AN Inside Scoop:

HUMANA 2.08 — An Open Source Missional Convergence

In a sense, HUMANA 2.08 is the leadership convergence for missional leaders who don’t exactly fit the Christian Leadership Conference Circuit. Let me be straight with you. I don’t particularly like conferences. I rarely register for them or attend them, except to speak or teach from time to time. (This may sound strange coming from the guy who drove the Origins Conference in Los Angeles, drives the Makers of Fire micro-leadership convergences, and now creates the unique National Conference called HUMANA 2.08). I do, however, study these conferences and appreciate their importance in leadership development. From my many, many discussions with conference attenders and my direct experiences with these events, I’ve taken a step to create not only a unique event but a unique process for participating in a leadership convergence.

Let’s start with a few observations about the typical conference experience. Then let’s take a peek at a few of the innovations that we are conjuring to make HUMANA 2.08 a unique experience and learning event like no other.

First, at most conference experiences, your role is to be the passive audience.

Second, at most of these experiences, you get one version of what it means to be the church: mega-church or house-church, emerging church or missional church, etc. Definitions of success submit strictly to the “form” of church highlighted.

Third, at most of these experiences, the most profitable time is when you skip the general session or the breakouts to reconnect with others. Connecting is a huge benefit to these events.

Fourth, you get to give your feedback after the conference.

Fifth, the experts are not all on the stage. They are often the people in the seat next to you.

INNOVATIONS at HUMANA 2.08

What if…

Participants got to give their input before the convergence? At HUMANA 2.08 we’re going to do something differently. The registrants will have immense input and control over the final form of not only their own experience, but of the whole experience in general. How? The IMN provides the platform but registrants select what conversations they want had. After registration and before the experience, the registrant will participate in an interaction over both the general sessions and the breakouts. Not only will registrants be able to shape the offerings at HUMANA 2.08 from an existing menu, they will be able to offer new ideas that are not on the menu.

What if…

Participants were even able to create their own offerings? Are you a pastor of a multi site church? Do you have some experience to share or do you want to hear what other multisite leaders are learning? You can create a “meet up” or a “break out”. Your idea gets added to the menu and, if it gets traction, it will be added to the offerings.

Are you a church planter thinking through plural leadership or house church and mega church structures? Initiate a swarm around these topics. Are you the leader of a network and want to have a “session” during HUMANA 2.08? Are you a missional cafe owner and want to network with others of the same tribe, initiate a round table. Are you a blogger and want to “meet up” with others from the blogosphere? The options are limitless. You can use the momentum and energy of HUMANA 2.08 to infuse your session, interest, or network with enthusiasm in a future oriented, visionary context.

What if…

Models of success are not limited to the last guy who broke 2000 in church attendance? Mega-churches and the competencies to lead them are rare, and the character to lead these rapidly growing movements, when servant oriented, is a treasure. But Mega-churches alone are not how the west and the world will be won for Christ. While continuing to value the contribution of these ministries, we can also value the contribution of church planting, house churches, entrepreneurial ventures, cyber-communities, Culture Pubs, etc. The world will not be reached by clergy alone, but also by the spirit of God moving through the whole people of God. While continuing to value dedicated church leadership, we can also advocate other forms of spiritual leadership that is not focused strictly on the church. HUMANA 2.08 will be an asset to leaders and participants of churches of 2000 or 20 because the emphasis will be on the mission we all share and the futures we all face.

What if…

OK. We may have a celebrity or two every now and then, but what the heck? You can’t have everything. And, yes, we will have thought leaders and cutting edge practitioners that will make the ground tremble. And, yes, the IMN design team that carved the visual environment last year is up to it again. (And, while we’re at it, Jettison Never, the band that rocked the house last year, will be back again.)

What if…

Immediately after the convergence, we hosted a World Music Jam where you could chill with your teams, reconnect with old friends, or make some new ones. This is just an added value that is not a part of HUMANA 2.08, but it’s certainly part of our humanity to want to party.

SUMMING IT ALL UP

HUMANA 2.08 is The Open Source conference. The convergence is open source in that the registrant will get to participate in shaping the content and design of the interactions to be experienced at the event. As far as we know, it is the first and only National, future – oriented, Missional Leadership Convergence that is built with an Open Source process. [ At least it’s the only one with an appended World Music Jam! ] You may be wondering, why, if I don’t particularly like conferences, is the IMN creating HUMANA 2.08. We are creating this unique, one-of-a-kind convergence to maximize the immense potential when future-oriented, missional leaders get together. The IMN is not just creating an event. We are creating spaces for partnerships to develop, time for networks to form and strengthen and processes for future collaborations to get sketched out. Ambitious? Yes. Lots of work? You bet it is. Worth it? Every minute of it.

Register for HUMANA 2.08 before October 30 for best discounts. This year seating is limited so register early.

Alex McManus

IMN News
MAKERS OF FIRE: Chattanooga, Boston, Providence, Montreal, Fort Worth
Regsiter: http://www.acteva.com/ttghits.cfm? EVA_ID=30058