Barry McMurtrie in Brisbane

Well, that all depends whether you count the Gold Coast as part of greater Brisbane.  Barry McMurtrie is the keynote speaker of Team Fest, being held at Marina Quays International Resort on Hope Island from the 6th to the 8th of November.  Barry McMurtie was senior pastor at Crossroads Church in California from 1993.  

From the brochure (not available online as far as I could tell):

Team Fest is an opportunity for team leaders and team members to acquire the necessary skills to develop effective teams for ministry in larger congregations.

For More information call Ted Keating (0407 461 679) or Juliette Keating (0411 428 038).

Staff Retreat

On Tuesday our church's staff went on a retreat at the Still Water Centre in Toowong that involved fasting, solitude and silence, followed by some serious feasting and celebration.  I really valued the opportunity to share such a significant experience with my colleagues outside of a work environment.  

The following lines from Leonard Cohen's 'Anthem' were quoted by the facillitator and have prompted much reflection:

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There's a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in.

David Cook in Brisbane

Though it's definitely very soon, some may be interested to know that David Cook, principal of Sydney Missionary and Bible College will be lecturing at Queensland Theological College (formerly the Consortium of Reformed Colleges) from Monday 16th to Thursday 19th July, at their beautiful campus on the Brisbane River at St Lucia.  He will teach an undergraduate intensive on preaching, and QTC also offers a very modestly-priced audit option.

Larry Hurtado in Brisbane

Aaron Ghiloni reports that Larry Hurtado will be in Brisbane from the 25th until the 28th of July, thanks to Everyday Mission, part of the Faith and Life Vicariate of the Brisbane Catholic Archdiocese.

Last year Tom Wright, Cormack Murphy O'Connor and William Cavanaugh were guests of the Brisbane Catholic Archdiocese in their focus on Jesus - Communion - Mission.  Which makes me wonder who else we may have in Brisbane later this year thanks to their hospitality.  And which makes me want to say how extremely grateful I am for their hard work, ecumenical mindset and joyful focus on their diocesan vision of Jesus - Communion - Mission.

Alan Roxburgh in Brisbane

With scholars such as Ben Myers and Mike Bird calling Brisbane home, the city could hardly be called a backwater.  However, while high calibre researchers, teachers, and practitioners often make this sleepy little town a port of call, not everyone gets to hear about it.   

So I'm happy to advertise that Alan Roxburgh, author of The Sky is Falling: Leaders Lost in Transition and co-author of The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World will be in Brisbane on the 26th of August for a gathering of interested church leaders from across denominations.  Numbers are severely limited, so contact either Churches of Christ in Queensland or Queensland Baptists of you're interested.