New Attitude
This morning Aileen and I are leaving for sunny (we hope) and beautiful Louisville, Kentucky so we can take in the New Attitude conference which runs from this evening until Tuesday morning. It will feature a great group of speakers: Joshua Harris, Eric Simmons, Mark Dever, Al Mohler, C.J. Mahaney and, of course, the ever-present John Piper. The topic, spiritual discernment, is of particular interest to me and I look forward to learning all sorts of things I will only be able to wish I had added to my book before submitting it to the publisher. It should be an educational, exciting and humbling weekend.
Now I am clearly far too old to be at this conference. Looking at the photographs from last year’s conference I can see that the average person there will be much younger and, no doubt, much more energetic. The conference schedule reflects this with the evening sessions ending after my normal bed time!
This will be the first time Aileen has accompanied me to a conference and she is looking forward to seeing what these conferences are all about. We’re also bringing the baby with us (is she still a baby at one year of age?) so if you’re going to be there, look out for the two old people with the little red-headed baby. We’d love to meet you. Also, keep an eye out for the Crossway booth or table where I believe they’ll be giving away downloadable copies of a portion of my book.
This will be the final conference on my busy spring itinerary and it looks like it will be a great way to close out the season. Check back later today (quite a bit later, really) and I should have the first update long after the sun goes down. See you in Louisville!
By the way, here is a funky video about the conference.
Comments (8) »
1. Luke Wood
May 26, 2007
7:34 AM
It looks like a great conference - I often look at the lists of speakers at the conferences you attend (either as a liveblogger or otherwise) and wish that there could be a time when the T4G men, joined by others like John Piper, John MacArthur, RC Sproul, Josh Harris etc. could all come over to the UK to put something on. Not sure they’d feel it was worth all of them coming over for one conference! At least we have D.A. Carson and John Piper for New Word Alive at Easter.
2. Ken Davis
May 26, 2007
7:35 AM
Tim, I once heard Warren Wiersbe tell about meeting a man he had not seen in a while and he asked him what he was doing. The man said “I am coming back from a conference” to which Wiersbe replied “That’s probably true of half the Christians in the United States”.
I am not making a value judgement regarding all the conferences you attend. I understand that you are, in some sense, at work. But the sheer volume of conferences available to attend is mind boggling. Couple that with the fact that quite often the same speakers are featured and one begins to wonder about the patience of, and benefits to, the people in their churches and colleges where they are called to serve. Are those in attendance the same people as well?
I am planning to attend a conference next year with my son. We are starting now to save the money and will look forward to it for nine months with great anticipation. Do North American Christians have so much expendable income that they can spend so much on conferences?
And shouldn’t the Christian community start looking better for all the great teaching we are constantly receiving?
These are not complaints. I really do wonder these things. I guess I’m just not tuned in to the current needs of the North American Church.
3. Carole
May 26, 2007
8:36 AM
Oooooh! I am feeling pangs of … jealousy? My husband (also named Tim) is driving down with a group of guys and I am staying at home with our little ones - 5, 3 and 9 months. We couldn’t figure out how it would work to bring a baby. Keep us posted as to how it goes for both mother and baby! (of course, I’d probably have been 1/2 asleep during those lectures as they’re way past my bedtime, too)
Looking forward to getting a tiny taste of the conference through your posts.
Also - loved your ice cream maker post. You should do more product reviews.
4. Brendt
May 26, 2007
12:13 PM
OK, hearing someone 10 years younger than you kvetch about being old is one thing.
But does Aileen know that you referred to her as old, too (“the two old people”)? Hope the hotel room’s bathtub is comfortable enough to sleep in. ;-)
And yes, your youngest is always “the baby”.
5. JMac
May 26, 2007
3:46 PM
w00t Na! Hope to meet you there!
6. Kathleen
May 27, 2007
3:52 PM
Ken makes a very good point. Conference after conference after conference, all filled with the same speakers, month in and month out.
Other than lining the pockets of conference companies, what is the actual benefit — and to whom — of these events?
Not saying that the occassional conference can’t be a worthy and valuable thing, but when attending conferences turns into a lifestyle, I gotta wonder what the point is……
7. Tim H.
May 28, 2007
10:32 PM
Hey Tim, I was gone for the weekend (which is why I sadly wasn’t at NA). Thanks for your coverage. I’m going to read it all ASAP. Anyway, I’m “NA” aged, and I hate those late night things! They had that when I was at Passion06. I think they do it to keep the crazy kids from running the streets at night.
8. Dallas Pymm
May 29, 2007
3:02 PM
“I am planning to attend a conference next year with my son. We are starting now to save the money and will look forward to it for nine months with great anticipation. Do North American Christians have so much expendable income that they can spend so much on conferences?”
Ken, I would say most of the folks attending these conferences are doing exactly what you are…I know of no one at my Church that attends more than one conference a year. Most can only afford one and are grateful they can find a conference near them to go to.