Robust Content and Relational Connection: CCEF 2012, Part 2
In yesterday’s post, I highlighted my first summary of the 2012 CCEF National Conference on Guilt and Shame by noting the robust 
content.
Today I share my second summary: relational connection.
Relational Connection
I thought CCEF had a brilliant balance of planned time of content (plenary sessions and breakout workshops) along with planned free time for reflection, rest, and relationship.
There are, of course, many good and legitimate ways to organize a conference. I’ve been to conferences that are wall-to-wall plenary and track sessions. Conferences such as these provide a great opportunity for maximum training via robust content.
CCEF 2012 had plenty of robust content, as I noted yesterday. By not filling every moment with a “talking head,” CCEF allowed the robust content to “sink in.” Additionally, they allowed time for relational connection.
Relational Connection with Christ
The worship times before and after sessions, plus the worship hour with the band Reilly, allowed me to connect with Christ. Relationships, of course, are not simply or even predominantly about you and me, but first about us and Christ. The sessions, songs, and break times helped me to reflect on my relationship to Christ and to apply to my life truth about Christ’s grace for shame and guilt.
I left CCEF 2012 closer to Christ. That’s a very good thing!
Relational Connection with the Body of Christ
I also left CCEF 2012 closer to others in the Body of Christ. In part, I was at CCEF 2012 representing the Biblical Counseling Coalition. Having our booth there, allowed me to connect with many new friends—with much more than just “chit-chat.”
More than even that, the free time/break times/meal times allowed me to spend extended times “going deeper” with a number of friends, including fellow leaders of the Biblical Counseling Coalition. I was stretched and encouraged by my time together with Rob Green, Jonathan Holmes, Sam Williams, Mike Wilkerson, Jack Delk, Andy Farmer, Deepak Reju, Tim Lane, and Robert Choeng.
While these meal time and break time conversations certainly included small talk and laughter, they went far beyond that to “big talk” and joy. I was stretched and encouraged in my walk with Christ, many times applying together truths we were learning about grace, shame, and guilt.
People sometimes ask, “Who counsels the counselor?” For me, it is often my friends in the biblical counseling world who counsel me by listening, caring, sharing, encouraging, challenging—by being my spiritual friend.
Relational Connection with the Body of Christ Worldwide
The CCEF conference also afforded me the pleasure of some focused time with biblical counsellors (with two Ls) from Australia and from Canada. God is doing a great work worldwide as His Church applies the truth that His Word is sufficient and relevant for real people with real problems.
Surely a highlight of the week for me was a two-hour meal time shared with over two dozen biblical counsellors from Canada. The Biblical Counseling Coalition ran a five-part series on BC in Canada. (We are also in the midst of a several-part series on BC in Australia.) I was able to meet together, connect with, and learn more about what Christ is doing in Canada through folks committed to the sufficiency of Scripture, to progressive sanctification, and to applying the Gospel of Christ’s grace to people’s daily lives.
If you’d like to learn more about BC in Canada, in addition to the BCC Grace & Truth blog posts, I’d encourage you to check out the Biblical Counselling in Canada Facebook page.
Join the Conversation
If you were at the CCEF Guilt and Shame Conference, what most impacted you?
Note # 1: You can download the conference outlines here.
Note # 2: You can purchase Ed Welch’s excellent book, Shame Interrupted, here.
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