Notes from Pastorum Live 2012

As the first-ever Pastorum conference wrapped up, I could sense the excitement in the crowd. Groups of people stood together discussing various sessions and what they’d taken away from the conference, even remarking that this was one of the best conferences they’d recently attended.

Many of Pastorum’s speakers used Logos to give their engaging, encouraging, challenging presentations allowing attendees to follow along on their computers or mobile devices.

I was amazed at how approachable the presenters were. I observed speakers locked in one-on-one conversation with many attendees. One of the presenters told me about meeting a man on the way to get coffee. As they walked, the man poured out his heart to the speaker. What neither of them could have known was that the lecture the speaker intended to give was exactly what that man needed to hear!

I had the privilege of getting to know many of the speakers—thinkers who I had previously known only through their books. As I sat across the table from David Garland, Craig Keener, and Richard Briggs discussing authorship, conferences, and people who’ve influenced our Christian lives, I thought to myself: Awesome—where else but Pastorum could this sort of connection possibly happen?

As we left the conference, a number of speakers told me that they’d had a fantastic time. They had enjoyed the interaction with the audience just as well as the interaction with each other. Many of the speakers don’t often get the chance to connect with their colleagues, and Pastorum made such connection possible. They were excited about next year, hinting—a full year in advance—at wanting to return.

In all, Pastorum was a tremendous success, at least for this attendee. If what we experienced this year is a sign of what’s to come, I’m already excited for next year!