Conference anyone?

I'm not much of a conference attender myself. But that's not to say I wouldn't like to go to one. I just haven't been to many and that's not likely to change in the near future. I can think of one conference I've been to in the last 10 years. It was a Ravi Zacharias International Ministries conference and its focus was apologetics. It was excellent. If I had the time and money, here are 3 conferences I would attend in 2009:

1) The Gospel Coalition 2009 National Conference - Entrusted with the Gospel: Living the Vision of Second Timothy

The theme of this Conference gets to the heart of the book of Second Timothy. As Paul is mentoring a young Timothy, he is communicating the great privilege of proclaiming the gospel to the world. In an age bereft of courageous leadership, declining biblical literacy, and rising cultural accommodation, a prophetic voice from the center is needed, a voice that faithfully speaks the ancient text to our contemporary context. This Conference seeks a renewal of faithful preaching that is rooted in the Scriptures and centered on the gospel.

The best of gospel-faithful ministry is not only taught, it is also caught. This was the practice of the Apostle Paul -- the great missionary of the early church -- who not only had much to say regarding what constitutes gospel-faithful ministry, but also had much to show of what it looked like in an individual life and in the life of the church. We see these two foci coming together harmoniously in Paul's letter to the church in Corinth:

On 21-23 April 2009, The Gospel Coalition will hold its second National Conference on the theme, "Entrusted with the Gospel: Living the Vision of Second Timothy."

2) WorshipGod09: From Generation to Generation

What are we teaching future generations about worshiping God? What kind of legacy will we leave? Will those who follow us be more impressed with our music or our God? Maybe the psalmist had those questions in mind when he wrote, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4 ESV)?

To equip us for declaring the mighty acts of God to the next generation, John Piper, C.J. Mahaney, Jeff Purswell, and Thabiti Anyabwile will be addressing us at the general sessions of WorshipGod09. Keith and Kristyn Getty will also be with us, sharing their perspectives on songwriting and singing some of their timeless songs.

Seminars this year include intermediate and advanced instrumental tracks, encouraging physical expressiveness, raising up young worship leaders, teaching children about worship, songwriting, media applications, and much more. Don Whitney will be back to talk about family worship and cultivating a thirst for God.

3) Clarus 09 - The Convergence of Doctrine and Delight

Clarus, which is Latin for bright or clear, is Desert Springs Church's annual conference dedicated to understanding the Bible better. The goal of Clarus is to enlighten the church and clarify difficult theological issues.

Speaking: Dr. Ray Ortlund Jr. and Dr. Sam Storms