Fast Forward

I've been quiet on the blog this week. I know, I know, after promising to write more consistently. So now I'll confess why: I attended a 3-day conference, with my DH (dear hubby), on leadership. Our new church in McKinney was a host site for the Willow Creek Leadership Summit, and we were both able to attend at bargain rates. And, oh, the information and inspiration we received! Makes me wish I were still in leadership...

In an effort to process at least some of the excellent teaching, I plan to blog it in the upcoming weeks. Some of the speakers we heard: Bill Hybels, John Ortberg, Colin Powell (yep, the general), Carly Fiorina (of HP fame), Marcus Buckingham, filmmaker Richard Curtis (think Notting Hill and Girl in a Cafe).

The most striking performance of the conference? Not Kirk Franklin, though he was fun; not Patrick Henry Hughes, the severely handicapped yet brilliant musician; not Eric Mongrain, the talented guitarist; not the musical worship times, which were led by a fantastic band. The most memorable performance was the 15-minute multimedia presentation called "Fast Forward"--a combination of song, rap, and spoken words backed by larger-than-life video images that chronicled the history of the Christian church. Highlights (and lowlights) were brought to life in vivid color and expression, with an ending that asks the question "How are we going to write the next chapter of this magnificient story?"

This performance alone was worth the price, and the WCA (Willow Creek Assoc) is offering it on their webstore as an independent DVD. I highly recommend pastors and teachers check it out--buy it!--and show to their congregations and students.