NEXT

My name is Courtney. I am twenty years old. I have attended the last three NEXT (slash New Attitude) conferences and am blessed and honored to be apart of the NEXT blogging crew!

About me?
I’m a California girl with California blood and California skin that must be as thin as paper because I am always so shocked at the cold of Texas winter.

I was blessed to be born to faithful and Godly parents who told me about Jesus. When I was fifteen, we moved here, to Frisco, Texas, to help with a Sovereign Grace Ministries church plant. It has been a huge joy to see God at work here. He is building his church and it is just such privilege to get to be apart of that.

I am an English major. And when I’m not reading/studying, I love to spend time with my friends and my family, watch movies, drink obscene amounts of coffee, write, snap photos, bake (and eat!), and make things. I am currently up to my ears in crafts for friends and family for Christmas! I also love music and I like tinkering around on my piano, even though I am not that good.

I am honored to be a part of the Next blogging crew! The Next (and before that, New Attitude) conferences have been a tremendous blessing to me over the last few years, and it is a joy to get in on the fun!

Thanks for reading!

And in the spirit of tradition,

176 days until NEXT!

Yes, as my title states above I am Christopher Cooke…better know as Courtney Cooke’s older brother.

I have no clue what why I am blogging for NEXT, but oh so happy to be involved in some small way with it throughout the year!!! 

Unfortunately for anyone reading this post hoping for really interesting tidbits or witty comments, the information above is as interesting as this is going to get… I mean I am related to Courtney Cooke, it is kinda hard to top that!
Other than having that distinct privilege, I also have the amazing blessing to serve my local church body (none other than CrossWay Fellowship) in Athens, Ga., as a leader in our Youth group and College/Singles ministries, in our worship band and as the Sunday afternoon lunch coordinator… *humor*

I’m transferring to UGA (finally) in the summer with the intention of finalizing my degrees in Finance and Philosophy… I’m crazy and that’s a weird set of degrees…

I love good food (aka my mother’s), futbol, and James (the Bible Book). I do not have a southern accent… and I spent more than 12 hours looking through not only all my pictures but all those my friends have of me in order to find ONE picture to use as my NEXT profile pic…no, not out of undeviating self-consciousness, but mainly attempting to find a picture that Jessica said was “presentable” or “proper” to use… Sad I know.

177 days until NEXT!

A wave of excitement travelled through the office late yesterday afternoon. A truck was at the dock unloading boxes (to be precise, it was the driver and not the truck who was unloading the boxes).

The Next 2010 brochures had arrived from the printer.

Ooh.

Nice.

I like ‘em.

Great!

Swwweet.

Triff (that was me).

Great job, Matt (Matt Wahl is our graphic designer).

Want to see the brochure?  Well, you will have to wait a little longer. We are preparing them for shipping.

If you are a member of a Sovereign Grace church, you will get one (or more if you want) from your church within a couple of weeks. If you are not in a Sovereign Grace church, we still love you, and you can request brochures here.

All this talk of “The South” is making me quite homesick…though, not even Florida would be south enough for me. Born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa, my family moved to Virginia in 2001. For now I’m joining in from the world-famous city, Richmond, VA. Ok fine, so maybe it’s not world famous, but I like to think it is. I grew up being the “middle child” in my family. I have an older brother and younger sister; however, I will soon be joined in the middle by an amazing sister-in-law! In November 2005 were introduced to KingsWay Community Church and through that to Sovereign Grace Ministries. I currently serve as an administrative assistant to one of our pastors, Aaron Campbell, here at KingsWay. As an admin assistant to Aaron I have the wonderful privilege of doing anything from graphic design, to event planning, to all the other regular admin stuff. I love my job. But that’s enough of the serious stuff.

In my free time I enjoy family, friends, photography, singing, shopping, food—and if I can combine any or all those into one event, even better. One of my biggest dreams in life is to be a photographer for National Geographic. Hey, who said we can’t dream big, right? As for football, I don’t have a favorite team, so here is your opportunity to get me on your side…

Among other things, you will be hearing from me on topics such as the “packing list.” I know! What were they thinking? I will do all I can to make it the most fun packing list you’ve ever gotten! Until then, I’ll be working on making Richmond a world famous city!

While the rest of you were sleeping soundly in your beds, Mary Beth Davis, was registering for Next 2010. Registration went live at 12:00am and at 12:32am, she was registered. Now that’s dedication!

Mary Beth, thank you for registering for the conference and for your eagerness!

Haven’t registered? Why not do it now…2010 Registration

178 days until Next 2010!

Registration for Next 2010 is now open. So do it: register now.

If someone asks you what you want for Christmas, the answer is: a Next registration.

Or be proactive: Hey, grandma. Wanna know what I want for Christmas?

One way or the other, secure your place at Next now.

Well I am not from the south or a cool old Englishman like Paul but in spite of those limitations I am so excited to jump into the mix and do what I can to help us all get ready to encounter God at NEXT 2010. I can’t wait to see all that God will do!

I will be joining up with the rest of the bloggers over the next few months talking about all things related to NEXT…. like what to do with those cool NEXT stickers besides putting them on your roommates car, giving prayer suggestions, talking about how to deal with roaming ninjas and just generally keeping the NEXT blog alive and well. And towards that end of keeping things kickin around here, I am going to throw out a challenge to my fellow NEXT bloggers…. whoever can get the most states and other countries to comment on your posts, I will personally get you a Starbucks drink of your choice at NEXT and if I win I will let the old Englishman hook me up…. So wherever you are hailing from, comment on our posts, let us know what you are thinking and jump into the mix….

So real quick a little of who I am…. I hail from the Philly area (West Chester, PA to be precise) where cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, and Rocky live on. I am a member of Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace church in the area and I serve primarily as a Community Group Leader (small group, care group, or whatever name you use). I went to school in Philly at Drexel University and now work as a Project Engineer for a small robotics and automation engineering firm in the West Chester area. I live with two other Christians brothers from my church which is awesome! I really enjoy the outdoors… so things like hiking, camping, backpacking and fishing (especially fly fishing for trout!) are right up my alley. But on the flip side I also really enjoy going to the live orchestras, seeing to a good play and walking around an art museum and trying not look too lost…. So that is me in a nutshell…. Look forward to hearing from you and please post your comments and let us know where you are from…. I certainly like Starbucks

180 days until NEXT!

November is almost over and December is upon us. I don’t know about you, but my Christmas season is always full of excitement, craziness, and too much food. I look forward to many family memories, church parties, drinking lots of coffee, and listening to a lot of Christmas music (I really like Christmas music)! Amidst the business, I love the gospel reminder that this season brings. Jesus Christ became a man for only one reason…to save sinners! Now that’s a reason to party!!!

If you’re like me (and you’re probably not), you have a December checklist. Presents bought… presents wrapped…food for parties purchased…decorations put out…and the list goes on. Here at Next, we would like to remind you of an item that needs to be on your checklist. Next 2010 registration. That’s right, registration opens early this year. So, put an reminder on your iPhone, your Blackberry, or whatever means you use…REGISTRATION OPENS TOMORROW (December 1st)!

180 days until Next 2010!!!

How Yinz guys doin’? For those of you who are reading this blog and trying to decide if you are going to NEXT…STOP…just go. Well, for the “About Christina”, I am presently riding in a car packed to the brim with the people I love most in life: my parents (Chris and Maria) and my three siblings (Stephenia, Christopher and Stephen). We just finished a wild and wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with my Greek family where yes, we do everything except roast pigs in our front lawn (we stopped doing that when I was ten). We love the black and gold Pittsburgh and have icons of all our favorite “stiller” (for those of you who do not speak “pittsburghese” that is Steeler) players. As I think of the things I am thankful for, my heart overflows with gratitude to the Lord for the gifts that all my family are!

I am transferring into VCU this spring as a junior and yes…I am one of those weird people excited about school. Outside of time spent with my family, church family, friends, and at work, I spend the rest of my spare time in the gym (nothing beats working-out), cleaning house while singing to Josh Groban, practicing my new southern accent (we recently located to Richmond, Virginia) or getting lost while following MapQuest directions (I think I need a website with the title “Directions for Dummies”). I get very nauseous when gutting deer, am a fan of C.H. Spurgeon (Bank of Faith), have to contain myself from grabbing every baby I see because I find them all irresistible, find playing the piano so pleasurable (especially if it is Brahms), and let out deathly screams anytime a spider comes within a mile radius. On a more serious note I sometimes pinch myself because I cannot believe we are members of…drum roll please…Kingsway Community Church. To steal the words from Jessica…Kingsway has indeed become my dearest place on earth.

I am really excited to be a part of this blog and count down the days with all of you until we all get to attend NEXT.

181 days until NEXT!

Hi, my name is Jessica Britt. I live in the South. Around here we drink really sweet iced tea and pronounce everything with a thick southern accent. I am blessed to have the job I’ve always dreamed of. I’m an administrative assistant to one of the two best pastors on the planet, at the dearest place on earth…my church! Besides working for my church, I love hanging out with my family and friends. My favorite place to hang out is on the beautiful farm that I have the pleasure to call my home. I love to read, take pictures, drink Starbucks, and blog. I also really love music. Being that I am a true southerner, my favorite genres would be country and rock.

What do I do for Next? My job is to get you excited about the conference. And since I’ve been to every “Nextattitude”, that will not be a difficult task. I LOVE Next! I’ve been asked to give you pertinent data and to remind you of deadlines.

182 days until Next 2010!!!

I’m sometimes referred to as the little old eccentric Englishman.

Little?—yes, I’m Josh’s size.

Old?—yes, I could be the father of everyone else working on Next.

Eccentric?—well, I am English.

Why am I involved in Next?  I’m on the staff of Sovereign Grace, coordinating all its conferences, including The Clash, WorshipGod, Pastors Conference, and Together for the Gospel. So I also have the privilege of working on the logistics of Next.

I love my job. I get to use the gifts God has given me (well, the one gift: administration); I work with great people; I get to work on Next, which is a terrific conference; and I get to see firsthand God at work during the conference.

In a few years time you may see an old man at Next, being pushed around in a wheelchair, talking into a two-way radio… that’ll be me. I never want to stop doing this.

Hellohello!

Happy Thanksgiving! Over great food and fellowship, my family was so reminded today of how thankful we are for the Gospel and how it’s changed our lives.
My name is Angela, and I will be one of your NEXT bloggers this year! I will occasionally appear on here to inform you of exciting things about the conference, and hopefully help you to prepare for it.

A little about me:
I live in Gainesville, Fl. I am third-year undergrad in art school at the University of Florida.  I am studying sculpture, so that means I spend a ton of time reading, researching, building, discussing and being critiqued! I rarely go to movies, but almost every week am in an art gallery.  I don’t like energy drinks, but run off of coffee and water. I wear TOMS shoes almost every day. My favorite conversations are over coffee and that can move seamlessly from hysterical laughing to talking in depth about the glories of Calvary (with my brothers and sisters in Christ, or the ones who don’t know Him).

I absolutely love my church family - Abundant Grace Community Church, where my family has been since we moved from Orlando seven years ago so my dad could help pastor this church. I love being able to serve in our worship team on Sundays as well as on Tuesdays in our college campus group. The people who are faithfully involved every week are used by the Lord to breathe refreshment into my life regularly. Hopefully our group will get to meet and hang out with some of you during this 2010 conference!

So leave comments, we can become friends!

Hi, everyone. Quick website update…

For those of you running IE 7 or below, you may be a little confused. Where is all the 2010 conference information? And if you’re running IE 8, you may be having some problems too. There are a couple glitches in our programming. Our web guys are working hard to fix the problem. But, until then we have a couple of solutions for you to try:

1. Go to the Conference tab. You’ll see the 2009 information. Refresh your page and the 2010 info should appear.
2. If you’re running IE 8, click on the Compatibility View button (top right corner of your browser next to the refresh and stop buttons).
3. Temporarily use a different browser.

Thank you for your patience. We hope to have everything fixed within a couple of days. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Things may have appeared quiet here at Next. But, while the website and blog have lain dormant, the Next team has been hard at work. They have put in countless hours planning, designing (promo materials are looking pretty sweet!), and then planning some more. Look out world, Next has some incredible things in store! To whet your appetite, check out the Next 2010 page of our website. It is full of helpful information, the conference schedule, and the speaker line-up.

We’re pretty excited over here at the Next blog. Get ready for a lot of helpful information and tips, guest bloggers, and some God-glorifying fun! Over the next couple of weeks our Next bloggers will be introducing themselves and giving you a glimpse into what they’ll be blogging about. We are so grateful for the time and energy they are putting into this blog. They love Next and they want to tell you about it!

So, welcome back to the world of Next. Please check back often, comment on our posts, ask us questions, and make fun of our hobbies.

Just wanted to drop a quick note to let you know we won’t be blogging for a while (or releasing Webzine issues, or updating the website). Of course, we’ll still be working on next year’s conference, we just won’t be blogging. We decided we’d rather wait until we have something to announce (like, for example, the names of the speakers at the 2010 conference, or the theme of the 2010 conference, or the plans for worship at the 2010 conference). Expect details for next year’s conference sometime this fall.

In the meantime you can always leave us your email address and we’ll let you know when we release information about the 2010 conference (and of course we won’t share your email address or bombard you with unnecessary emails). To do so just type your email address into the field at the top right of the page.

We loved spending four days with Jesus alongside you this year and we can’t wait for next year.