Conversation starters, incomplete thoughts, and links from Adam S. McHugh, author of Introverts in the Church

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Big Conferences

I just signed up for the Catalyst West conference in April, a large conference aimed at younger generations of pastors and church leaders.  I'm very much looking forward to it.  Interestingly, even though I prefer smaller churches, where I can more easily meet people over time as I see them week after week, I prefer larger conference settings. When I'm only going to be somewhere for two or three days, I enjoy the relative anonymity of that context.  You'll usually find me in the bigger breakout sessions, where I don't feel pressured to share or participate much (other than listening, which contrary to popular belief is a very active kind of participation).  And sometimes I'll duck out of the breakout sessions to find a quiet spot to read or else go off campus to a nearby coffee shop or wine bar.

I also just sent an email to the Catalyst organizers, suggesting an "Introverts Corner" (to steal the term from a Psychology Today blog of the same name), a quiet and comfortable place where people can go to process, journal, rest, or access WiFi.  We'll see what they say.

Do you prefer larger or small conferences?  What are your strategies for navigating the extroverted conference chaos? 
Posted by Adam S. McHugh at 3:25 PM

5 comments:

  1. I don't really have a preference for the size of the conference. Usually most offer individual time or times for prayer and worship. Generally, I spend time in my room just relaxing because conferences for me are like mini vacations.
    ReplyDelete
  2. I find this really funny and comforting, because I felt like I was reading an excerpt from my diary. :) I just came across your blog today.

    I am an introvert too, and I love big conferences (but I also actually prefer big churches). I attended Catalyst West this year too, and before I went, I was praying that God would help me meet people or even cause people to come up to me and talk to me because I knew that I would have such a problem meeting people and making new friends (and in my heart, I really wanted to come out of my shell and meet others). I was by myself (I'm also from another country) so while it was an exciting experience, it was also nerve-wracking for me. Thank God He answered my prayers because different people "adopted" me into their groups each day. I was also thankful for the Response Room...I guess that was their answer to your suggestion!

    In other words, here's my strategy to navigating the extroverted conference chaos: prayer...before, during, and after. :)
    ReplyDelete
  3. I was fellow introvert at CatWest too. Unfortunately I had to bring a fellow staff member with me which cramped my style a little. He's quiet so it wasn't too bad. I prefer to go alone though. I get a lot more out of it when I'm alone cuz I can just focus and process.

    Catalyst is an awesome conference, I've been going for years. The thinker in me wants to go to Q Conference though. It sounds interesting from what I've gathered.

    I prefer the anonymity of larger crowds but if a church is too large I feel invisible and processed. It's a tough balance to find.
    ReplyDelete
  4. CatWest was a great conference, I agree, and I definitely appreciated the response area in the chapel. While I would like to take credit for it, it was a great guy named Jason who was the brains behind that.

    The crowds and all the energy got a little tiresome, but my only real complaint about the conference was that there wasn't enough time to process between sessions. After each speaker, I had a desire to just sit for a while with their message to let it sink in. I got a little numb on the last day because it felt like information overload.
    ReplyDelete
  5. I was fellow introvert at CatWest too. Unfortunately I had to bring a fellow staff member with me which cramped my style a little. He's quiet so it wasn't too bad. I prefer to go alone though. I get a lot more out of it when I'm alone cuz I can just focus and process.

    Catalyst is an awesome conference, I've been going for years. The thinker in me wants to go to Q Conference though. It sounds interesting from what I've gathered.

    I prefer the anonymity of larger crowds but if a church is too large I feel invisible and processed. It's a tough balance to find.
    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

About Me

My Photo
Claremont, CA, United States
Adam S. McHugh is the author of Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister, spiritual director, chaplain, speaker, and retreat leader. He has been published in The Washington Post, The Christian Century, RELEVANT Magazine, Psychology Today, and Leadership Journal, among other publications. He is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College and Princeton Theological Seminary. On February 28, 2012 he will serve as guest chaplain in the U.S. House of Representatives. He lives in Claremont, CA.

Email Me

Adam McHugh

Speaking

Are you interested in having Adam speak at your church, retreat, or conference? In addition to introverts and church, he has expertise in a number of areas, especially those related to Christian spirituality, prayer, a leader's inner life, and caring for people in pain. Here are two sample talks:

The Goals and Perils of Community Life
Rejoicing in Suffering

Email him for more information.


Adam's Facebook Pages

  © Blogger template Coozie by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP