Last week, you saw that we posted sketchnotes of our time at the 2011 GCIA Conference. Here’s a small recap our our time there.

Day one was spent getting to know the area where we’d have the conference. Mount Hermon, California is a very beautiful place. After arriving, and being told that I was a bit early for check-in, I took some time to walk around the ground. Redwoods and sequoias all over the place. Taking a small trail walk was a humbling introduction to what I would begin to understand as one of the common themes for the week.

Day two there was actually the first day of the conference. After introductions and a shared devotional, we got into the day’s sessions. Day 1 of the conference centered on social networking (see the sketchnotes, top-left corner). Presentations by Jesus.net, Cornerstone, BeRemedy, World Wide Open, and several others pointed to the growing use of Facebook in outreach, discipleship, and evangelism efforts. There’s a lot of room in terms of just Facebook activity for several players, but probably at lot more potential outside of using English languages.

Day three (that is, Day 2 of the conference) talked about web evangelism. The day was bookmarked by two great words of encouragement by Stephen Douglass (CEO of Campus Crusade), we heard more about what was happening with Campus Crusade, Jesus.net, and the conversation opened a bit more towards understanding hot just the opportunity, but the implications of using the web as part of the discipleship and engagement effort. I also got a chance to hear from the author of the book Netcasters – to which we’ll have a review coming of that book. Many people also participated in the canopy tour, which took you on heights amongst the redwoods. Apparently, there was also a 2000 year old redwood there – I didn’t go (heights and me don’t get along), but that would have been great to see.

Day 3 of the conference was dedicated to mobile. Clyde Taber (Visual Story Network), Dave Hackett (VisionSynergy), and myself were present to present – and we had Cybermissions and URMobile presenting virtually. Suffice to say, that was probably the most stretched day technologically, but one which ended with several questions and possibilities in terms of what MMM can bring to the table to assist with efforts in that space.

Day 4 of the conference had to do with visual story and visual media. I’ll have to mine for what happened then as I had an early flight out and missed that day of presentations and final remarks.

I will say that personally, I was edified, challenged, and humbled by the impact that many are making in the Body. I’m also quite pleased to see how many people and groups are working other. Also, the “big ships,” and how they have turned and are focusing their efforts not so much on the technology, but making sure that they don’t lose sight of former and new audiences with their Gospel presentations and engagement efforts.

Side note: do a YouTube search for My Last Day by the Jesus Film Project. Amazing artwork and production to their familiar storyline. Graphic warning, but you’ll want to let this one hit you and others.

Other than that, it was an encouraging time just connecting. The brother that I roomed with is working with a group doing some incredible work to train pastors and be solid believers in the Asia region. They have a ton of good stuff, and you can bet that we’ll be hearing some great things of their works as time goes on.

Lastly, I would encourage you to reach out to the GCIA or any of the groups noted on the sketchnotes and partner with them. A unified voice speaks more to Christ’s need to be heard and received than anything else we can do (peep John 17:20-26). If we can work hand and hand, no matter what out issues might be before and after, we’d have the kind of voice and impact in this world that won’t just win people to Christ, but it will have the better effect of making a better world to live in for us all.

About the Sketchnotes

There was a lot of information passed throughout the conference, and it was my hope to capture what I could using the sketchnotes method. I was able to get a ton, and for various reasons left certain names/items out. However, if you really want to see how the first three days of GCIA connected, I’m not sure that there’s a better way than with this kind of picture.

You can click on the picture, and then download it to view at full size. It was created totally on my iPad using the Adobe Ideas application. However, I took full advantage of the iPad as a canvas here and there is more to explore as you zoom into the image. There’s text and color all over the place.

I have pulled out most of the organizations that appear in the notes as tags to this post if items aren’t clear. Most should be, but just in case, that should help some. Many of these groups we’ll end up talking with/about again, stay tuned for those moments.

Apologies to the GCIA group for not getting Day 4 in there. If I were able to attend those sessions, I’m sure that I would have gotten them to fit in there. As you can see though, there’s a lot of detail here, and I hope that I did you all a good service by creating this.