Join us August 2nd-4th as people from around the country gather together again to discuss building thriving communities of faith in this radically changing world.

What are people saying about these annual conferences?

"Exciting and cutting edge!"

"I walked away feeling empowered from the conference--literally. It wasn't just a bunch of info... I actually felt faith and a surge of empowerment."

"It felt like we built real community by having a space to talk about this approach to faith and church that isn't happening anywhere else."

"I will always come back for the people." 

BLUE OCEAN SUMMMIT 2010

Join us this year for our third annual conference where people from all over the country gather together again to reconnect and discuss a type of faith that is close to our hearts. For many of us, it's challenging and wonderful to be people of faith in a secular-dominated setting. While it can feel alienating, many of us love living in places like this, secretly suspecting that we in fact prefer secular settings to religious ones.

People come to this conference again and again to find support, vision, and concrete help as they share their experiences and connect with others from around the country who feel committed to experiencing and fostering vibrant faith in their communities.

Whether you're joining us for the third time or the first time, there's something here for everybody. Dave Schmelzer and Charles Park will be sharing the latest tips and ideas on centered-set faith and building thriving Blue Ocean Churches in your area. Members of other churches and organizations who have partnered with us will be sharing their experiences of faith and what they've been doing in other places around the country. There will also be a special talk addressing the hot topic of homosexuality and centered-set faith.

In addition to that there will be several smaller breakout discussion groups where participants can connect with other like-minded individuals and share their experiences and ideas about given topics. Topic availability will depend upon conference demand and number of leaders. Potential topics/groups include:

• Pastor's gathering
• Centered-set Worship & The Arts
• Further discussions on faith and the LGBT community
• College Ministry
• Running Seek
• Running a Leap of Faith
• Praying for your Six

There will also be plenty of time during lunch and dinner for you to continue your conversations, relax, go out to eat, and reconnect with old friends.

As an added bonus, all registered conference attendees will receive one FREE copy of our brand new professionally produced Seek DVD set. This DVD set has over 13 DVD's with bonus materials.

Logistics:

Download the schedule:

617-491-8000 617-491-8000

What's New:

Seek DVD's -- On August second we will release the brand new professionally produced Seek DVD set (over 13 DVD's with bonus materials). All conference attendees will receive one set FREE (similar DVD sets are sold from $100 - $300) and be eligible for a special discount on future orders.

Adapted from the Alpha Course over 13 years ago, Seek has developed into 10 week suggestion-and experience-based course about investigating faith and Jesus. Over the years, Seek has proven to be highly successful in the Cambridge and Boston area and over 100 churches and individuals have requested the materials. Click here to learn more.

Participants are traveling from around the country to reconnect with old friends, hear the latest ideas about centered-set faith and building Blue Ocean communities, share their own experiences and hear what others have been trying. For those participating in the pastor's gathering, Dave Schmelzer will be giving tips and advice on how to think about money and pitch it to your congregation.

You will also be informed of how you can partner with and tap into the well-spring of free resources offered by Not Religious. We would love to show you how you can contribute your own ideas and stay connected with the larger community.

Conference Speakers:

Dave Schmelzer has a background both in theology (Fuller Seminary, '87) and the arts (Stanford University, '84, and a decade as a working playwright).  He leads a church in the Boston area (Vineyard Christian Fellowship--Greater Boston), keeps his hand in some fiction writing, and lives just outside Boston with his wife, Grace and their five children. He is also one of the founders of Not Religious, Inc. and has a blog at www.notreligious.org.

Charles Park is the Senior Pastor of The River in New York City. Charles and his wife Caroline moved to New York in June 2004 to start the Manhatten-based Vineyard. Charles studied (a little too much when he was young), earning a PhD in Economics at M.I.T. After striving hard to achieve the American Dream, he found getting tangled up with the story of God made life much more interesting and unpredictable. Of all the great heroes of Western Literature, he most identifies with Forrest Gump. "Life is like a box of chocolates."

He and Caroline live in Manhattan with their three children, Clara, Ariel and Caleb.

Hear From Practioners in the field:

Members of other churches and organizations who have partnered with us will also be sharing their experiences of faith and what they've been doing in other places around the country.

Additional Resources:

If you haven't had the opportunity to attend these conferences in the past, you can still be on the cutting edge of the conversation by listening to a few of the key talks.

Key talks from the last two years:

• "The Heart of Centered-Set Faith" -- Dave Schmelzer (Aug. 18th, 2008 -- 9:30 am)

• "Let's Fish the Blue Ocean" -- Charles Park (Aug. 13th, 2009 -- 8:00 pm)

In addition to that, participants from these conferences and others around the world have gathered together online to continue these evergrowing conversations. To read the latest thread, join the blog at Not Religious Inc.

Suggested Pre-reading:

Written in 2009 for last year's conference, Blue Ocean Churches (previously named "Culture Center Churches") turned out to be a smashing success. In it, Dave Schmezler shares his experiences of planting a church in the heart of secular America. This manual chronicles the trials and errors of the Greater Boston Vineyard as it grew from 30 people to over 800 in an area of less than 3% churchgoers. Dave shares useful tips and advice for anyone looking to build a community of vibrant faith in this changing world.

This manual is free upon request for all conference attendees. To receive a copy send an email with your mailing address to BlueOceanChurches@notreligious.org

Written back in 2008, Not The Religious Type, Confessions of a Turncoat Atheist was one of the inspirations for these annual conferences. The intriguing topics raised in this book begged for larger discussion. The book has since served as the jumping off platform for our larger conversations about faith and secular culture. Click on the picture to purchase and read more about the book.