Journey (NYC) Hosting Free Church Planting Conference
In conjunction with the release of the book Launch: Starting a New Church From Scratch (Regal Jan 07), authors and pastors Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas of The Journey Church will lead the free National Church Planting Conference, January 22-23, 2007 in metro New York City.

During this two-day event at The Korean Church of Queens, Nelson and Kerrick will explore from scratch to success in launching a new church. The conference is designed for church planters, pastors and church leaders planning to start a new church or anyone looking for the latest insight into church planting success.

Nelson started The Journey Church of the City in New York, NY in 2002. The congregation has grown from a handful of people to more than 1,000. The Journey is an innovative, multicultural church in Manhattan and is one of the fastest-growing churches in the Northeast.

The conference is free with RSVP at the website, $35 at the door. For questions, contact Lauren at (212) 730-8300 x212 or lauren@nyjourney.com.
 
Batterson Releases In a Pit with a Lion
Mark Batterson, founding pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, a multi-site congregation meeting in movie theaters at metro stops, has recently released the book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive when Opportunity Roars (Multnomah).

The faith-stretching narrative, inspired by the biblical character Benaiah in 2 Sam. 23:20-22, invites readers to chase lions: "I think God wants to raise up a generation of lion chasers," Mark told Advance. "Way too many Christians are living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. But our greatest regrets at the end of our lives won't be the mistakes we've made, but the lions we didn't chase. That's what we are destined to do."
 
 
MovieGuideŽ Supporting Church's "Nativity" Efforts
MovieGuide®, a ministry dedicated to redeeming the values of the mass media according to biblical principles, is developing educational support materials for churches to take advantage of the major film release on December 1, 2006 of "The Nativity Story."

Along with a review of the film, MovieGuide is offering sermons and discussion guides for families, small groups and youth at the group's website. Church leaders can also call Stew Heller at the Movieguide office in California (805-383-2000) to arrange for in-person, direct support for your congregation.