Looking forward to Atlanta

24 hours from now, I'll be in Atlanta for the Youth Specialties Convention. I really can't wait. It has become a spiritual highlight of my year, in large part because it is the one time that I can get away and spend some time with God trying to figure out what direction he wants Quest to take in the following year. Some of the things I'm thinking about as I head toward Atlanta:

• Community. I feel like we have generally done a pretty good job over the years of providing a place where people can really get to know each other and build substantive, authentic relationships. Over the last couple of months, we have grown and added a bunch of new people to the group. That's fantastic, but it means that we have to figure out ways to maintain the community and continue to build relationships in a bigger group setting.
• Creativity and Participation. I feel like we have generally done a pretty good job of engaging people in conversation. Thankfully, when we discuss the Bible or have other spiritual discussions, it isn't just me talking. I think we have generally created an atmosphere where we can have open discussions about topics. As a group gets bigger, however, discussion can more easily get side-tracked. Also, I would love to include some additional creativity and include more ways of participation than simply dialogue.
• Impacting the world around us. I've been thinking about ways that we can show the love of Christ to the people around us.
• Practical things like space. We've pretty much filled our living room. How do we make sure that everyone feels at home. When we served dinner on Tuesday, we literally needed to use every plate we owned - including the Christmas plates. And we still haven't figured out where to put the Christmas tree.

So that gives you some insight into what kinds of things I'm thinking about, and seeking direction for, when I head to Atlanta tomorrow. Your prayers would be appreciated.