Gathering of Bloggers

Had a cool time today, hanging out at the Nile with a fun mix of bloggers. There was unfiltered, honest and lively discussion about everything from technology and the church to churches and seminaries who are stuck in the '80's to...well, it's safe to say that we covered a lot of territory...

Today's Coffeehouse Ratpack:

Mark Bjornholm - This was my first opportunity to meet Mark in real life, so that in and of itself was very cool. He is a genuinely nice guy, has a great heart for serving, and currently has many irons in the fire. I hope to get together again with him, soon. Mark also blew me away today by handing me the audio version of one of the books on my wishlist: "Now Discover Your Strengths!" by Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Clifton. How cool is that? Thanks again, Mark!

Jason Simmons - Was crackin' me up, as usual, today. Jason is definitely the man with the word pictures! His story is one of serving on a church staff, coming from a family in ministry, wandering away from God for a time, working in the world of business, and coming back to God with a fresh heart for ministry. A standout quote - "Ministry for me now is a passion rather than just a position." Great stuff.

Anthony Coppedge - Where do I begin? It's always a blast hangin' out with Anthony. Always challenging, passionate and fun. And some fun facts to know and tell that I did not know before today - He plays the drums and a few more musical instruments, as well! Who knew? Anthony is the most knowledgeable guy in media ministry today, and has a heart for helping churches become all they can be to reach people for Christ. He was on a roll, today and was giving me plenty of stuff to laugh about. Look for some cool stuff in the works from him in the days ahead...

Thanks, Mark, Jason and Anthony for a great time of dialog, laughter and encouragement. I'm sure we'll be converging on the unsuspecting coffee shop again, soon!