This week I am attending the Southern Baptist annual Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. Leave it to Southern Baptists to have their convention in the summer in one of the hottest cities in the country. Even though the temperatures have been above 100, there really is a difference between the high humidity in Arkansas and the dry heat here in Arizona. At home I would be wringing wet in these temperatures, but I have not even broken a sweat while I've been here.
Phoenix has a beautiful and thriving downtown. The convention center is one of the best that I've seen in all the years that I've been attending the Southern Baptist annual meeting.
The Pastor's Conference is held on Monday before the beginning of the actual convention. It is a day full of worship and preaching. It is a great opportunity for pastors to hear a word from God directed at just them. For most it always proves to be a time of great spiritual refreshment. I was greatly blessed this year by the great number of young pastors who are attending the convention. It's hard to believe that I was once considered one of those "young pastors" when I attended my first convention twenty-six years ago.
One huge hall of the convention center is filled with exhibits from the various agencies of the SBC as well as a Lifeway book store. This year the book store was selling all of its merchandise at a 40% discount which made it very hard to not purchase some books.
The convention proper begins on Tuesday morning. I will be working on the committee that oversees all of the elections and ballot measures. Looking forward to a very busy day.
Phoenix has a beautiful and thriving downtown. The convention center is one of the best that I've seen in all the years that I've been attending the Southern Baptist annual meeting.
Exterior of the Convention Center
View of the stadium where the Fiesta Bowl is played.
The Pastor's Conference is held on Monday before the beginning of the actual convention. It is a day full of worship and preaching. It is a great opportunity for pastors to hear a word from God directed at just them. For most it always proves to be a time of great spiritual refreshment. I was greatly blessed this year by the great number of young pastors who are attending the convention. It's hard to believe that I was once considered one of those "young pastors" when I attended my first convention twenty-six years ago.
One huge hall of the convention center is filled with exhibits from the various agencies of the SBC as well as a Lifeway book store. This year the book store was selling all of its merchandise at a 40% discount which made it very hard to not purchase some books.
The convention proper begins on Tuesday morning. I will be working on the committee that oversees all of the elections and ballot measures. Looking forward to a very busy day.
2 comments:
found your blog through Kelly's Korner (of course!). My husband and I are church planters in Denver, CO-we were just commissioned at the SBC in Phoenix. They had our commissioning on Tuesday evening-not sure if you were there or not.
I grew up in a Southern Baptist Church in SC but this was my first convention. I am thankful for the convention and their heart's to see that NATIONS come to know Christ!
I live in Gilbert, AZ and am an Arizona native (or a Zonie, as they call us!).
That stadium actually happens to be Chase Field, it is where the AZ Diamondbacks play baseball. It's a really neat place, the roof is open in this picture, but it also slides together and completely closes.
Sorry to break the news, I know what football fans your family is (I read Kelly's blog!). The Fiesta Bowl has been held at ASU and at University of Phx stadium. I thought you might like to know though :)
Did you experience a "breeze" in AZ? It's kind of like staning in front of an enormous hair dryer-ha!
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