Social Networking Works Offline

Last weekend I had a chance to teach a seminar at the Pastor’s Conference at First Baptist Jacksonville, Florida. I have preached there more than once, and had the great joy of preaching at their youth camp last summer. Since I had a lot of First Jax students as Facebook friends I put together a little event for Friday night. What a great time that was! Over 30 students and both middle school pastor Dan Elkins and high school pastor Chris Eppling (a SEBTS grad!) came.

I love to connect and reconnect with friends. Social networking online is great. But it is much better when it serves as a venue for helping to connect with friends offline. Therefore I am listing a few key dates below of places I will be this spring. I am not listing every single event, but those in key areas where I have many friends whom I would so love to see if possible. I am too lazy to do a Facebook event for all of them. Okay I only do Facebook events for high school and college friends, lol.  But if you are in the areas below at any of the dates given, I hope to see you!

February 22-23: South Carolina Evangelism Conference. Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church, Moore, SC.  I speak both Monday morning and Tuesday morning.  Other speakers include David Platt, Jay Hardwick, and Frank Page. I am especially glad to be ministering with the worship team from North Greenville University.

March 1-2: Georgia Baptist Evangelism “Cutting Edge” Conference. Central Baptist Church, Warner Robbins, GA. I am speaking on Tuesday with J.D. Greear to a younger leaders track.

March 5-6: The Nexus Project, Summit Church, RDU. This conference hosted by Summit and Clayton King Ministries is for middle and high school students. Speakers include Clayton King, JD Greear, Jason Gaston, and yours truly.

March 17: Long Hollow Baptist Church, Nashville, TN area. I am speaking to all students that Wednesday night. I do not get to Nashville too often so I am going to be there most of Wednesday and a lot of Thursday.

March 25-26: Missional Ministers Meeting with the Oklahoma Baptist Convention in Norman. This is my second year to be at this gathering, one of the best I have seen across the SBC.  This year JD Greear joins me (yes, he is following me around it seems).

March 27: Apologetics Conference, Village Baptist Church, Fayetteville, NC. This annual conference is outstanding, with speakers like Alex McFarland. I will be dealing specifically with issues related to youth.

March 29-30: Academic Lecture, Charleston Southern University. I do not get to Charleston often either, so I hope to see friends there!

April 6-7: Drummond Lectures, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, MO. I have a ton of friends in Missouri so please mark your calendar and come!

May 10: Back in Missouri for a Baptist21 event at the great First Baptist Church of Arnold.  Host pastor Kenny Qualls, known for mentoring younger pastors, Darrin Patrick and I will be speaking along with others. This is rescheduled from March 22.

May 19-20: Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. I am speaking at their annual Pastors Conference and would truly like to catch up with friends there.

Okay, so I do not go to all these places just to hang out with friends. But I like to do that as well!  So let me know if you will be at any of these.  I have the spiritual gift of hanging out and would love to exercise it.