This is a tremendous conference and an excellent resource opportunity. I have attended this conference, and would highly recommend it to all Colorado House Churches. With speakers like Wolfgang Simpson, Frank Viola, and Paul Young (author of The Shack), you know you will get a lot to chew on.

Below is an email from Tony Dale about the conference, click here for the House2House 2008 Conference Flyer.

I am dropping you this note to enlist your help in getting word out about the H2H National conference, and to bring you up to date information on what we believe will be accomplished by the conference. Through your mailing/emailing lists, if you are open to helping us in this way, many who are likely to be interested in what this conference is about will be able to hear and possibly decide to come because they value your perspective and endorsement.

This year, we are hosting a very special conference in Dallas, Texas. I’ve attached a flyer that explains the details of this conference. The conference is over the Labor Day weekend, which this year is the last weekend in August.

Specifically, I’m asking if you would kindly send a special one-time email blast to the people on your mailing list with your encouragement to people to seriously consider going, with the attached flyer. The subject line of the email could say something along the lines of: “The 2008 National House Church Conference.” We would like to extend our “early bird” registration rate to your contact as our thank you for you doing this email blast for us.

Registrations are already at the highest level we have ever seen for one of these National conferences. In fact they are running more than 2 X’s higher than we have ever seen for this early in the summer. The Holy Spirit is obviously drawing people. The mix of those speaking and the four “tracks” that will make up the bulk of the conference experience are also a factor in drawing people. These four tracks, of which people will be able to choose one primary track to be a part of are:

• House2Harvest-Reaching the unreached through world missions
• House2Harvest-Maximizing our workplace involvement and impact
• House2Harvest-Understanding the basics of House Church life
• House2Harvest-Relationship Christianity: Deepening our walk with God and with each other

Those speaking at the main sessions, will also each be involved, but under the facilitating leadership of others within the four tracks that will define the conference experience. We are very blessed to have the following coming as our main speakers within the plenary sessions:

• Dennis Balcombe – Missionary extraordinaire to the Chinese House Church movement.
• Wolfgang Simson – Author of “Houses That Change The World” and “The Starfish Manifesto”.
• Frank Viola – Author (with George Barna) of “Pagan Christianity” and many other books.
• Paul Young – Author of “The Shack”, which has taken the Christian world by storm over the past year.
• Felicity and I will also be involved in the plenary sessions

Although our official “early bird” registration date is already over, if you contact Paul Byerly at paul@house2house.com he will give you a “Registration Code” which when used by your contact list by June 20th will give them the same early bird registration rate as those who heard about the conference and registered early through the H2H lists. This rate will need to be limited to those who register by June 20th to help our planning processes. Please also note that the pre-conference day for network leaders and others in Christian leadership positions is already 70% full, and so if you have contacts that you think need to be a part of that pre-conference day, please urge them to register now, as we have to limit numbers there to around 100 because of limited space available at the hotel on that day.

Thank you very much for your consideration. If you have any questions, please feel very free to contact me directly.

Tony Dale on behalf of the H2H conference planning team.

A note from Brian: whether or not you agree with this book, it raises important questions that need to be discussed. So leave a comment to this post and join the discussion.

A heart-felt “thank you” to all of you who have written me such encouraging emails and letters regarding the new book, “Pagan Christianity.” I’m so glad it’s having such an impact on so many people.If you’re following the Blogosphere, you are aware that many are writing great reviews on Pagan Christianity while others are doing their dead-level best to prevent people from reading it. (Some of which are by people who haven’t even read the book.)
Right now, some people are saying ( rather loudly) that they want this book to “go away” and “disappear.” And they are working hard at persuading people NOT to buy the book. There are even rumors about book-burnings afoot. George and I have been called a few names, including “anti-Christs” by some who hate the book.

***A Very Important Request***

Those of you who support the book and its message can help off-set the movement to discredit the book by doing something very simple. Tyndale House has suggested the following and we are asking for your help on it:

1. ORDER THE BOOK FROM AMAZON.COM on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12th. Please mark this down on your calendar so you won’t forget. (If I don’t write something down on my calendar, I’m prone to forget. Perhaps you’re like me.) Here’s the direct link to the book at Amazon.com (or go to Amazon.com and type in “Pagan Christianity”) If you don’t want to order online, order the book from a Borders or a Walden Books near you on that day. It’s important that you order only from these bookstores if you can’t order from Amazon.

We ask that even if you have a copy of the book (the new OR old edition), that you buy a copy from Amazon.com or Borders/Walden during this week. Why? Because this will help the Revolution tremendously. Orders will be counted that week. And the more orders, the more the publisher will support the book. That means, more people will read it and hear its message.

If you can’t order the book from Amazon, Borders, or Walden on February 12th (if you didn’t get this email in time for instance), then please order it from one of these stores between Wednesday, February 13th to Sunday February 16th. Again: That’s Wednesday, Feb. 13 to Sunday, Feb. 16th.

We want to see the Amazon.com rating get below a #100. The more people who order it on Feb. 12th, the better the chances are for that. If the book drops below #100, then the book will gain much more support by the publisher and from bookstores everywhere, which is what we want.

Click here for the direct link to the book at Amazon.com (or go to Amazon.com and type in “Pagan Christianity”) Our goal is to have 5,000 people order the book on TUESDAY, February 12th. And 10,000 orders from February 12th to the 16th. So please join us in this effort.

2. Encourage all your friends via phone and email to buy the book from Amazon.com on Tuesday, February 12th. If not, then have them order it Wednesday, February 13th to Sunday, February 16th.

I’ve been told by detractors that those who agree with the book are “a tiny number of disgruntled souls who have been hurt by some pastor. This book will not do well at all.”

What would happen if thousands of people bought the book from Amazon or Borders/Walden between Feb. 12th and Feb. 16th? For one thing, such statements could no longer be made. And the Revolution would pick up major momentum. We wrote “Pagan Christianity” for this very reason. To help foment a Christ-centered Revolution in the Christian faith.

Finally, if you’ve read the new version already, please send your feedback to Jeanette at PTMIN@aol.com. We’d love to hear how the book is impacting those who read it. And if you write a review for your web site or blog, please let us know.

Thanks for your help and support in the Revolution. I’m deeply appreciative. And I look forward to seeing what the Lord will do in February. I shall keep you posted!

Your brother in the forgotten quest,

Frank

Popular Reviews and Audio Interviews

To read editor reviews and hear audio and print interviews on PAGAN CHRISTIANITY, go to www.ptmin.org/answers.htm

Pagan Christianity Discussion Guide

**New*** Download the free discussion guide at www.paganchristianity.org/pcguide.pdf

Ex-Pastors Web Page

If you are a former or struggling pastor, visit the new Ex-Pastor’s web page. The site contains stories from ex-pastors who have written about their journey of leaving the pastor-system. These stories include the challenge of following their conscience at the expense of losing friends and the struggle to find new employment. It also includes an “Ex-Pastor’s Survival Guide” to helps pastors who have little to no employable skills to find work outside of paid ministry positions.