This past weekend I got to be a part of the Illuminate Conference in Birmingham. Illuminate is the brainchild of Kenny Conley and his team at Gateway Church in Austin. I love Kenny like a son and was so delighted he asked me to be a part of the pair of conferences. This past weekend the first #illumin8 was held in my birth city Birmingham, Alabama. I love to minister in Birmingham not only is it great to be home but I just love to be around Alabama people. There were also a ton of folks from Georgia, Mississippi & Tennessee.
Besides me and Kenny, Sam Luce, Jonathan Cliff & Amy Fenton Lee also did breakouts. I love each of these folks and it was such an honor to teach along side them. These are some of the greatest #kidmin leaders I know. Speaking of incredible leaders Jenny Funderburke one of my infuse coaches hosted the conference. Jenny is on my leaders to watch list. (I also think she should be on yours. http://jennyfunderburke.com/blog/) Matt McKee from Roar & Orange leaders was there as well. I love to hangout with leaders like these!
But what make the Illuminate Conference difference from other regional conferences? I’m glad you asked. Have you ever gone to a conference and walked out thinking to yourself, “I wish every one of my volunteers had been here for that”? That’s one of the main reasons why Illuminate was created. Volunteers are the heartbeat of every ministry and just like pastors, directors and staff, they too need the kind of equipping, inspiration and challenge that often comes from the conference experience. Sometimes our volunteers need to hear someone else say the same things we’ve been saying to them all along. Sometimes a simple change of venue or exposure to a few new ideas can light a fire under your volunteer teams that will fuel them with new passion and excitement for what God has called them to do. This is the big #illumin8 difference!
Although a few breakouts for church staff are offered (you need some focused and relevant inspiration too), most of the breakouts are laser-focused at equipping volunteers. Special attention is paid to the various roles found within the typical Children’s Ministry and breakouts are developed to accommodate every volunteer you intend to bring. Almost every speaker at Illuminate are currently on staff in the local church or serving in the areas they’re speaking about. When preparing their talk, they’re asked to keep the topic within the context of “what would you want the volunteers at your church to know as a result of attending your breakout.”
Birmingham is in the record books but if you live anywhere near Austin Tx I hope you’ll join us Saturday, November 12, 2011. To find out more information or to register your team at this incredible low price. http://austin.illuminateconference.tv/
Illuminate is one of the best ideas to help the local church that’s come along in a while!
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