I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas (and continues to have if you celebrate the traditional way, through Epiphany). Mine was especially meaningful as I got to watch my 16 month old daughter participate fully in Christmas for the first time. I doubt you remember the first time you saw a lit Christmas tree, but I bet your parents remember the look on your face if your reaction was anything like hers. (please forgive the shameless proud father plug)
2008 kind of sneaked up on me, but it’s here now and I’m going to make the best of it. I hope you will too. There are a few things coming up very soon that you need to be aware of (if you aren’t already).
1). The New Baptist Covenant Celebration, Jan 30- Feb 1 in Atlanta, GA. This is a meeting of more than 30 diverse Baptist groups from throughout the country. The speaker list for this thing is quite impressive. There are the Baptist political leaders you might expect–Clinton and Carter. But I was encouraged to learn that organizers have really made an effort to reach across the isle. I count at least 2 prominent Republican Baptists. There are also a few recognizable non-politicians coming…Tony Campolo and John Grisham.
The breakout sessions fit well with the celebration’s themes.
Unity in Bringing Good News to the Poor
Unity in Respecting Diversity
Unity in Seeking Peace with Justice
Unity in Welcoming the Stranger
Unity in Setting the Captive Free
They’re expecting a ton of people for this, so you’ll want to register a.s.a.p.
2). For those of us on the younger side….Current is having their retreat right before the NBC meeting. Jan 29-30 at First Baptist Decatur, GA (just outside Atlanta). The Current network is a great way to get to connected to other young CBFers, and the retreat is a great time to get involved.
Both of these events are great opportunities to connect with fellow Baptists that have a passion for the same work you do, to network with people you normally won’t be able to, and to worship alongside people you normally can’t. I hope you’ll make plans to attend if you can.