From: Subject: Buzz Conference Attracts 'Theater Church', Urges Creativity | Christianpost.com- Christian News Online , Christian World News Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2006 12:13:33 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01C6D989.87CB9190" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2962 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C6D989.87CB9190 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.christianpost.com/article/20060505/4170.htm Buzz = Conference Attracts 'Theater Church', Urges Creativity | = Christianpost.com- Christian News Online , Christian World News

Updated: Sat, Sep. 16 2006 10:54 AM ET =20

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Buzz Conference Attracts = 'Theater=20 Church', Urges Creativity

Some 300 Christian = leaders and=20 pastors across the nation and from as far away = as=20 Australia gathered to share innovative and = interactive=20 ways to deliver the Gospel message and hold = service.=20

By = Michelle Vu

michelle@christianpost.com=

Fri, May. 05 2006 = 09:14 AM=20 ET

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WASHINGTON =96 = Popcorn, a=20 soda stand, soft drinks, and a corridor lined = with movie=20 posters greeted attendees of the first annual = Buzz=20 Conference on Thursday.

=20 Enlarge this=20 Image

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The first = annual Buzz=20 Conference in a movie theater in Union Station=20 Washington D.C. attracted some 300 attendees = throughout=20 the nation including a pastor from Australia on=20 Thursday, Apr. May 4, 2006. (Photo: The = Christian=20 Post)

Held in a = theater=20 underneath Union Station =96 once the world=92s = largest=20 train station =96 some 300 Christian leaders and = pastors=20 across the nation and from as far away as = Australia=20 gathered to share innovative and interactive = ways to=20 deliver the Gospel message and hold service.=20

Hosted by Washington=92s National = Community=20 Church, the two-day event was formed from the=20 convictions that: the church ought to be the = most=20 creative place on the planet; the greatest = message=20 deserves the greatest marketing; and the Church = is=20 called to compete in the middle of the = marketplace.=20

=93We are called to compel,=94 said Mark = Batterson,=20 the lead pastor of National Community Church. = =93There is=20 nothing passive, nothing static about the buzz=20 commission in Luke 14:23. It is not prevent, = defense but=20 a two-minute offense. There is a sense of=20 urgency.=94

Batterson led the first = session of the=20 Buzz conference with the title of =93The Buzz=20 Commandments,=94 explaining the term =93buzz=94 = and how to=20 create buzz.

=93Born on the wrong side = of the=20 track in the Judea outback, working in a = carpenter shop=20 until he was 30, he never wrote a book, he never = held a=20 public office, and his ministry only lasted = three=20 years,=94 said the self-described =93casual and = goofy=94=20 pastor. =93Yet 2000 years later two billion = people claim=20 to be his followers. How do you explain that? I = think=20 the answer is =91supernatural buzz.=92 It was a = word of=20 mouth revolution. It was a Spirit-powered = word-of-mouth=20 marketing. Jesus started a word-of-mouth = revolution and=20 he gave his agents the buzz commission =96 = compelled them=20 to come in.=94

=93Let me tell you what = Buzz is not.=20 Buzz is not a marketing gimmick. Buzz is not a = publicity=20 stunt. Buzz is an ancient mandate,=94 Batterson = continued.=20 =93We are called to compel and the truth was = that no one=20 was better at it than Jesus. It is amazing how = many=20 times the phrase =91and the news spread=92 is = repeated in=20 the Gospel.=94

The pastor of the movie = theater=20 church highlighted podcasting as an effective = ministry=20 tool for fulfilling the buzz commission.=20

=93Podcasting is the latest and greatest = example.=20 Podcasting is field teaching. It is circuit = riding at=20 the speed of light,=94 said Batterson. = =93Digital technology=20 allows any preacher to travel 250,000 miles to = preach=20 40,000 sermons at the click of the mouse. We = live in a=20 unique generation where we have unprecedented=20 opportunities to fulfill the great=20 commission.=94

=93It is our job to redeem = technology=20 and use it for God=92s purpose.=94

Ed = Young, senior=20 pastor of Fellowship Church, one of the ten = largest=20 churches in America, spoke during the second = session,=20 agreeing with Batterson that churches need and = should be=20 creative in delivering Biblical messages. =

=93We=20 are made in the image of God, and He is the = Creator, so=20 we should be creative,=94 said Young in his = session titled=20 Creative Leadership. =93The Church should = be the=20 most creative.=94

One way Batterson finds = effective=20 in communicating Biblical messages is being = creative in=20 how he delivers a message.

=93What I try = to do is=20 say old things in new ways because the Gospel = has to be=20 incarnated for every generation in every = culture,=94 said=20 the National Community Church pastor. =93You = know, maybe=20 if we stop thinking like pastors and started = thinking=20 like missionaries we would get it.=94

He = also=20 emphasized the need to exceed expectation, to = redirect=20 one=92s competitiveness for God=92s purpose, and = to not be=20 afraid to be oneself and different.

=93I = don=92t want=20 to be a criticizer. I would think that we would = do=20 better at giving other churches some biblical = latitude=20 to be who they are,=94 said Batterson. =93We = need a lot of=20 different kinds of churches because there are a = lot of=20 different kinds of people. It is not about = better or=20 worse but about us fulfilling our unique = destiny.=94=20

For more information about National = Community=20 Church visit: http://www.theaterchurch.com/<= BR>

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