Posts Tagged: the idea camp

the idea camp — 4 Comments
24
Nov 09

My thoughts on The Idea Camp Pacific Northwest

Having now attended The Idea Camp in Portland, OR (ICPNW) as well as the initial event in Irvine, CA I must say that the two events were very different--in a good way. While most of the people that were in Portland were not at the Irvine event, it was clear to see that social media, technology, and networking were at play at ICPNW. There was kind of an interesting dynamic that took place with Asians seeming to congregate together and not interact much with the rest of the group. I’ve found that to happen far too often, and not just in faith-based communities. This was a bit discouraging as there were several conversation I overheard where people were discussing the whole Deadly Viper issue. Some were doing so in the form of gossip like, “Did you hear that deadlyviper.org got shutdown?” while others were talking about being confused by the whole incident. To have had the chance to cross cultural divides and just openly discuss that was something I had hoped to see happen, but in the end it never did.

Something that was really cool was having a chance to hear John Sowers, president of The Mentoring Project, share his story and his passion for seeing younger generations find mentors within the local church. Having made an appointment to speak with a new friend named Kyle Reed--who is also passionate about the subject of mentors--when I returned from ICPNW was clearly more than just coincidence. I had a chance to share some of that experience with Kyle today.

One of the other key things I walked away with from The Idea Camp was that Portland is a city in transition. It’s changed both culturally and demographically since I visited there last about 15 years ago. It’s a smaller city than my hometown of Sacramento and there seems to be a greater presence of ministries and organizations committed to help the problem of the houseless (homeless), yet I saw many more examples of people on the streets in Portland in 2 days than I see in Sacramento in a month. There were people on the streets every few blocks, in all parts of town I visited--even in the largest mall in the city anchored by Nordstrom’s and Macy’s. That deeply affected me and I’m still processing through how that will shape my heart and actions. It alerted me to a lot of the pain and discomfort that my friend Mark Horvath of invisiblepeople.tv must experience being an activist to people on the streets 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. How Mark can keep pushing for change and seeking to connect people to reach out compassionately is an amazing thing. He is a voice to those who may otherwise not have a voice. I have a new perspective on his work and lifestyle and appreciate him even more and am more-honored to know that he is my friend.

With the overall theme of ICPNW being “Being Present With The City” I was convicted about my role in my own community and how at this point much of my ministry has been based on my words with less action than I’m comfortable with. It brought out inner emotions of my struggle with conveying a clear vision and connecting people to the city through it. It encouraged me to know that in Portland and other cities people have pursued the dream of seeing the local church thought of as part of the city (rather than an exclusive enclave for the privileged people God loves more than others). People like Matt Payne and Brett Aljets whom lead churches well-connected with their local school districts and families. It is forcing me to re-think some things and to refine my goals. It’s causing me to be more about my actions rather than my words.

I got a chance to see a bit of a different perspective having had the opportunity to sit in on some of the leadership meetings preceding the event. It was a very organic process that begged to have more structure, yet obviously didn’t need it. Things flowed seamlessly, people knew their roles and fulfilled them well, there was a cohesiveness that was evident. The interaction that the team had hoped for was manifested with some great dialog and Q&A taking place that should lead to ideas coming to fruition down the road. It was interesting to have a behind-the-scenes peek at ICPNW. I was so appreciative of having the chance to experience the freedom of seeing collaboration take place. Thank you Charles Lee, Dawn Carter, Greg Russinger, Jake Schwein, Dennis Miclau, Jim Gray, Michael Trent, Becky Manning and Brett Aljets for welcoming me into the mix even though I wasn’t able to lend much…just watching you guys do your thing was a huge blessing!

Lastly, The Idea Camp for me has always been a place to meet new people and see how I might speak into their lives and connect them with others. As an introvert that has never really cared about networking, The Idea Camp has forever changed me in that regard. I cherish those opportunities I have to meet people I may have only known through online social media and look to see how our relationships can grow when we aren’t confined to tweeting in 140 character bursts or facebook messaging. I’m not one to drop names, but I was blown away at some of the people that came up to me and said hello or were open to converse with me. Some of these people have confirmed future connection times to pursue relationships and this has humbled me greatly. I had several examples of people tapping me on the shoulder (therefore, only seeing my back & not able to make eye contact) only to find that when I turned around I was speechless because I had no clue why they would intentionally come say hello to me when there were other more-important people they could be talking to. I was even able to make a quick connection with someone behind the scenes at a large-scale leadership conference that was open to sharing their first-hand perspective on the events in contrast to my perspective of being kind of an anti-hyped-up-big-conference guy.

Unexpectedly I got quite a bit out of my time at The Idea Camp in Portland. What are some of the things you walked away with or experienced during your time there? I’d appreciate reading your perspective in the comments below :)

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the idea camp — No Comments
2
Oct 09

Why The Idea Camp?

idea-camp-avatarAs it’s almost time for the third The Idea Camp coming up in Portland, OR on 11/20-21, I have been reflecting back on my experiences from The Idea Camp I attended back in February. In an interview I did this morning with Charles Lee, the creator of The Idea Camp, I was reminded about the networking aspect of the event. As someone who was new in ministry and unknown even in my city, The Idea Camp was a huge event for making lasting connections I never imagined I would have. I, as an introvert, was exposed to so many people that knew me before I even showed up that I couldn’t help but talk with them and share on the experience.

Twitter was the tool that allowed me to make connections via my computer, but The Idea Camp was where I had to come out from the digital world and enter into relationships in-person. The Idea Camp was such a welcoming venue with a lot of caring, friendly and genuine people that it was easy to be someone I am not ordinarily--an extrovert.

While I remember and have been impacted by the Idea Sessions on church planting in suburban communities with a heart for urban areas, social networking and using technology in ministry, it is my relationships with people that have changed my life the most.

I’ve posted on The Idea Camp several times on my blog, but being connected with the people I met there--even some I met via dialog on twitter, yet never met in-person--on a continual basis really makes me pause and reflect on the amazing things that happened as a result of my attending a free conference called The Idea Camp.

For those of us introverts that know we have to make a better effort to connect with others, The Idea Camp is a perfect place to do so. The focus isn’t on celebrity speakers, it’s on the attenders. You will be asked (not forced) to engage in discussions with a roomful of other attenders and share your insight as well as take away insight of others. You will have a chance to hear someone speak about something to the audience, yet walk up to them and ask them some follow up questions. The Idea Camp is a great place to learn from others, but it’s an even better place to see others learn from you. It’s a humbling experience, but one that changed my ministry and the way I look at conferences and networking. Thanks to The Idea Camp, I’ll never be the same.

Did you attend a previous The Idea Camp in Irvine, CA or Washington, D.C.? What were your experiences? Did you build lasting relationships as a result? Please share some of your impressions for the sake of those that may not be familiar with The Idea Camp or may be uncertain as to whether they should attend or not. Also, you can learn more by watching the interview I did with Charles Lee and reading the overview of the upcoming The Idea Camp here.

PS. If you’d like to attend The Idea Camp in Portland, OR 11/20-21 for free, there is a link on the right sidebar where you can click-through to the registration page.

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friends / social justice / the idea camp — 7 Comments
12
Aug 09

When I think of friends, I am reminded of…

I’ve been thinking a lot about my friendships recently. No matter what I do from today forward, to know that I have such supportive friends is truly a blessing. They aren’t my friends because they think church planting is chic. They are my friends because of who I am, not what I’ve done.

When I think of my friends I am reminded of two things: 1) seminary; 2) The Idea Camp. Today I wanted to share a little bit about The Idea Camp. For the many of you that follow me on twitter or are my friends on facebook, you’ll know how much of an impact the very first The Idea Camp back in February 2009 has had on me. I can’t seem to say enough about it. Well, it’s time for The Idea Camp to spread its wings and travel to the east coast August 28th & 29th. Unfortunately, I won’t be attending this session which is being dubbed the ” justice edition,” but I am eagerly anticipating the updates from my friends that will be there. So many unexpectedly positive things come about when creativity and collaboration intersect and The Idea Camp is a perfect example of this.

Have you ever attended a Christian/leadership conference and gotten all hyped-up about all that the speakers proclaimed into your life and the crazy-good music that was performed? Then, even with the best intentions, you got home and everything sort of fizzled out a week later. As strange as this may sound, I have no idea what that is like as I have never gone to a ministry conference until my arrival at the first The Idea Camp back in February. That was six months ago and I still reflect back on that time and am amazed (and greatly humbled) at all of the relationships I am still actively involved in that came about from those two days back in February. As amazing as the interaction and discussions were at The Idea Camp last February, I experienced most of the meaningful aspects of the conference after I returned home.

    creativity + collaboration = meaningful relationships

I have so many resources available as a result of The Idea Camp. Everyone that was there has made themselves available afterwards and have inspired and encouraged me to do my best and continue to be relational and relevant within this community. Most of my time on twitter is actually spent interacting with people I met during the first The Idea Camp. I’ve even since driven the 800+ miles round trip to the Los Angeles area three times since February to meetup with my The Idea Camp friends. I can only imagine what will happen as people converge in Washington DC in a couple of weeks to renew discussions and provide their insights into dialogs on compassion and justice.

The Idea Camp has presentations from some great minds and creative geniuses (of which I put Charles Lee--the facilitator & initiator of The Idea Camp--at the top of this list), but where it thrives is in the breakout sessions where leaders are asked to speak no more than a few minutes to introduce a subject and then open it up to free-flowing discussions from those in attendance. In essence, it’s not about the speakers--it’s all about you. Here’s how The Idea Camp is being officially described:

    The Idea Camp is a collaborative movement of idea-makers who facilitate free hybrid conferences and develop resources for people who desire to move ideas toward implementation. Facilitated by a growing collective of innovative thinkers and practitioners from numerous disciplines, participants gather around topics of interest to encourage and inspire one another, share practical wisdom from the field, and develop intentional networks for idea-making.

What’s it take to be a part of this amazing open source collaboration? Just find a way to get there and then be prepared to listen, think, take notes, make (lots) of new friends, and jump into the conversations. The Idea Camp is provided to you free of charge. They just ask that you register in advance, which you can do by going to: http://theideacamp.com and clicking on the “upcoming events” tab. If you’re anywhere within driving distance, make time for this conference! If you can afford to fly out, your time there on August 28th & 29th will repay itself many times over. I can’t convey how valuable my time was in February and how important the relationships I made while I was there have been to me. I hope you’ll find a way to be there in Washington DC to learn more and offer input in regards to compassion & justice ministries and take away some powerful words of wisdom, time of worship, and potentially life-long relationships. This is even before knowing the list of speakers scheduled to present, which will include some high-level talent eager to share what has been placed in their hearts with you! Which reminds me. Know why The Idea Camp is free for you? Mostly, it’s because the speakers (past presenters include: Erwin McManus, Dave Gibbons, David Ruis, Matthew Barnett) agree to come out at their own expense…they pay for their flights, hotel, food, etc and take no honorarium because they believe in giving back to you.

Thanks to Charles Lee and everyone that has invested their time, money, and effort to see this event continue!

Event: The Idea Camp: Justice Edition DC

Dates: August 28-29, 2009

Location: Mt. Olivet Methodist Church, 1500 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22207

Number of organizations participating: 40+ (complete list at http://theideacamp.com)

For more information: http://theideacamp.com & http://theideacamp.ning.com

Main contact: Charles Lee -- charles@theideacamp.com or 310-995-1445

If after reading this you find that you can’t make it to The Idea Camp this time, would you please consider joining me in praying over the event, leaders, speakers, attenders, location, etc? There’s a lot going on to get ready beforehand and a ton of things happening during the event.

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Dave (personal) / life — 3 Comments
1
Apr 09

Being a catalyst

[This is kind of a random rant--one that most won't have patience for--however, it is what is on my mind at the moment]

catalystWith all the buzz going on right now about Catalyst West Coast, it has me thinking. Have you seen the list of speakers: Erwin McManus, Francis Chan, Brian Houston, Perry Noble…and worship is being lead by Hillsong & Steve Fee. It’s truly an amazing line up…if you can afford it. Registration is $289 + travel + hotel + food. Even for me in Northern California this two-day event in Irvine would cost me about $750 if I drive a car instead of fly.

The interesting thing is that the only conference I have ever attended has been The Idea Camp. Interesting in that this conference was presented completely free and also had Erwin McManus speaking. Interesting also in that The Idea Camp was referred to as the “un-conference, conference.” It was a gathering of great minds and passionate hearts for ministry that had a chance to openly discuss ideas. Everyone has a chance to participate and to receive in an environment that nurtured creativity. Unfortunately, I think The Idea Camp has spoiled me. It was a place where new relationships were formed and previous relationships were strengthened. I got to meet people in-person that I had only previously known through twitter or facebook. As crazy as this seems, I even met friends at The Idea Camp via twitter yet never met them in-person. We would tweet during the event and reply via twitter, yet never find each other in the crowd. One of the greatest places of strength and encouragement I have received after The Idea Camp has come from my new friend Elora Nicole Ramirez. Known as @eloranicole on twitter, she seems to sense my mood and is always there, right on time, whenever I need a lift (which has been more-frequent in the past month than I’d like to admit).

Going to Catalyst West Coast, even if I could afford it, may not be the best thing for me after having experienced The Idea Camp. Actually, The Idea Camp may have spoiled me from wanting to go to any other conferences. The thing I learned from The Idea Camp--aside from reinforcing the fact that everyone has a voice they can lend to something--is that I am a catalyst and I need to be in an environment that facilitates change. I am not a status quo person and I do not thrive in places of comfortable complacency. As an introverted person, I don’t like (nor want to be) the center of attention, but I do want to be at the center of change. Even when things seem to be going well, I am always looking at how it can be better. It’s one of the traits that I truly believe drives my wife crazy, but I pray often that she too will learn to love the life of being a catalyst and the fruit of change can have eternal impacts when it comes to sharing the gospel of Christ to the world.

As I think of Catalyst West Coast, I am reminded of my time in youth ministry. Kids got together and experienced life together for a few days. They would be attentive to the speaker and on the last night of the retreat, they would respond with commitments to live their lives more like Jesus. For the next few days following the retreat, they would be talking about how much their lives had changed as a result of their time at the retreat. Some even recited quotes from the speaker they heard. However, two weeks later and they almost always reverted back to their old selves…until next year at the next retreat, where the cycle would continue. I have seen it happen often in adults as well. They get jacked up for the greatest conference of the year and the chance to hear words of wisdom from celebrated speakers. They come home fired-up to use their new wisdom in awesome ways. In the end, when things don’t work or other things take priority, the new stuff fizzles out and life goes back to normal.

In the end, the direction I feel led to go after praying about going to Catalyst West Coast seems reasonable. The time to plant Revolution Church Sacramento is now. I don’t need any more pep talks or more ideas in my head. There is no other golden road to follow or a-ha! moment waiting for me. God has set me on a path and the road ahead is clear. I must stay focused on the race he has set me to run and look for opportunities to be a catalyst here in Sacramento.

I look forward to all the positive responses I will see on twitter and facebook and blogs from those that attend Catalyst West Coast. There is an unbelievably amazing lineup of people I would truly appreciate learning from. If you are one that attends conferences and gains something from them, I do not want to discourage you from going. If you can afford to attend and are in a place where refreshment, new ideas, and being challenged will benefit you, make no excuses and just go! For me though, I believe the time has arived for my learning to come by doing and by utilizing those that God has blessed me with in my current network. The time has come for me not to seek a catalyst, but to be a catalyst. I want to live a life indicative of the transformation that God created in me while seeking to precipitate processes or events that allow God to transform the lives of others in positive ways.

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the idea camp — 2 Comments
4
Mar 09

The Idea Camp: Post-camp thoughts…art of networking

One of the things I wanted to do at The Idea Camp was to get some ideas on networking. I’ve done a lot of networking in the past for gaining business clients, but never really networked much to gain resources. As I’ve mentioned on this blog before, I am not much of a social person. In fact, I’m pretty introverted normally. So, The Idea Camp was a place I could push my limits a bit.

DJ Chuang has really helped me gain an understanding on networking. He is more than a follower on twitter or a friend on facebook, but he truly gets how to build relationships. Obviously Charles T. Lee gets networking as well since in his interview with me he revealed that he knew most of the facilitators prior to hosting The Idea Camp.

Anyone can jump on twitter and just follow thousands of people and get reciprocal followers and look like they have a lot of influence, but that really isn’t networking. It’s more like broadcasting.

What sets DJ & Charles apart from the crowd? It’s their willingness to listen and then try to help others network as well. It’s their interest in the individual that matters. I remember once how DJ Chuang first came into my life through following my youtube channel. Then, by my following his blog I sent him an email which then turned into a phone call, which then turned into a tweetup at The Idea Camp, which then became a bond between us. I consider DJ a friend now. With Charles, I remember tweeting about how I really wanted to get to The Idea Camp, but wasn’t sure I could get coverage for an event that was happening that Friday night which I led every month, nor was I sure I could afford the travel. Every time Charles would just tweet back, “Just commit to come down. You won’t be disappointed.” Honestly, I don’t think anyone would have missed me if I had not gone to The Idea Camp. However, Charles made me feel like I was important. He cared about me and my presence. Now that I know Charles a little more, I am compelled to stay in touch just so I can see how I can help him with his causes and ministry and continue learning from him and reciprocating the love any way possible.

In the end, the art of networking isn’t about the network, but it is about you. What are you trying to gain from networking and how do you choose who to network with? Having 123,830 twitter followers does not make you a networker, it generally you a twitter whore. Better to have 50 people in a sphere of influence where community and lasting relationships are developed then to be the rockstar of the twitter community. Do you care about relationships, or just how many people know who you are?

Thanks to DJ Chuang and Charles T. Lee, I feel blessed and priviledged to sense their caring and kindness to a nobody like me that at one time felt lost in the world of networking, but now feel like I have learned how to do it properly and responsibly. The Idea Camp made this a reality for me.

How do you network and why? Would appreciate your comments.

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