I’ll will participate in the annual BACE Conference today and tomorrow. BACE (Baptist Association of 
Christian Educators) serves to connect men and women who are in leadership roles in the church that have to do with, well, education! People who are responsible for Sunday School, small groups, discipleship, and spiritual growth are all here to spend two days recharging their spiritual and professional batteries.
How can you maximize this kind of an event when you have the opportunity to attend training? Here are four things that I’m doing to get the most out of these two days. These are things you can do, too, the next time you schedule conference/training time for yourself:
- Read – Don’t watch live TV on that flight of yours. I had 4 hours in the air yesterday, so I read a book on the way here. Now I have new insights that I gained before the conference even started. I’ll do the same on the way home tomorrow.
- Reflect – Take detailed notes in the conferences you attend, and do the same during times when a plenary speaker is on the stage. Then go back through your notes and place an asterisk by things you want to learn more about, or things upon which you want to act. If you don’t spend time reflecting, your note taking efforts are pretty much useless.
- Relax – There comes a time when it’s time to say, “That’s enough.” Don’t feel guilty for enjoying a good meal in the evening, and spending time with fellow conference attenders (or just watching some television or seeing a movie). Part of the goal is to break your normal routine and to give your brain a diversion.
- Receive – Don’t attend a training event with the “I know it all already” attitude. If you do, you’ve wasted your trip. Remain open to receiving new information and ideas. Don’t have a “I should be leading that workshop” mentality. Allow God to teach you new things from people He’s gifted in ministry. Don’t close yourself off to learning.
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Ken Braddy 
Enjoy your time at the conference, Boss. Great insights on making the most of any conference. Where is BACE this year that you had to take a 4 hour flight from Nash Vegas?
Hey James…conference was in OKC. Southwest ping-pongs around the country…no direct flights there…so it turns into a 4 hour flight (others were six hours plus!).