It's still in the "dead" of winter (at least in Chicago) but we just made your fall schedule a little easier.

After several years of wondering, praying, and agonizing over the date of Willow Creek Association Group Life Conference, we've decided to go for it. We've moved it to October.

Our traditional September date has caused a lot of consternation among those with big ministry kick-offs right after Labor Day, so shifting the conference a little later in the year should provide some breathing room. (By the way ... after toying with the idea of a Wednesday through Friday conference, we've decided that we should leave that one alone. You spoke. We listened.)

Here are the new dates to help you plan your year:

Group Life Conference: Thursday, October 16 through Saturday (noon), October 18
Super Early Bird Deadline: (Register before this date for extraordinary savings): July 29
Early Bird Deadline: (Register before this date for ordinary savings): August 26

There you have it. Block out those dates and keep watching this space for this year's theme, specialized training tracks and speaker confirmations.  For full pricing and registration information, click here.

Group life lies at the core of church life. Whenever we gather in the name of Jesus, the love, grace and power of God flows — shaping our souls and healing our world. The amazing growth of groups worldwide is evidence that people long to connect to life-changing communities where they can be transformed and empowered to serve Christ and His Kingdom. And we want to help you do just that.

Our vision is to catalyze and support the formation of community in your church by providing premier ministry resources for building group life and promoting spiritual growth. That means offering you proven and innovative tools for groups, group leaders, ministry staff and leadership teams.

When you connect to GLCommunity you will find:

Resources
From point-leader materials to group DVD’s and study guides, to web-based tools, you will find innovative resources for growing people and building ministry. Whether it is group training, leadership development, evangelism strategies or spiritual formation materials, you can expect to find some of the best stuff right here—from Willow and from other innovative ministries worldwide. Visit the Group Life Store.

Relationships
You can connect with others through our blog, by joining or forming a ministry network, or by becoming a strategic ministry partner. The blog is your portal to current thinking in the field, a network will keep you in touch with other practitioners and thought leaders, and becoming a ministry partner will provide you with a platform to multiply your influence as we work together to build this global movement. Email for details.

Experiences
We will offer conferences and seminars, advanced leader training, ministry forums and on-line interactions targeted to your ministry needs. You will find a range of developmental opportunities for you and your team throughout the year, at the level of engagement that honors your philosophy, supports your strategy, and fits your budget. Visit Training Opportunities.

Christ-centered community has the power to transform lives. It is rooted in God’s nature and an essential practice for every Christ-follower. If there is any way we can support you in your quest to foster such community, let us know. We are eager to serve you.

A series of storms knocked out the phones in our Call Center two days ago as many of you were calling to register for the Group Life Conference. To help serve you, we've extended the deadlint to this Friday... the 13th!

You can still save $40 per person over the regular rates. You'll also get the best choices for breakouts, some of which fill up quickly.

See  conference details by clicking here.

As I head out for Willow’s Camp Paradise with my daughter I am wondering about the world she is entering. At 11 she is on the brink of teen years, puberty and the onslaught of crud that will invade her life more prominently through the TV, internet and print media. These days away on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in a cell-phone-free zone will allow us to focus on God and each other. I have just started reading Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, by Meg Meeker, M.D. It contains some startling stats that verify the powerful role a dad has in the life of his little—or not so little—girl.

Girls with courageous, available, engaged dads have higher self-esteem, better verbal and reasoning skills, longer life spans, greater levels of achievement in just about everything, wait longer to engage in sexual activity, lower teen pregnancy rates, fewer developmental delays, perform better in school, and are less likely to abuse alcohol and drugs. The data does not lie. Dads matter. And I have only one shot with her. My son is 18 this summer, and in some ways the hardest parenting years are ahead because from 18-24 they make lots of life-changing decisions without being under your authority. But the little ones—like my daughter—need the active engagement and strength only I can bring. And I need to bring it now.

So we are off to camp. Willow will always be here. But not this soon-to-be young lady. Now is the time. I have more influence in her life than I can imagine—more than her mom in some areas, and Meg’s book is making that clear.

What did you get from your dad? I picked up my love for anything mechanical from my dad. He could build anything from junk laying around the garage.

His workshop was a magical place. When Dad died in the early 90's I stood in the workshop and cried. I was surrounded by hundreds of soup cans he arranged on narrow shelves, each with a Dymo label advertising the contents... 10d nails, sheet metal screws (Phillips head), carriage bolts, pop rivets. Above the grinder table were decades of deodorant applicators, carefully washed but somehow still smelling of Old Spice. These held his drill collection. The adjustable bottoms kept all the drill tips at the same height.

Dad bought a go-kart frame when I was in 6th grade. We added a Briggs and Stratton engine from a cement mixer. He was only a little bit upset when he came home from work and found that I had completely dis-assembled the engine. We got it back together, together.

I never picked up his love for fishing and hunting, although nearly every Sunday afternoon we took a walk in the woods together. I do have his laugh... a funny way of chuckling without really smiling... like a ventriloquist laughs.

I could go on, but this blog is supposed to be about group life... which is one more thing I picked up from dad.  He and mom were Gideons (you know... a Bible in every hotel drawer) and due to a dislike of paying babysitters they used to drag me to their meetings. It's hard to remember all the details, but it seems like every couple of months we got together... a task based small group... and rotated from house to house. (I do remember that one of the couples owned a trailer park, so we met in their double-wide, the men in suits and the women in white gloves.)

And here is the part I remember best. At the end of every meeting the grownups would invite me to join the circle for what must be the Gideon Theme Song:

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian Love
The fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.

We all held hands and when we got to the end we'd all raise our arms (more or less... I also inherited my dad's height). Fellowship. Kindred hearts. The tie that binds. For a fourth grader in upstate New York, it seemed like that's what God designed us for.

And it still does.

What did you get from your dad?