By Chris Moon
The Spire Network is in the final stages of preparation for its third-annual SpireConference, set for Sept. 14-16 in Nashville.
The conference, which replaced the long-running North American Christian Convention, will be held in person at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Conference Center. Registrations are still being accepted.
Dave Stone, Spire’s board chairman, said the network is expecting as many as 1,800 people to attend, up from 1,500 in its inaugural year in 2019—and the last time the conference was held in person. The 2020 conference was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We think there is such incredible value in people coming together,” said Stone, former pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville. “This last year has been so crazy. I think Satan thrives in separation.”
Stone said Spire was blessed to survive the past 18 months. The network was just getting off the ground when the pandemic put an end to in-person gatherings for much of 2020.
“We lost a ton of momentum,” he said.
Still, Spire’s strategy to become more than simply an annual conference has paid big dividends, Stone said.
The network brings pastors and church leaders together throughout the year, through virtual “huddles”—expert-led discussions about a vital ministry topic—and in various events like Topgolf outings in cities across the country.
The organization also has an active online presence where people can watch past huddles or conferences and can connect with other church leaders.
If Spire’s main model had only been to host a conference, it may have been forced to close its doors, Stone said. But, as he describes it, the organization “traded in our rifle for a shotgun.”
“I think it might be the only way we stayed alive,” he said, noting the organization didn’t qualify for any government assistance during the pandemic. “We feel really blessed that we made it through the COVID crises and crunch.”
‘A HUGE WIN’
Last year’s conference, Stone said, also was a success—even as it was done virtually.
Spire estimates 3,000 people participated. Some churches filled rooms with people watching the conference.
And the momentum continues.
This year’s conference is on pace to be bigger than its first and only in-person conference in 2019 in Orlando. And that comes, Stone said, as many churches have had to cut their budgets because of the pandemic.
“From our vantage point, to be able to replicate the number we had in Orlando two years ago is a huge win,” he said. “We’re kind of shocked it will be the same size or bigger.”
As of now, masks are not required to be worn in Nashville. Stone said organizers will continue to monitor local rules and adjust accordingly. They also are evaluating virtual options to share the conference outside the conference venue.
THE VALUE OF BEING TOGETHER
But the main focus is to get pastors and church leaders together in the same room, Stone said.
Keynote speakers include Craig Groeschel, Will Mancini, Jud Wilhite, and Charity Byers.
“I hate to start naming names because I’m so excited about all of them,” Stone said. (A complete list is available here.)
He said the conference’s in-person “huddles” on specific ministry topics are an effective way of building fellowship among pastors. (A dozen or so huddles are planned, but space is limited; see the entire list and register at Spire’s website.)
Churches are encouraged to bring their entire staffs to the event; time is built into the schedule for these staffs to discuss what they are learning.
The benefit of the SpireConference, Stone said, “will be the relationships that you build with your own staff members and also the relationships you build with people with the same responsibility as you in another church.”
Stone said he’s seen statistics indicating that, during the pandemic, 60 to 80 percent of pastors are the most discouraged they’ve ever been in their ministries.
“There’s value that comes from us being together,” Stone said. “We have a great program. The greatest part will probably be just being with other Christians.”
Chris Moon is a pastor and writer living in Redstone, Colorado.
Author: Christian Standard
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