tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9112292.post-61163426172701898462008-04-19T16:58:00.003+08:002008-04-19T17:09:46.412+08:00I have been reading (and commenting) over at <a href="http://www.allelon.org/missional_journey/?p=83">Allelon</a> on a post by Andrew M about conferences. Specifically triggered by last weekends Forge festival. I though t I would post some of my thoughts here too.<br /><br />I said that "I have to confess something…I came away [from the festival/conference] feeling a bit like Andrew M. I know all the cliches about getting out what you put in etc. I was feeling a bit off on the Friday before it all started, but went Friday night and loved it, Mike frost was great [a message worth getting a hold of] , catching up with some old friends was a blast!<br />I loved the conference being in the heart of Melbourne.<br />The venue was brilliant.<br />The electives all looked great (although not explained in much detail on the handbook. In fact this is a personal issue but I hate so many choices, I end up not choosing and going out for coffee somewhere.)<br />I felt the conference, (any conference for that matter) missed the point of what an organic movement is all about - organic, grass roots(y). As soon as a movement such as Forge begin to gather in a “Forgesong” style gathering (ok cynic is me) I feel we lose something of our unique underground subversive identity. I have nothing to back this up other than a feeling I had the first night I walked into conference #1 in 2006 and saw T-shirts and stick pins for sale.<br /><br />So why have I continued to return after 3 years?<br />Same as what Hamo said - I love gathering with people of like mind and hearing stories, coffee shop stories more than up front preachy stories. Over 3 years of attending - this has been almost addictive for me, the stories. The word ‘Tribe’ is used a fair bit about these gatherings. I like that, only that it does not feel like a tribe when we assemble in the big auditorium. It feels like a church meeting, or just like a conference of the type that I used to attend almost religiously up to 8 or 9 times a year in my old mega church life."Vawzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16774212495246396460noreply@blogger.com