NEXT

Are you a sound geek…er, I mean…sound tech? Do you know the under, over technique of rolling cords? Maybe you roll with that magic flick of your wrist. Are you a pro at placing mics and setting up stands. Are you going to Next 2010?

Most of you are wondering what in the world I just said. But, there are a select few that understood (and probably could have said it better) what I meant. If you did, we need you!!!

Latricia Reichman (Our main sessions guru planner) is looking for sound techs who would be interested in volunteering to help with the sound changeovers. We are looking for four people for each session, with some sound experience. Depending on the number of people we that volunteer, you would only be needed after one or two of the main sessions. We also need a couple of strong guys to help with the setup/take-down of choir risers.

Interested? Need more details? Please contact Latricia at, nextmainsessions[at]gmail.com.

The Next bloggers have been discouraged from posting long blogs, but I can’t resist breaking the rule (oh, wait; I made the rule—I can break it).

This is a poem that is fits our conference theme, written by converted slave trader, John Newton (1725-1807):

What think you of Christ? is the test
To try both your state and your scheme;
You cannot be right in the rest,
Unless you think rightly of him.
As Jesus appears in your view,
As he is beloved or not;
So God is disposed to you,
And mercy or wrath are your lot.

Some take him a creature to be,
A man, or an angel at most;
Sure these have not feelings like me,
Nor know themselves wretched and lost:
So guilty, so helpless, am I,
I durst not confide in his blood,
Nor on his protection rely,
Unless I were sure he is God.

Some call him a Savior, in word,
But mix their own works with his plan;
And hope he his help will afford,
When they have done all that they can:
If doings prove rather too light
(A little, they own, they may fail)
They purpose to make up full weight,
By casting his name in the scale.

Some style him the pearl of great price,
And say he’s the fountain of joys;
Yet feed upon folly and vice,
And cleave to the world and its toys:
Like Judas, the Savior they kiss,
And, while they salute him, betray;
Ah! what will profession like this
Avail in his terrible day?

If asked what of JESUS I think?
Though still my best thoughts are but poor;
I say, he’s my meat and my drink,
My life, and my strength, and my store,
My Shepherd, my Husband, my Friend,
My Savior from sin and from thrall;
My hope from beginning to end,
My Portion, my LORD, and my All.

We had no idea what to expect as my wife and I, along with six college students from our church in New Orleans, boarded the plane for our first NEXT (then, Na) Conference, in Philadelphia.  That was 2001.  Our oldest son, who will be in the youth group next year was only three.  We came in for the first main session.  And my wife and I reserved 4 seats on one row and four on the row behind us.  As we all came in the six college students – now good friends – all sat together on the row behind us.  Awkward.  We were new to the church and they had all grown up together.

I suppose this is why, when I think of NEXT, the first thing that comes to mind would be the affect it has had on our relationships with people from our local church.  By the end of our time in Philly we had spent hours taking in truth, talking about how to put it on in our lives, staying up late, laughing deliriously, even (a first for us N’awlins folk) snowball fighting.

Since 2001, the conference has been a yearly highlight for our college/career ministry.  We’ve made many memories.  We have experienced much grace from God in times of singing, praying for one another, and getting to hear soul-strengthening messages from God’s Word.  It’s been almost 10 years now.  Some of our fellow snowball throwers are married and have their own three year olds.  God has been good to us.  He’s used this conference to build us up and draw us together.  And we can’t wait, Lord willing, to take another group in 2010.  Hopefully, they’ll sit with us.

Okay so you registered for Next. Now what?

Let me suggest that you start praying for the conference. What should you pray? Let me give you three suggestions.

_Pray that God works deeply in you.

The truth is, everything at the conference could be perfect and you could still leave the conference unchanged. Without God Himself working in you, nothing will happen at the conference. It will be three days of tiredness, fast food, and maybe some good times with friends, but no heart change.

The good news is that God wants to meet you at Next. He wants to change you. He wants to help you love Jesus more. He wants to open your eyes to see more of His glory. So start praying these words now: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalms 119:18)

_Pray that God would give you deep fellowship with other believers.

The conference presents a unique opportunity for you to deepen friendships with other Christians. For three days, you’re hanging out with other believers in a wonderful, God-centered environment. Ask God to use those informal hangout times in your life. Ask God to give you the heart of the psalmist, who said, “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” (Psalms 16:3) Ask God to deepen your friendships at Next.

_Pray that God would help you serve others.

News flash: Next does not exist to make you happy. I’ve often gone to conferences with a very self-centered mindset. “What can I get out of this conference.?” Or, “How is this conference helping me?” In reality the Next conference is a great opportunity for you to serve others. You can serve others by finding places for everyone to eat, taking an interest in those who came alone, praying for a fellow believer, or asking your roommate what God has been teaching him. Ask God to give you a servant’s heart at Next.

Start praying now that God would meet you then.

Imagine you’re sitting at your desk and you’re preoccupied with multiple tasks. You’re so focused on your work that you miss the Outlook reminder that just popped up on your screen. You see it and think, “Oh, good, forgot about that”. You hit the snooze button (planning to get to the reminder soon). It comes up again, you hit snooze. This pattern continues for several hours. Finally, you wake up from your computer-like stupor, get up, and accomplish the said task.

Consider this post a reminder, a reminder you may see more than once. And while you’re at it, just think of me as your ninja-blogger-outlook-reminder. My goal? To help you remember to register for Next 2010.

Some of you may not be aware that you have 16 days left to take advantage of our Early Bird registration. Registration increases on April 1st. And that’s no April Fool’s! Take 5 min. and register…

Registration

Conference Info

Why should you attend NEXT? Here are 10 reasons.

1. A time to build with you church. Even if you think you know your fellow church members well, you don’t know them like you know them after you room with them, eat with them, and drool on them on the airplane flight. You will see a whole new side of each other and you will make some great memories.

2. A time to sit under great teaching.  NEXT is a deluge of Christ-centered teaching. You will hear from some of the best, and be exhorted and encouraged by sound teaching.

3. A time to meet new people. NEXT is a great opportunity to meet new people from other churches. It is so encouraging to hear how God is working in other lives and in other churches across the globe.

4. A time to worship together. The times of corporate worship are one of my favorite things about NEXT. It feels like a warm-up for heaven.

5. A time to apply. NEXT is not only a time of valuable teaching, but also a great place to begin applying what you’re learning! NEXT has small groups organized for the very purpose of discussing personal application to our lives. Also, there are many opportunities throughout the conference to share with a friend what God is showing you.

6. A time to rest…sort of. One of the great things about a conference like NEXT, is that it pulls you away from your normal daily routine and gives you a chance to really reflect, and hear God in a unique way. I started to say NEXT was a restful time, but I think rest might be misleading. Of the many great things about NEXT, sleep is probably not on the list.

7. A time to reach out. There are kind of a lot of people at NEXT. And NEXT might take you out of your comfort zone. It has taken me out of mine. NEXT is a great opportunity to think outside yourself and to take an interest in those you don’t know, both in your church and outside of your church.

8. A time for perspective. It can be easy for me to get trapped in my little world—thinking this is all there is—school and a job and errands. NEXT is a great reminder of the bigger picture. There’s more to this life than what I see on a daily basis (as precious as that is). God is building his church (Matthew 16:18) across the globe and NEXT is a great reminder of that very truth!

9. A time to be immersed in Scripture. NEXT is a Scripture-saturated event. I think you will be blessed by spending such a chunk of time soaking up God’s Word, which is promised will bear much fruit and which won’t come back void (Isaiah 55:10-11)

10. A time to take it home to your local church. A really neat thing about NEXT is the emphasis you will hear there on the local church. The things you learn at NEXT don’t stop at NEXT, and they don’t stay inside those doors in a conference room in Baltimore. You get to take them home with you. You get to put the things you learned into action in the context of your church. And this in turn builds up your local body of believers and bolsters their faith.

So, what did I miss?
What are your reasons for coming to NEXT?

There are lots of creative ways to raise cash for your trip to NEXT.  But before exploring new paths, here’s an old-fashioned path worth considering: ask for help.

For some reason, at least for me, it can seem so much easier to plan an entire gala event than to talk to a real person and just explain why I want to go, how much I’d cover myself, and what expenses I’d need help with.

But it really isn’t all that complex.  Here are the key ingredients: one part humility and one part courage.  Mix ‘em up, season to taste, and watch what God will do. 

Who would you ask, though?

1. Ask your family.  Ask if they could help you with cash, or even just with other fundraising ideas.  Maybe they’ll at least give you twenty bucks to cover a couple of meals while you’re there.  Maybe they’ll give you more.

2. Ask your church.  Talk to your pastor. Ask if there are any resources available, any past fundraising ideas that have been helpful, or any individuals who might be inclined to help out with something like this. Let your Christian friends or small group know about your desire to be at the conference.  Our church family is usually more eager to help than we expect when we first ask. 

3. Ask your Heavenly Father.  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I know I’m supposed to pray about it.”  But how regularly do you ask for God’s help? Let’s be honest, most of us probably spend much more time thinking about our financial need than actually praying about it.  Our Father in Heaven loves to give good gifts, so let’s not be shy in asking for them!

If you ask, will you receive?  Why not find out?

If you are like me, each year as you get ready to type your credit card code to sign up for NEXT; try to walk through the months of the year to figure out what month “9” is so you don’t mess up the expiration date; you eventually ask yourself this question “Why am I going to NEXT? Why spend the time? Why spend the money?”

For me it isn’t the thrill of packing in a hotel room with three other guys. It isn’t the rush of joy that I get seeing a Ninja in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee or the head ache I acquire from staying up until all hours of the night. Or the joys of trying to find your way to your Family Group in the morning. All those things are great don’t get me wrong…. They make awesome memories and God uses memories to build friendships so lets keep doing it!

But I keep coming back to NEXT year after year because I encounter the living God. I encounter God through the messages that cut through my sinful soul and strengthen me with truth; I encounter God in those sweet conversations late at night with a brother or sister in Christ; I encounter God through genuine worship to God through both singing and applying God’s word to my life. I walk away each year reminded, my God is real, he sent his son to redeem me and he is worthy of all praise I can give him.

I don’t know where you are at… maybe you punching in that credit card number just because you have done it year after year. Or maybe you have never been to NEXT, you don’t know anyone and it seems like a huge jump into the unknown. Or maybe you are college student and you have discovered money doesn’t grow on trees. If I could just urge you do what you can to make it to NEXT ’10….

I don’t know what God has in store for you, but I know this…. God will be there and you will encounter him…. And when Christians encounter God, wow big things happen! So sign up and maybe we will run into each other getting coffee from a Ninja.

Oh and by the way, September is the 9th month in the year….

So you’ve downloaded Caleb’s song and you’ve told all your friends to download it too! Now that you’ve heard the song, you want to see the video again. You’ve been thinking about the conference and the stellar line-up of speakers. You want to promote the conference and let your friends in on all the fun.  But, there’s a small problem. You don’t know how to get the promo video.

Well, that’s what the blog is here for. Our goal is to get you excited about the conference and to place resources (be it the webzine or promo video) easily within your grasp.

You can find the promo video on Vimeo or YouTube.

If you are a church or organization and you would like to show the video to a group of people, you can request a dvd HERE.

Thank you for helping us promote Next 2010.

81 days and counting!!!

What is it like to gather with a few thousand Christians, who come from all over the United States and from many other nations of the world, and sing to the Savior?

It’s a little slice of heaven.

It seems that the unifying approach in every Next conference I’ve been to – from Philly, to Louis, and now in Baltimore – has been to leverage the power of the gospel so that we stand in awe of Christ and, in response, live grateful, joyful, obedient, and sacrificial lives to God’s glory.  This theme is utterly pervasive in the messages, the family groups, and the times of corporate worship.

Think, for example, of some of the keynote songs over the years::

• Jesus Paid It All
• In Christ Alone
• All I Have Is Christ
• By This We Know Love
• Wonderful Cross
• Thank You For Saving Me
• What A Savior
• Thank You For the Cross

The result of contemplating these truths and exulting in them together?  Our amazement at the grace of God is renewed and deepened.  Our desire to obey the Lord gets fresh impetus.

Whether it’s been Eric Hughes, Judah Groveman, Bob or Devon Kauflin leading us, the pervasive theme is the same.  Our eyes are, morning by morning, evening by evening, session by session, directed to the only Savior of the world.  The songs, the exhortations, the Scriptures – they’re all intentionally positioned so we see Christ as preeminent, sovereign, glorious, merciful – “standing … yet slain”.

Revelation 5:6, 9 “And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain… And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

It’s no wonder then that our times of singing are often accompanied by tears, reverence, and exuberant shouts.  We are constantly being reminded of real reality.  Christ has died, and risen.  And we are in Him.  And He is all we have.  And He is all we need.

So you may have seen the super-cool NEXT stickers, and maybe you have one. Perhaps someone asked you if you wanted one and perhaps you said “YES, I LOVE stickers!” But then you stuck it in your bag, or in your Bible, or on your desk and forget about it. @Christopher Campbell (http://www.thisisnext.org/blog/what_to_do_with_those_next_stickers) had some fantastic ideas -  I want to help inspire you by visualization.

Stick it our your water bottle/coffee mug:

If you happen to have a locker at your school/college/university/work - Stick it there:

Stick it on your car:

OR better yet, Stick it on your friend-who’s-still-deciding-whether-or-not-to-go-to-Next’s car:

Stick it somewhere you’ll see it and remember to pray about it:

Stick it on your notebook:

So though you may not want to do ALL of these, stick it on something! True story: today I pulled out my water bottle with the sticker at my class and my friend asked me if Next was an art show, and I told her it was a conference that a group my church is involved with puts on - and that got us talking about churches and such. So these can be a really easy evangelism tool.

Can’t wait to see you guys in just 85 days!

After the really important things in life (God, my church, and my family), my favorite thing is music. I love music and there are only a few genres that I strongly dislike. One of the things I appreciate about music is the opportunity it provides to convey a story or truth. Though I love the different styles of music and the artistry that musicians display, I often find myself focusing on the lyrics. I am especially happy when talented musicians and talented, biblically grounded song writers collide. There is nothing better than kickin’ music and solid theology! Today, we’re giving you such a song…for free! Yes, I said free! This song, Oil Lamp Life, is the song that plays behind our 2010 Promo Video. Caleb Murphy, graciously allowed us offer it for free.

I’ll be posting the download link below. But first, I want to introduce you to the artist/songwriter and his story…

I have never met Caleb Murphy, but those who know him best say that he is a godly young man. A young man who has a grasp on the doctrine of God and puts that knowledge to practice every day. His story brought me to tears. David, a friend of Caleb & his brother Ian, described him like this:

Caleb really embodies what this year’s [Next] conference is all about — What he believes about God really does shape the way he lives.  In 2006 Caleb’s older brother Ian was in a near fatal car accident and was left severely disabled.  Last fall, Caleb’s dad, Steve, died from brain cancer.  Caleb’s trust in Jesus has led him to serve his family and our local church in incredible ways.  Since Caleb’s dad passed away, Caleb has really stepped up to the plate as the man of the house.  In addition to this Caleb uses his musical gifts to serve our church in numerous ways.  He plays on our worship team, leads worship for the parent teen ministry and the college ministry.  In addition, he drives to the Sovereign Grace church in Altoona (45 minutes away) once a month to lead worship for them.  As sad as his dad’s sickness and death were, they didn’t shake his faith.  He has said he had learned so much about God’s character through Ian’s accident that when Steve died he didn’t have to question God’s goodness or faithfulness.

God has sustained and provided for Caleb. He has given him the grace to stand fast in difficult circumstances. And it’s clear Caleb loves his Savior! This shines forth in his music, lyrics, and life. He wrote, Oil Lamp Life, for the Next Promo Video. He explains the meaning behind the song…

It’s really [a song] about how life is hard but that we should have faith in God for the future. It’s about how we have no idea what is going to happen at any point in time, we just see what’s in front of us. I remember my dad explaining to me what the phrase “You are a lamp unto my feet” meant. He said that the oil lamps that they had back in the day only showed them their feet and a few feet in front of them. This is walking in faith, trusting that God will lead us and not worrying even though we can’t see far ahead. It’s also about being eager to see what God is going to do in our lives. It could be easy to read the lyrics and think that the song is questioning or even disagreeing with God, but the attitude I approached it with is eagerness for the future…

You can download Oil Lamp Life HERE.

To find out more about Caleb and his music, check out his website: www.calebmurphy.com

Last Saturday morning I was trying to focus on editing some of the excerpts for the March webzine, but I was distracted. I was remembering where I’d fallen short that week and thinking thoughts like this:

Why am I still dealing with this sin? How can I change? Where do I get the power to change? Will I ever fully follow Jesus in this area? Why haven’t I changed already?

The irony is that articles I was editing contained some of the very truth I needed.

Fortunately for me (and maybe for you, too) this month we’re talking about the Doctrine of Sanctification––basically: how we become more and more like Jesus in this life. The authors this month include C.J. Mahaney, Paul Tripp, Donald Whitney, and Mike Bullmore. And we’re especially excited to have grabbed an excerpt from Josh Harris’ new book for this month too.

These articles are for people like me––people who fall down and fail and need help on our journey to be more like Jesus. And at around 500 words each, they’re tailor-made for people with attention spans as short as mine too.

Read the overview of the articles

Jump straight to the articles

Last post I threw out some ideas concerning getting the word out about NEXT and why. It’s an amazing conference with great communicators of the Gospel pouring truth over you for days, unique times of worship, and special grace from God for life changing experiences with Him through it all. And that’s all good and welll… But I need the cash to get there.

Funds funds funds!!

How does a poor college student, young couple, single parent or just about anyone in our current economic status generate the $150 dollar registration fee ( btw, thank you finance guys for using all your tricks to have registration so low!!!!), the $75+ for travel and then another $25+ for food (depending on if you have high standards and don’t just eat pb&j) and that’s not including room and board or all the books your going to buy because your so amped about what God is doing your gonna want to take some home with you for later… *panting*

I think you get the picture. So, what’s the best way to get the currency to allow you to get to NEXT without hitchhiking and fasting? Get someone else to give it to you!

Now the door to door asking for money thing only works well if your cute and sweet. But what if your like me and people use violence to chase you from their property?

Well there are other less abrasive ways to convince them to fund you on your pilgrimage, such as:

• Having a garage sale with items donated from church members.
• Have a bake sale or we get donuts and breakfast stuffs and sell them on Sunday mornings.
• Babysitting (here in The Classic City we have several annual dates where all of our singles get together and watch any kids the couples in the church wish to drop off for several hours so they can have a date night and simply ask for a donation when they pick up their kid… (And if it’s not high enough we just hold the kid ransom…).
• Talk to your pastors and caregroup leaders for individual assistance. Our church sets aside money to sponsor people and even families so they can attend such events. Even if your church does not have such a set up they will provide great council.

These are just a few examples of things you can do locally. If you have any examples of successful events and ways of gathering funds please post!!! What a service that will be!

Happy hunting! God bless your efforts and sacrifice! 

Single Parents, we know that finances can be tight. It can be hard to make ends meet, let alone find the cash to attend a conference. But, we want you to be able attend Next 2010!

We would like to make it easier for you to attend the conference. The Next Staff would like to give you your registration for free! That’s right, free!!!

How do you take advantage of this? Simply fill out and submit the Request Form and someone on the Next Staff will contact you. It’s that easy!