What is it?

A nation-wide movement is developing among people who are eager to empower vibrant faith in great, secular places. Join the conversation as we explore the exciting opportunities found in the intersection of following Jesus and connecting to secular culture. We’ll chat about how to engage with modern culture and start fresh faith conversations with non-churchgoing folks.  

You will have the opportunity to hear from and interact with several faith practitioners and speakers who are nationally recognized church and cultural experts that are developing innovative models and pathways to introduce Jesus to an ever-increasing secular society. 

In recent surveys, the fastest growing religious identification category is 'none.'

-- Putnam, American Grace

Logistics:

"Well over half of all church youth group graduates leave faith within two years."

--Sources: Southern Baptist Convention, Josh McDowell Ministries

Conference Speakers:

Dave Schmelzer

Dave is the author of Not the Religious Type: Confessions of a Turncoat Atheist. He developed the popular Seek Course for people who are exploring faith. Along with Charles Park, he also convened the Blue Ocean conversation.

Dave has a background both in theology (Fuller Seminary, '87) and the arts (Stanford University, '84, and a decade as a working playwright).  Dave pastors the Vineyard Christian Fellowship--Greater Boston, keeps his hand in some fiction writing, and lives just outside Boston with his wife, Grace and their five children.

Jeff Heidkamp

Jeff Heidkamp and his wife, Le Que, are the founding pastors of Mercy Vineyard Church, a growing congregation of over 600 attenders in the Northeast Arts District of Minneapolis. Before planting the church in 2005, they were on staff at the Vineyard Church in Urbana, Illinois. Le Que is a Chinese immigrant to the US and heads the Ethnic Diversity Task Force for the Vineyard USA. Jeff edits Cutting Edge Magazine, the periodical of the Vineyard USA Church Planting Task Force. In their spare time, Jeff likes to play piano and follow baseball while Le Que writes her Secret Novels That No One May Ever See. They have been happily married for 11 years and have two beautiful girls, Briana Li (8) and Raina Li (3).

Christopher Greco

Christopher Greco is the founding arts and worship pastor of the Greater Boston Vineyard, where he spearheaded an array of collaborative multidisciplinary arts events including Lydia Fair 2011: Home Tonight. His collaboration with Canadian worship leader Brian Doerksen, Prodigal God, was released as a double CD and in radio theatre form.

Of Christopher’s creative accomplishments, none are as remarkable and rich as his marriage to photojournalist Dorothy Littell Greco, and their three sports-loving sons.  In partnership with Dorothy, Christopher has led yearly Living Waters programs since 1995, witnessing hundreds of men and women find healing and spiritual growth in Jesus.

Church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of its non-members.

-- G. K. Chesterton

Suggested Pre-reading:

Written in 2009 for a Northeast Blue Ocean Summit, Blue Ocean Churches (previously named "Culture Center Churches") turned out to be a smashing success. In it, Dave Schmezler shares his experiences of planting a church in the heart of secular America. This manual chronicles the trials and errors of the Greater Boston Vineyard as it grew from 30 people to over 800 in an area of less than 3% churchgoers. Dave shares useful tips and advice for anyone looking to build a community of vibrant faith in this changing world.

Click the picture to download the manual for free or you can purchase a hard copy for $10 (free shipping) here: Blue Ocean Faith.

Written back in 2008, Not The Religious Type, Confessions of a Turncoat Atheist was one of the inspirations for these annual conferences. The intriguing topics raised in this book begged for larger discussion. The book has since served as the jumping off platform for our larger conversations about faith and secular culture. Click on the picture to purchase and read more about the book.