NEXT Conference!

A few months ago, a couple friends began discussing the Next conference in Baltimore, MD. I already knew my family's spring and summer would be busy enough with farmers markets and bushhogging work (I had no idea we would also be moving during the week of the conference!) and I didn't want to throw a four day excursion into the mix unless it was something I felt God leading me to attend, so I began to pray about it. Throughout my teen years, I went to plenty of youth group-related events, camps, retreats, etc. that brought me to an emotional or spiritual "high" by the end of the experience, yet soon after a few days back in the 'real world' with family and responsibilities, I would often be worse off than where I began prior to the event. If I was going to take the time to attend Next, I wanted to be confident that I would really gain from it and grow closer to God as a result of the conference. As I prayed, I had total peace about attending, and I felt I would be challenged by what the speakers would bring, so I registered! Since then, I have been praying that God would use this weekend as a special time of spiritual renewal, and that He would speak to me in regard to several specific areas. I am looking forward to seeing what He will do! I welcome you to pray with me that God will draw me nearer to Him this weekend.

So, on Saturday, eight of us from my church are embarking on a road trip up to Baltimore! I am looking forward to fellowshipping with sweet friends and meeting new friends. I already know of one "blogging friend", Kaitlin, who will be attending the conference, and I am hoping to get to meet her. If any other friends or readers are within a reasonable distance of Maryland, I highly encourage you to attend also!

About Next (taken from thisisnext.org):

Next isn't built on "new." It isn't about the next trend or fad. Next is built on the old, treasured, and true. It's about rediscovering old truth and recommitting to it.

The vision of Next is to gather worshipers of Jesus Christ who burn with a passion to see the gospel transferred to the next generation. Next is about faithfully receiving the gospel—the message of Christ and him crucified–from those who have gone before us, holding fast to the gospel personally, and passing the gospel on to those coming after us.

The idea behind Next was born when Joshua Harris, still in his twenties, wanted to expose other young men and women to older pastors and theologians who had profoundly affected his life. Josh started the New Attitude conference as a way to bring thousands of younger people and dozens of faithful pastors together to transfer the gospel faithfully from one generation to the next. In 2008 New Attitude ended and now Next is born—an even more focused way of helping see the gospel transferred and received faithfully.

The focus of the conference is the younger generation: college students, singles, and young married couples. But if you are above the 18-29 year old range and have a passion to see gospel truth passed on, we welcome you as well.

He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God. ~Psalm 78:5-7

A new generation of young Timothys is needed, who will guard the sacred deposit of the gospel, who are determined to proclaim it and are prepared to suffer for it, and who will pass it on pure and uncorrupted to the generation which in due course will rise up and follow them. ~John Stott