathering that creates a space for connection than I am for spending time listening to speeches by experts. Much.
  • I'm not against the experts. I think the discussion of ideas is valuable but I get what you are saying.
  • angelaharms
    Oh, definitely. Sorry if it sounded otherwise... I'm definitely looking forward to learning some stuff at TransFORM, but even so, it's still *more* about the human connections, for me.
blog comments powered by Disqus