Ragamuffin Soul: Ragamuffin Soul » Question of the Day
Karen
· 1 year ago
First, there needs to be really good food at or near the conference. I like to purchase things at conferences, so give me some vendors. Give me free stuff, too. The speakers ar good, but I like Q and A, as long as you don't give up the mike to audience members. This, as you know, can get long. My perfect conference: Food of the World. Taste it all.
nate davis
· 1 year ago
SMALL. I enjoy things like Catalyst but the "conferences" I've been to that were limited to a few hundred were SO much more effective for me.
Jonathan
· 1 year ago
do away with 'Breakouts'
Shaun King
· 1 year ago
I would like to see a conference produce one tangible accomplishment by its end. Catalyst has done a great job introducing missions projects and world issues into the fray, but I would like for us to discover a better way to harness the massive energy a conference brings to produce one world-changing result.
Derek Sweatman
· 1 year ago
Cheap! Ha, ha.
Actually, I agree on the "small" idea. The larger your numbers, the more distance between the stage and the people. Catalyst (and others like it) are amazing and encouraging to attend, but on the ground level, they're very difficult provide take-aways. Also, a smallness in focus. With the advent of booking conferences with "big names" these gathering are often incongruent in theme, leaving the participate to try and take in way too much stuff. If session one is about the latest book and session two is about changing Africa and session three is about the bigness of God and session four is about "Apostolic Missional Incarnational Movements" (???), there is less traction for the participant; it's all just the passions of each speaker. Drinking from a fire hydrant is not healthy!
And yes, free stuff is good.
Brandon Shanks
· 1 year ago
have: short, BIG IDEA sessions. Texting Q&A like driscol. don't have: early morning sessions
vagabondrunn
· 1 year ago
I completely disagree with the idea of getting rid of Breakouts. I was actually going to say Emphasize on Breakout Sessions. That's where you learn a lot of stuff that you are curious about and can learn all of it in depth.
Grand Scheme for a Perfect Conference: Helping Others Win.
Read This to Know What I Mean (we should all be like Central Washington Univ., Ellensburg, Washington):
Article from FOX: Opponents carry injured home-run hitter around bases. Updated: April 30, 2008, 7:40 PM
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her best swing and did something she had never done, in high school or college. Her first home run cleared the center-field fence.
But it appeared to be the shortest of dreams come true when she missed first base, started back to tag it and collapsed with a knee injury.
She crawled back to first but could do no more. The first-base coach said she would be called out if her teammates tried to help her. Or, the umpire said, a pinch runner could be called in, and the homer would count as a single.
Then, members of the Central Washington University softball team stunned spectators by carrying Tucholsky around the bases Saturday so the three-run homer would count - an act that contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs.
Central Washington first baseman Mallory Holtman, the career home run leader in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, asked the umpire if she and her teammates could help Tucholsky.
The umpire said there was no rule against it.
So Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace put their arms under Tucholsky's legs, and she put her arms over their shoulders. The three headed around the base paths, stopping to let Tucholsky touch each base with her good leg.
"The only thing I remember is that Mallory asked me which leg was the one that hurt," Tucholsky said. "I told her it was my right leg and she said, 'OK, we're going to drop you down gently and you need to touch it with your left leg,' and I said 'OK, thank you very much."'
"She said, 'You deserve it, you hit it over the fence,' and we all kind of just laughed."
"We started laughing when we touched second base," Holtman said. "I said, 'I wonder what this must look like to other people."'
"We didn't know that she was a senior or that this was her first home run," Wallace said Wednesday. "That makes the story more touching than it was. We just wanted to help her."
Holtman said she and Wallace weren't thinking about the playoff spot, and didn't consider the gesture something others wouldn't do.
As for Tucholsky, the 5-foot-2 right fielder was focused on her pain.
"I really didn't say too much. I was trying to breathe," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Wednesday.
"I didn't realize what was going on until I had time to sit down and let the pain relax a little bit," she said. "Then I realized the extent of what I actually did."
"I hope I would do the same for her in the same situation," Tucholsky added.
As the trio reached home plate, Tucholsky said, the entire Western Oregon team was in tears.
Central Washington coach Gary Frederick, a 14-year coaching veteran, called the act of sportsmanship "unbelievable."
For Western Oregon coach Pam Knox, the gesture resolved the dilemma Tucholsky's injury presented.
"She was going to kill me if we sub and take (the home run) away. But at the same time I was concerned for her. I didn't know what to do," Knox said.
Tucholsky's injury is a possible torn ligament that will sideline her for the rest of the season, and she plans to graduate in the spring with a degree in business. Her home run sent Western Oregon to a 4-2 victory, ending Central Washington's chances of winning the conference and advancing to the playoffs.
"In the end, it is not about winning and losing so much," Holtman said. "It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run."
I'd never heard of him before, but stumbled on his site while it was just getting started....
It was kind of crazy how hearing him blog about it got me talking to my family about it and now we look forward to attending.... wish it was closer to where we live(NC) but believe that God will use the time and make the drive very worthwhile. I consequently bought the books of the speakers there(Tim Stevens, John Burke, Vince Antonucci, Mark Dever....) and just the discussion from reading those has been awesome.
The Bishop
· 1 year ago
I would want something geared at introspection and inspiration. I've been to WAY too many conferences that are about the distribution of better ideas and techniques, but have yet to find much in the way of hands on, spiritually messy, life-change moments. I'm not sure what that would look like. The first thing that comes to mind was at Youth Specialties some years ago when they had a Prayer Labyrinth set up for those in attendance to participate in. It was designed to simply allow busy men and women an hour of respite, reflection, and refocusing.
gbrad@mag
· 1 year ago
Prayer. for each other with each other and for any others.
and yeah no breakouts.
Paloma
· 1 year ago
I would say to have a worship night...out in the great wide open under the stars...Loud music, dark night, bright stars, surrounded by His creation and praising Him for it in the midst of it....I've always thought that would be great...although it's probably pretty hard to execute all of that.
David
· 1 year ago
A conference with intentional diversity amongst the speakers and attendees
James
· 1 year ago
Some simple things...
1. A conference that is truly focused on helping others rather than showing off how great the organizers are and how 'together' they have it.
2. An environment that is conducive to networking and true community.
3. Worship led by the resident worship team rather than a worship "star".
Jonathon Burns
· 1 year ago
Coming from a business world guy...
I personally like to take home tangible items that can be implemented in my world. Big ideas are great for vision, but I like baby steps and execution. Gimme stuff I can use and begin seeing results quickly.
D Rho
· 1 year ago
Have: the spiritual disciplines
Have Not: booths selling junk
Rodge
· 1 year ago
maybe stop going to events where you sit and listen?
Carole Turner
· 1 year ago
I would call it the "Say no to Conferences" Conference.
kim
· 1 year ago
something almost exactly like 're:create' somehow adding more time for people to connect with each other AND more time for people to process alone. Really, I think I want a conference that suspends the laws of time. Oh, and space. Because then traveling would be faster. :)
djchuang
· 1 year ago
not sure how far you'd be willing to push this idea, so I'm just going to throw a few raw ideas out there:
1. 100% new content in plenary sessions - no recycling
2. combine the best from Gnomedex, TED, and Podcamp, e.g. power strips and free wifi, everyone is VIP, live chat room projected on big screen, conference is live-streamed (not embargoed), all content archived in audio and video, dynamic agenda, spontaneous breakouts, $0 registration
All Comments
Actually, I agree on the "small" idea. The larger your numbers, the more distance between the stage and the people. Catalyst (and others like it) are amazing and encouraging to attend, but on the ground level, they're very difficult provide take-aways. Also, a smallness in focus. With the advent of booking conferences with "big names" these gathering are often incongruent in theme, leaving the participate to try and take in way too much stuff. If session one is about the latest book and session two is about changing Africa and session three is about the bigness of God and session four is about "Apostolic Missional Incarnational Movements" (???), there is less traction for the participant; it's all just the passions of each speaker. Drinking from a fire hydrant is not healthy!
And yes, free stuff is good.
don't have: early morning sessions
www.vagabondrunn.wordpress.com
Read This to Know What I Mean (we should all be like Central Washington Univ., Ellensburg, Washington):
Article from FOX: Opponents carry injured home-run hitter around bases. Updated: April 30, 2008, 7:40 PM
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - With two runners on base and a strike against her, Sara Tucholsky of Western Oregon University uncorked her best swing and did something she had never done, in high school or college. Her first home run cleared the center-field fence.
But it appeared to be the shortest of dreams come true when she missed first base, started back to tag it and collapsed with a knee injury.
She crawled back to first but could do no more. The first-base coach said she would be called out if her teammates tried to help her. Or, the umpire said, a pinch runner could be called in, and the homer would count as a single.
Then, members of the Central Washington University softball team stunned spectators by carrying Tucholsky around the bases Saturday so the three-run homer would count - an act that contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs.
Central Washington first baseman Mallory Holtman, the career home run leader in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, asked the umpire if she and her teammates could help Tucholsky.
The umpire said there was no rule against it.
So Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace put their arms under Tucholsky's legs, and she put her arms over their shoulders. The three headed around the base paths, stopping to let Tucholsky touch each base with her good leg.
"The only thing I remember is that Mallory asked me which leg was the one that hurt," Tucholsky said. "I told her it was my right leg and she said, 'OK, we're going to drop you down gently and you need to touch it with your left leg,' and I said 'OK, thank you very much."'
"She said, 'You deserve it, you hit it over the fence,' and we all kind of just laughed."
"We started laughing when we touched second base," Holtman said. "I said, 'I wonder what this must look like to other people."'
"We didn't know that she was a senior or that this was her first home run," Wallace said Wednesday. "That makes the story more touching than it was. We just wanted to help her."
Holtman said she and Wallace weren't thinking about the playoff spot, and didn't consider the gesture something others wouldn't do.
As for Tucholsky, the 5-foot-2 right fielder was focused on her pain.
"I really didn't say too much. I was trying to breathe," she told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Wednesday.
"I didn't realize what was going on until I had time to sit down and let the pain relax a little bit," she said. "Then I realized the extent of what I actually did."
"I hope I would do the same for her in the same situation," Tucholsky added.
As the trio reached home plate, Tucholsky said, the entire Western Oregon team was in tears.
Central Washington coach Gary Frederick, a 14-year coaching veteran, called the act of sportsmanship "unbelievable."
For Western Oregon coach Pam Knox, the gesture resolved the dilemma Tucholsky's injury presented.
"She was going to kill me if we sub and take (the home run) away. But at the same time I was concerned for her. I didn't know what to do," Knox said.
Tucholsky's injury is a possible torn ligament that will sideline her for the rest of the season, and she plans to graduate in the spring with a degree in business. Her home run sent Western Oregon to a 4-2 victory, ending Central Washington's chances of winning the conference and advancing to the playoffs.
"In the end, it is not about winning and losing so much," Holtman said. "It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run."
COMMUNITY ON www.FOXSPORTS.COM
http://thewhiteboardsessions.com/pages/page.asp...
I'd never heard of him before, but stumbled on his site while it was just getting started....
It was kind of crazy how hearing him blog about it got me talking to my family about it and now we look forward to attending.... wish it was closer to where we live(NC) but believe that God will use the time and make the drive very worthwhile.
I consequently bought the books of the speakers there(Tim Stevens, John Burke, Vince Antonucci, Mark Dever....) and just the discussion from reading those has been awesome.
and yeah no breakouts.
1. A conference that is truly focused on helping others rather than showing off how great the organizers are and how 'together' they have it.
2. An environment that is conducive to networking and true community.
3. Worship led by the resident worship team rather than a worship "star".
I personally like to take home tangible items that can be implemented in my world. Big ideas are great for vision, but I like baby steps and execution. Gimme stuff I can use and begin seeing results quickly.
Have Not: booths selling junk
1. 100% new content in plenary sessions - no recycling
2. combine the best from Gnomedex, TED, and Podcamp, e.g. power strips and free wifi, everyone is VIP, live chat room projected on big screen, conference is live-streamed (not embargoed), all content archived in audio and video, dynamic agenda, spontaneous breakouts, $0 registration
3. lots of tsotskis
4. Carlos Whittaker live