. . . we use inaccurate labels for the many meetings we attend.
When was the last time you were asked to confer at a conference?
con·fer: to talk with somebody in order to compare opinions or make a decision
Did you ever really work at a workshop?
work·shop: a group of people working on a creative project, discussing a topic, or studying a subject
How much discussion went on at the last seminar you attended?
sem·i·nar: a single session or short, often one-day meeting devoted to presentations on and discussion of a particular topic, usually at an advanced or professional level
Never?
No?
None?
Conference. Workshop. Seminar. Whether complimentary or expensive, nearby or far away, we are too often considered the audience; sit, listen, take notes, buy the tape.
Few advanced or professional level speakers consider it vital to involve us in the process. Their outline is too important. Our role in explaining and expressing the voice of God is undervalued.
What could happen if the mindset of our teachers changed from informational to transformational? What if Christian leaders, taking a cue from a recent article in the Harvard Business review, recognized the power of “peer-to-peer learning” and included us in the learning process?
Didn’t the Apostle Paul admonish us to be transformed (not informed) by the renewing of our mind? Knowledge is a means to an end. The notes we take at a conference or workshop or seminar are not the end in themselves. Knowledge, both scriptural and practical, is essential and doctrine is foundational to our understanding of God’s Word. But interaction through questioning and discussing is a God-designed means for application and implementation.
It seems to me most of us have never actually been at a true conference or participated in a real workshop or contributed to a seminar. What a blast that would be!
Phil
Definitions from: Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
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March 2006 
