A Funny Thing Happened At The Forum 2009

By Rachael Hartman
Oct. 28, 2009

I can't stop thinking about Forum. This year was my first time to attend, and I absolutely loved it. In two words, the Forum was “engaging” and “proactive.”

The Forum is a place where worldwide evangelists, pastors, authors, teachers, and local leaders listened to the opinions of new converts, prodigal sons, college students, and 20somethings. They did this by hosting panels where the panelists are only the starting point; after they share their insights and expertise on the topic (“The 21^st Century Church,” “The New Social Gospel: Apostolic or 60s Liberalism?”) the audience is encouraged to share their own insights, experiences, and expertise. Every session built in group discussion time, without the voice of a single expert talking.

I Spoke; Others Listened

When I spoke, I felt heard. Having others listen to me increased my faith that God listens to me.

Others Spoke; I Listened

Listening to the godly perspectives, opinions, and ideas of others helps tune my ear to listen when God speaks.

We Connected Intellectually

Every panel discussion left me feeling the group had come to a unified, well-rounded understanding on the topic at hand. We all may not have agreed, but we all opened our minds to each other, respected each other and supported each other. We were all free to bring our thoughts to the table and leave the same way we came, just with broadened horizons.

We Laughed

The atmosphere was easy-going. I felt comfortable to be myself. I sensed no silent pressure to conform. And so many funny things happened, that it was almost odd how 40+ people who barely knew each other would laugh comfortably. I've never been in a room with so many art-museum-going Apostolics!

And I must say, it was very sanitary too. I loved how we passed the Germ-X just before partaking communion.

We Cried

I've always been told if you can make them laugh then you can make them cry. The Lord certainly brought that about at The Forum. After laughing in the fellowship of old and new friends, I cried under the power of the Holy Ghost that overwhelmed me as ministers brought the word of God to life.

There were two “service-like” sessions. One at the beginning (where evangelist Jason Sciscoe spoke of God standing in the future, calling us in our present and drawing us toward His dreams for our lives. That resonated within me), and one at the end (where Old Testament professor Jared Runck shared the importance of what the body and blood of Christ must mean in our daily lives).

I was very inspired to go home and be myself; to serve God in my way and through my gifts.

Size and Space

I loved how personal The Forum was. Every person had the opportunity to be involved. It was just the right number of people (40-50 depending on the session) and it was held in just the right size space. It is crazy how the size of a room can impact perception.

The more serious “service-like” portions were held in Gateway's chapel. It was big and there were a lot of empty wooden pews. It was a reminder to me of the larger picture that we are a part of. This is another part of the overall Apostolic movement.

Similar observations may be made of the rooms the panel discussion and break-out sessions were held in; each becoming more personal and environmentally conducive to the action taking place.

What Can I Find to be Critical About?

When I was asked to cover the Forum, I was told to be critical. I was supposed to write about the good and the bad. So during the conference I purposefully looked for things to be critical about. It was a hard task, probably because it was my first Forum to attend; of course it was all going to seem great.

I did find a couple of things: one was of the training of facilitators/round-table leaders. Most were great and did not push their agenda or dominate the discussion, but it did happen at least once for me. Of course, I'm sure it wasn't conscious. And I know that wasn't the agenda of Forum.

The second thing I found to be critical about was that it is going to be a whole year before the next Forum. I'm looking forward to the day when this type of Un-Conference happens on the local level. I'm not saying to do away with what is already going on, but adding this type of event would bring balance.

Overall, I felt that Forum was the most balanced, interactive, and motivating event I've been to in a long time. I loved how there were a lot of college-aged people, but there was also several people already established in careers. I'm looking forward keeping in touch with the friends I made, and attending next year's Forum.

Check out pictures on our IQ Forum page on Facebook, or check our our pictures on Collideoscope.

ninetyandnine.com

© 2009, Rachael Hartman

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Rachael Hartman is on-the-go. She loves to visit random churches and meet new people as she road-trips around the country. She is striving to stop being involved in everything so she can get something accomplished.