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I promise not to fill my blog with too many posts about the upcoming Cohort we’re organizing for college ministers at the Catalyst Conference. But since the deadline for really cheap tickets is June 24th, I wanted to give you a few more things to consider – and ways to help!
the lineup
At your last college ministry conference, did you get to hear from
- Francis Chan?
- Beth Moore?
- Seth Godin?
- Alan Hirsch?
- Anne Jackson?
- Andy Stanley?
Doubtful.
Yet those are only six of the forty-five speakers at Catalyst Conference (including the Labs) this year. Perhaps you’ll check out – and ask questions at – Labs seminars led by Tim Elmore (one of the major thought leaders in college ministry over the last decade), Reggie Joiner (who just wrote a book connected to college ministry), or John Ortberg (who pastors one of the churches that participates in the amazing Ascent college ministry network). And we’ll all hear Gabe Lyons, author of one of the most oft-recommended books for college ministry these days, unChristian.
You could also investigate those leading in the social issues our students are intrigued by: Jamie Tworkowski (To Write Love on Her Arms), Nicole Baker Fulgham (Teach for America), Scott Harrison (advocate for safe drinking water), Tyler Wigg-Stevenson (advocate for nuclear disarmament), and others like them who are certainly worth learning from… and might be worth bringing to your campus in the future!
Nope, the forty-five speakers won’t all be talking directly about the work of college ministry. But that’s where the Cohort comes in – among other things, it’s the immediate chance to chew on the connections between what those speakers say and what God has called us to. (And you’ll be doing that with college ministers and college ministry thinkers from around the U.S.!)
the word-of-mouth
What’s your circle? Surely you have one – even if it’s just your fellow college ministers in town. Or maybe you’re part of a regional or national group, a network of like-minded college ministers, or some other circle. And maybe some of the ladies and fellas in that circle are either planning to come to Catalyst or might be interested.
Would you please consider telling them about the Cohort? This is a “come one, come all” event. A “the more, the merrier” event. An event where the value rises (and the opportunities increase) as more and more people get involved. From every branch of college ministry, from every region of the country… that seems like a pleasant thing to hope for!
A blog can go a long way in spreading the word. So can a Facebook or email blast. So can a Tweet or a post on your Facebook profile – and feel free to use the short address (http://bit.ly/cmcohort). Of course, you can invite anyone you want to directly, via the Facebook Event. And please feel free to click on the above picture and steal that for use anywhere you choose!
the gal on the inside
Until she became a Catalyst intern (like 3 weeks ago), Ashley Williams was a Missouri college minister. Now, she’s not only helping prepare for this mega-conference, but they’re letting her take this little Cohort and run with it… meaning the Catalyst people are already paying attention to our field in a new way!
So if you’re interested in signing up and such, you can go through the normal channels (and remember, I’ll be sending every “Attending” and “Maybe Attending” person our discount-rate Group Code in the next day or two). Or you can contact Ashley directly – which is particularly valuable if you need to sign up some of your college students, who get an even better deal than we “adults” do, or if those students might even be interested in getting college credit for attending Catalyst!
So feel free to ask me any questions about the activities of the Cohort, but feel free to send Ashley any questions about getting to Catalyst. Her contact info is ashley.williams at catalystspace.com and (678) 225-3101.
In any case, we’re looking at an excellent week in early October!
I’ve been promising details on our upcoming Casual Catalyst Conference College Ministry Cohort, and since then I’ve had chances to get input, connect with Catalyst people, and think through this excellent opportunity to gather and collaborate. If you didn’t see the original announcement, you should check it out here.
We’re actually getting some pretty cool Catalyst support, it turns out, beginning with a Group Code for a big discount on admission – thanks to Catalyst Concierge Chad Johnson. And just yesterday I got to chat with Ashley Williams, a former college minister who’s now our “gal-on-the-inside” at Catalyst.
Today’s announcement should cover what you need to know for scheduling purposes – and to start getting your fellow college ministers on board! But I’ll be hammering out more specifics over the next few months – so I really want your input. How can we best add college-ministry-value to an event (Catalyst) that is already great?
(Check out Catalyst’s phenomenal site here.)
main things
1. The Casual Cohort is FREE to join. So whenever I mention “registering,” I’m talking about Catalyst. Obviously, there might be outside activities (like meals) you might need cash for, but I’m working on getting some freebies in that department… and possibly for housing…
2. The next registration deadline is June 24th. That’s your chance to get your ticket for the humongo Catalyst Conference for only $199… but ONLY with our special College Ministers’ Group Code. (If you’re bringing college students, they’re even cheaper – but you’ll need to call Catalyst to get that set up. If you do, be sure to still let them know you’re coming with our group and use the Code for yourself.)
3. Our Facebook event page is the way to get that Group Code, as well as serving as our main portal for sharing Cohort details, attendees, speakers, sponsors, etc.. Check it out here. You’ll need to RSVP as Attending or Maybe Attending to get details as they’re available. Obviously, we don’t want to post the Group Code here, but I’ll send it to everyone who has joined the group in a few days… and I’ll include it with later updates, too.
4. Our schedule will mostly coincide with Catalyst’s own schedule, since this is a casual cohort. We’ll generally take opportunities to get together (for meals, for example), without burdening you with extra activities in what’s already an intense conference. (For those who make it for the Catalyst Labs before the main conference, we will have stuff on that day, too.)
We will, however, have an additional “catalytic” experience on Saturday, October 9th. So those who stay for the extra day will be in for further, focused college ministry collaboration, learning, and connections.
other details
5. Reservations, etc., are important – I understand that. Especially if you’re bringing a group of students or staff, I’d encourage you to go ahead and get those set up. But I will be asking some of my contacts to see if we might find some ministries with available “host homes” or other living quarters, especially for those college ministers coming without groups. I’ll keep you posted.
6. Ideas are, again, much appreciated.
7. Please spread the word. This is an exciting chance to participate in a significant conference, in a significant way. This has the potential to put college ministry on the radar of Christian leaders throughout the country in a new way. But whether it helps our field in that way or not, it certainly gives college ministers the chance to cross lines, learn together, and collaborate around Big Christian Leadership Ideas.
8. Get excited about “benefits.” I’ve already been surprised by the reception I’ve gotten to this idea – and not just from college ministers, but also from groups that want to help “sponsor” our time. If you know of other groups that might be interested in helping sponsor stuff (meals, for example), giving out freebies, or otherwise connecting with college ministers in a mutually beneficial way, have them contact me directly.
Just remember: Your main way to get future details is to join the Facebook event, even just as a Maybe. So… I’ll see you over there!
For a year or two, I’ve been pondering a little scheme that would add college ministry value to something already quite valuable. Several college ministers have already expressed an interest in this – and I hope YOU will consider hanging out with us this October.
Announcing…
THE CASUAL CATALYST CONFERENCE COLLEGE MINISTERS COHORT!
If you’re unfamiliar with the Catalyst Conference, it’s the premier annual Christian leadership training event, held for over a decade now in the Atlanta area each fall. (October 6-8 are this year’s dates.)
The idea of the Cohort is simply to ADD VALUE for us who impact college students. If you’re a college minister already planning to attend Catalyst, now you’ve got the opportunity to hang out with others! And if you haven’t considered going to Catalyst… well, maybe this is the push you need!
Benefits to “cohorting?” There are plenty:
- collaboration (including with some top thinkers and practitioners in our field)
- lasting connections
- potentially a cheaper rate
- recognition from sponsors and organizers (I’ll be working on freebies and connections, but we’ll see)
- and hopefully more!
The casual part of this “cohort” highlights that we’re simply adding value for those of us who attend Catalyst from the College Ministry profession. Two words: FREE and OPTIONAL. During the Conference, anything we do will be low-key, since the Conference itself is pretty intense. If we do more, it will likely be a day before or a day after.
Presently, Catalyst doesn’t even include “College Minister” as a registration option – but is that totally their fault? This is one chance to show other Christian leaders that we college ministers care about learning and leading alongside them – and that the work we do is truly vital.
For now, I’d love to hear if you’re interested – and please share any ideas you’ve got! But otherwise, just stay tuned. I will hopefully have more details in a week or two. I’m in contact with Catalyst about ways we can benefit as an official “Group,” so I’ll keep you posted!
Road Trip 14 recap, Day 13 (see all explorations here)
new campuses: Sterling College (#14), Hutchinson Community College & Area Vocational School (#15), Newman University (#16), Wichita State University (#17)
yesterday: drivin’ kinda criss-cross through Kansas, with some great (last-minute-planned) college ministry explorations
today: I’ll start with Southwestern College in Winfield, KS, then on to the OKC / Norman area!
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