:: VERGE Conference - Feb 2010 ::

**Added 02.08.2010: post-conference thoughts + prayer/warning for attendees, here**

We invite you to join several "City folk" Feb 4-6, as we head to Austin for this great event hosted by our friends at The Austin Stone. We'll head to Austin Thursday evening (it starts at 6pm or so), and we'll be back by Saturday night.

Here's the scoop, from the newly-launched VERGE website: "Learn from leading thinkers and practitioners of gospel-centered missional community over 3 days in February in Austin, Texas. Whether you’re a pastor, church-planter, or simply interested in the redemption and renewal of your community and city, the Verge Conference will give you the tools to build gospel movements wherever you are."

This conference is unique in that it is committed to the development and multiplication of missional communities. It will focus on numerous cutting-edge movement strategies and practices to help us all build "communities on mission" in our own contexts.

Our hope is to take many of our people to Austin with us, as we learn from these great leaders, plus numerous breakout sessions, about what our "communities on mission" can look like. Trip details won't be nailed down 'til early January, but we are hoping to cover the registration fees for our Village leaders (more info on that coming soon!), but if you'd like to join us for this great weekend, email Ben by Oct 27.

The stellar line-up of confirmed missional leaders includes:

• Francis Chan (best-selling author, speaker, and pastor of Cornerstone Simi Valley - website)
  
• Matt Carter (lead pastor of The Austin Stone - website)
• Alan Hirsch (author and missional trainer with a really cool accent - website)
• Dave Ferguson (author, leader of NewThing Network, and pastor of Community Christian Church - website)
• Dave Gibbons (speaker & lead pastor of Newsong - website)
  
• Neil Cole (author, organic church planter, and founder of CMAResources - website)
  
• John Burke (lead pastor, Gateway Church - website)
  
• Hugh Halter (author, missional trainer, and pastor of Adullam - website)
  
• Jeff Vanderstelt (Acts 29 Network board member and pastor of Soma Communities - website)
  
• David Watson (Global church planter with CityTeam Ministries - website)
  
• David Garrison (author and SBC International Mission Board’s Associate Vice President for Global Strategy - website)
  
• Music led by Aaron Ivey - website