What’s Your Conference of Choice?

By guy.chmieleski@gmail.comBig Ideas & 'Best Of', The Campus Minister

How serious are you about your ongoing professional development?

I hope your answer ranges somewhere between interested and borderline obsessed!

I’m a firm believer in the idea that college ministers need to be life-long learners. I think…

  • It helps us to stay current on trends and ‘best practices’ in our field
  • It allows us the chance to network and build relationships with colleagues in our field
  • It’s a great chance for us to get off campus (which is needed from time to time)
  • It enables us to better connect with our students — who are actively engaged in the learning process — as we put ourselves in the role of student

Yes, I’m a firm believer in our ongoing growth and development as leaders and ministers on campus… and one of the ways we can regularly engage in the learning process is through attending different conferences.

Typically this time of year I’d be preparing to attend the Campus Ministry Directors Conference hosted by the CCCU (Council for Christian Colleges and Universities). But not this year. This year (later this month) I’m planning to attend a Q Session with Eugene Peterson. It was a very difficult decision for me to make… and here’s why:

Over the course of my almost 15 years in college ministry I have regularly attended conferences held by the CCCU.  Why?

  • They always have strong content
  • They always find a good balance between content and space
  • The crowd is often small (by conference standards), usually less than 100 people — as an introvert I love this
  • The conferences often feel more like a retreat — love this too
  • I have made some great relational connections with colleagues at a number of CCCU schools, and this serves as a great time to catch up and enjoy time together

And while I don’t attend CCCU conferences exclusively, they have definitely become a comfortable choice for me.

But I recognize that there are probably a lot of great conferences, designed with college ministers in mind, that I have not attended.

Incidentally, it was a comment made on this post last year that got me looking and thinking more seriously about Q — which is one of the reasons I’ve opted to skip this much loved CCCU conference this year (that, and the fact that it’s the chance to sit with Eugene Peterson — in a small group of less than 100 — for a couple of days).

But I know there are some other great conferences out there that others of us need to hear about… even relevant non-college ministry specific conferences that can inform our work with college students — like Q.

SO, I want to hear from you!

In the comment section below, please take a moment to share about your favorite conference.  List:

  • Your college ministry conference of choice (geared toward campus ministers, and not students)
  • The affiliation and whether or not it’s open to non-members
  • Briefly share why you like it so much
  • List some of the benefits you take from it
  • List the dates of the next one being held
  • Share a link to the conference homepage

That’s it!

Let’s see what kind of list we can generate… and maybe I’ll see you at one of the conferences in the future!

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3 thoughts on “What’s Your Conference of Choice?”

  1. Guy, I have attended the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta and a CollegeLeader regional training with Chuck Bomar. (I’ve only been in campus ministry for 2 years, so I’m borderline obsessed with professional development). Catalyst was a great and encouraging event, great overall material for Christian/Church/Business/Ministry Leadership (with a focus on leadership).
    The CollegeLeader training was focused for campus ministry, was one day, and was packed with great info. The event was also only about 20 people (due to weather), but they are usually only 40-50 people. So, very intimate, lots of time to process and ask Chuck Bomar questions face to face.

    1. Hey Eli! Thanks for sharing!

      I attended the Catalyst Conference back in the fall of 2009… and you’re right, it’s got some GREAT content, and some BIG names. It’s a lot to take in over the course of a few days… but you’ll find seldom few other place that will bring together the kinds of BIG names that Catalyst does.

      As an introvert, Catalyst was a lot to take in. I think I headed back to my hotel room “early” each day simply for the chance to balance my time with people (15,000+) with some alone time. But if you’re willing to weather the crowds, it is definitely a fantastic conference.

      I’ve not been to any of the CollegeLeader regional training sessions… can you expound a little more on what you experienced there? The size definitely sounds more to my liking. 🙂

  2. I have attended the Q conference the past 2 years and am planning to go back this Year. Although I may change to another conference next year for varieties sake, I think the Q conference has been a valuable experience. The arenas that are covered are very diverse. You get all kinds of shorter presentations on anything you can imagine from the arenas of art, culture, faith, and the places where they meet.
    There are a pretty large percentage of non ministers (vocationally), which I have like a lot because it helps it from becoming to much of a church bubble. It is not for everyone Im sure. You wont find a lot of “5 steps to a better ministry” kind of presentations, but I prefer that. The main drawback is its cost. If you don’t sign up a long ways out you will pay a lot to be there, that has been difficult since I work in a small ministry that is not flush with cash.
    You can investigate more here: http://www.qideas.org/

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