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Link to General Assembly streaming.

http://www.wordandway.org/content/view/3092/53/

Is the CBF assembly dealing with any particular issues this year Ed?

Ed, I did look at the link. I mostly saw information about the live streaming.

A lot of groups are trying innovative approaches to church. It will be interesting to see which of these ideas work and which just turn out to be fads.

Went to the Resource exhibits this morning. Briefly talked with Bruce G and John Pierce. Bought books including The Paradigm Pastor.

The Worship Service was truly that. Can't wait to read Baptist Press.

I look forward to the the Morning business session at 9:30 A.M

I missed the Business this morning because we sat up until 2:30 A.M. with the family of our church treasure who is in Hospice care.

again the Live streaming link for is http://www.wordandway.org/content/view/3092/53/

Look for the "Click Here" in the 2nd Paragraph.

Just as I was typing that, we got a call that Cheri has gone home. Please be in prayer for the family of Cheri Harwood. there are 4 generations Her Mother, Her Husband, Her Adult children and Grand children, from age 15 to 22. And please pray for Trudy as Cheri has been a good friend.

I'm afraid I was in the midst of a meeting at that time. Thanks for the idea Ed. Will they save any videos for later viewing I wonder?

Perhaps the most unique is a "Church" that meets along a 24 mile bike, walk, run path. Not my cup of tea, but I do find it intriguing and will keep my eye on it.

I get occasional panic attacks due to some very frightening incidents that happened when I was working around aircraft while in the Navy that were added to after being in a major earthquake. Being in an old building where I hear people (children particularly)running upstairs from me can set off a "fight or flight" reflex. When I was in a residential PTSD therapy program at the VA hospital near Tacoma WA. many years ago, we heard of a church that had started an outdoor worship in a park near the hospital on Sunday afternoons. I was one of many veterans who wanted to hear the message and the music, but for one reason or another, very uncomfortable in your typical church building. This outdoor worship met a real need. If I started to feel closed in, I could step away from the group and still hear the message.

My take on the meeting:
My wife and I both attended and volunteered during the meeting. We came home Friday evening before the final session of the Assembly, but it was a good meeting for me. I always enjoy the display area, so I'm sorry I missed seeing you, Keith. Also missed seeing Trudy's book. It was interesting to see how empty the display area was during the US soccer game. We had the place all to ourselves, it seemed, and I had my choice of freebies to collect. (I'm always looking for the good pens.)

I go to these meetings for the chance to reconnect with friends and spend time catching up on our lives. The program is secondary for me. But the general sessions I attended were very good. I attended one one workshop led by Randall Balmer discussing his new book about Jimmy Carter. He was well prepared, and I got a sense of the extensive research he had done before writing.

We attended three of the partner meals, and the food was excellent, though $40 a person is rather high. Some were priced lower, but that just means the sponsors made up the difference. The opening banquet was sold out well ahead of time, and we had quite a few inquiries about tickets at our booth in the registration area. The room would not hold any more, and they had two measly rows of chairs in the back for people who wanted to attend the Co-missioning Service without the $25 meal.

There were some negatives. The room was the smallest I've ever stayed in for that kind of money. Somewhat triangular in shape. Just big enough for one bed, a chair, and a small desk. Tiny bath. It felt very European and spartan.
There was a lack of cell phone and internet access. I got a weak cell connection in our room on the ninth floor. I could not place or receive phone calls or texts in most areas. Wi-fi was free in the lobby, but $9.95 in the room. Needless to say, the lobby stayed full. And when we drove out of the hotel last night, undelivered texts began beeping in on my phone.

Valet parking was $32/day. There was also a Hyatt-owned self-parking garage fairly close by for $18 a day. It stayed full.

Next year is Dallas, and the following year is Greensboro again. I think they may have voted in some past year we missed to come to Atlanta every third year, so we may see you all again in 2017. We were both involved in the work of hosting the meeting, and I can testify to the heavy demand it places on our state staff and volunteers, but it was fun, and I would do it again if asked.

Thanks for the report, Neal. I kept looking for you on the live feed. But in fact I saw only one couple from New York
(Buffalo} and another couple from Virgina that I could identify. I did see people that I recognize as having see before but do not actually know. I am pretty sure that BFN had at least a dozen people there.

] I am not sure but I think Trudy's new book was only available at the Baptists Today booth.

I really enjoyed working the information booth at the first New Baptist C0ovenant meeting, I had also enjoyed working the New Baptist Covenant Booth in the ABC resource area in Washington with Trudy the year before when we had the over lap meetings of ABC and CBF. Also when we worked the ABC-USA Interim Ministries both at a Biennial in Richmond. However the BL.C. booth in Fort Worth several years ago was pretty slow, I latter learned that a lot of folk thought BaptistLife was an insurance company. However I wouldn't mind trying it again, say in Greensboro IF we could get some more people interested in working it. I think Flick still has the banner. We need some new participants. The handful we have these days are pretty predictable.

You can read all of the CBF Communications news reports, blog posts, view photos, watch videos (we're in process of adding a few more videos from Friday), etc. at:

http://www.thefellowship.info/content/atlanta2014/

The links to news reports/columns will take you to:

www.cbfblog.com

My colleague Emily Holladay and I wrote some 9,000 words in 14 reports/posts during the week - and we'll be posting "reflection" columns throughout the week from participants. Lots to read.

I really enjoyed the worship time - especially the music from Cynthia Clawson on Friday. Andrew Young was great on Thursday and Chuck Poole on Friday was brief, but great substance.

We in the newsroom enjoyed the peaches, Neil. Not sure if you helped out with those - but was a nice gift from CBF Georgia.

And Ed, I had a nice long conversation late one night with an American Baptist pastor from New York - Alan Rudnick, who is joining the CBF Missions Council.