By Brad Dupray
Jeff Stone, president of the 2009 North American Christian Convention, is in his 17th year as senior minister of Discover Christian Church in Dublin, Ohio. Jeff has served on the executive committee of the convention twice before and has been a lifelong attender and supporter of the convention. Jeff and his wife of 28 years, Johnnie, are the proud parents of Jason, Jennifer, and Justin.
Why do you go to the North American Christian Convention?
I go to the North American to spiritually recharge, to reconnect with friends, and to recalibrate priorities of ministry.
Are there any particular former North American Christian Convention presidents excited about your appointment as president?
<He grins, thinking of his father, Sam Stone> One, the 1997 president, is especially proud.
What”s going to happen at this year”s NACC?
Our theme for 2009 is focused on grace: “Still Amazed.” I believe when people get a proper understanding of grace it changes everything: in terms of our motivation for evangelism, our approach to worship, and our efforts at unity in our churches. So when people come away with a fresh sense and appreciation of God”s grace, churches and individuals will be energized.
What do you find amazing in the church?
I think we can get jaded in the church because we have heard the message so many times. God needs to “drop our jaws” from time to time, and we need to be amazed again that Jesus loved us and died for us.
What”s so amazing about grace?
If people can get their minds around the idea of grace then they will stop serving the Lord in an effort to gain their salvation and begin serving him because they have been granted salvation and want to say thank-you by responding in love. We see transformation in resolving conflicts with ministers and elders, within staffs and churches that are quagmired in conflict, and in saving marriages. It”s a concept that is so complex, yet so simple, and it has the ability to change lives for eternity.
We have a lot of churches that are immobilized because of fighting. Learning to extend grace and work through areas of conflict can mobilize the church to be on the march again.
How will this concept play out in the convention?
Wednesday night we have a theme of “Grace That Heals the Hurts.” We”re going to have an invitation at the end of that service for people to respond by coming forward for prayer. We pray it will be a catalytic start to reconciliation between spouses, church leaders, and staff members. We hope to send people home with the desire to work through the “rough edges” that naturally occur in the course of ministry.
Will there be any changes to the typical convention program?
In addition to our theme of grace (which will be developed through Bible studies, workshops, and messages), we are going to have a renewed focus on preaching this year. We”ll have more preaching and more preachers than ever before at the NACC. One of the ways we”re developing it is by shortening the worship time in the morning sessions and adding a preaching slot for Wednesday and Thursday mornings. We will introduce dialogue preaching for the first time at the North American with two dialogue messages””one Wednesday morning, one Thursday morning.
What is dialogue preaching?
Dialogue preaching is a “tag-team” style where two individuals present one message and they move in and out of that message by alternating points””sharing their perspective with two voices on one text. That”s never been done at a North American and it will be a way of introducing that style of preaching for those who may not have experienced it.
That”s a great twist. Anything else new and/or different?
The teens will worship with the adults on Thursday night. Matt Proctor will be speaking, and following our worship time, we”ll be treated to a concert by Casting Crowns. Last week Casting Crowns had three of the top 10 albums on the Christian charts. This is a group on a very upward trajectory. Many of their songs deal with the theme of grace, and they”ll be a very fitting conclusion to Thursday night”s exciting worship.
And from what I see, it will definitely be worth sticking around for Friday morning.
Our closing message Friday morning will be from Max Lucado. His topic, “Grace That Transforms,” will send us out on a high note, returning us to our respective places of service as dispensers of fresh grace.
The NACC has always been known as a “preaching and teaching” convention. What kind of “takeaways” can someone looking for help for his local church anticipate?
We have outstanding workshop tracks where people can take specific workshops on a concentrated focus or attend a “smorgasbord” with a broad variety of options. There is a complete offering of very diverse, valuable workshops by outstanding presenters. It”s a great way to connect with a multitude of talented leaders all at the same place and time.
There are a number of free opportunities in the convention program. Is that sending a specific message?
The Casting Crowns concert is included with registration with no additional charge. This concert is being funded by individuals who thought it would be a tangible way to bless the individuals and families who attend.
What would you say to the person who is concerned with the cost of going to the convention?
The North American is trying to be conscious of the economic challenges that all of us are currently facing. There are scholarships available to those who need financial assistance. We provide free registration to 2008 and 2009 Bible college graduates””you, your spouse, and your family are free. We don”t want anyone turned away.
How do you keep the active role of being president of the convention from negatively affecting your local church ministry?
The NACC has become much more intentional in the way it is promoted by the current president so it doesn”t exhaust the president or adversely affect his church. I was invited to serve in March 2006, and that was a year of prayer””planning and developing the theme. The second year is one of planning””doing program development, enlisting the right speakers and workshop presenters. This final year is one of promotion””casting a vision and inviting people to be a part of this event. Discover has been completely supportive and gracious. Having these duties spread over a three-year span has kept the task from becoming overwhelming. It is a good opportunity. It”s been a very exciting, positive, stretching chance for me to serve the body of Christ.
With that three-year commitment, how are you connecting with other NACCs that are taking place?
I”ve received a lot of good mentoring by Cam (Huxford), Alan (Ahlgrim), and David (Faust). Those last three presidents have all provided some really valuable insights and perspectives that have helped equip me. I attended Cam”s executive committee meetings, shadowing him prior to the time I began to meet with my own executive committee. Ben (Cachiaras, 2010 president) will do that with me; then Dudley (Rutherford, 2011 president) will shadow Ben, which makes for a smoother handoff at each transition.
Sounds like a good plan for year-to-year connection.
There”s been a very forward-looking focus, and I”m excited about where the North American is headed. With guys like Ben and Dudley, we”re in very good hands for the next years and we”re at a very special place in history to build and grow this event to a new level.
Brad Dupray is senior vice president, investor development, with Church Development Fund, Irvine, California.
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