Icc06It’s not what you think. That’s the theme for this year’s Innovative Church Conference. Since the early bird deadline (August 21) is just around the corner, I thought I’d share the inside scoop on what you can expect…though it’s still not what you think.

Session 1: Just who do you think you’re talking to? — Mark Beeson, Granger’s senior pastor, will talk about our ministry strategy to reach people who are unchurched and encourage them to take their next step toward Christ.

Session 2: What’s buzz? What’s worthy? What’s buzz-worthy? — Tim Stevens, Granger’s executive pastor, will explain how we create buzz at Granger to attract a crowd and tell them about Jesus. Among other things, Tim will unpack the details surrounding the PureSex series that ended up receiving national attention.

Session 3: Breakouts (more details in an upcoming post)

Session 4: Is anybody listening? — Rob Wegner, one of Granger’s teaching pastors, will talk about the power of story in helping people embrace God’s Word.

Session 5: The Granger experience–by design.  — This session will take you from start to finish through the weekend service experience at Granger. It will be filled with samples of music, drama and video used in recent services.

Session 6: Breakouts

Session 7: We’re not alone. — Mark Batterson from National Community Church in Washington, DC and Perry Noble from NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC will share their stories, their strategies and their passions for reaching people in their unique communities.

Session 8: Are we up to the challenge? –  Mark Beeson will be back to reflect on lessons he’s learned in the last 12 months of leadership and ministry at Granger. This session will be full of real, live insights from someone who is actively engaged in leading the church in a rapidly changing culture.

For more information about the sessions and other conference details, you can visit WiredChurches.com.