The Tulsa Workshop is upon us. Every year thousands of people come from all directions to gather at the Tulsa fairgrounds for three full days of preaching, teaching, singing, hugging, backslapping, and eating. It is the largest Church of Christ oriented gathering of adults in the world. There are some great preachers on the program: Mike Cope, Rubel Shelly, Jeff Walling, Marvin Phillips, Terry Rush, Lynn Anderson, and Randy Harris are just a few. Leonard Sweet is going to be doing three special keynotes. I expect him to say some things that Church of Christ folk desperately need to hear. I hope we listen. I’m not sure we can afford not to.
Tonight we kick off the festivities at Garnett with a time of praise and worship. We’ll wrap things up on Sunday morning with an Easter Sunday celebration. It is going to be a great weekend.
If you are coming to the workshop and you read this blog, please take a moment to introduce yourself to me. I’d love to meet you.
For those of you who’d love to come, but can’t, I’ll try to update the blog whenever I can.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
Hi Wade,
I come to the workshop every year. I grew up going every year as a kid at Garnett. One of my best memories is the day my dad was baptized at Garnett by Charles Johnson. After years of prayer and study he began his walk. It is one of my greatest memories because he passed away a little over a year ago. I am a youth minster here in town at another congregation. I read your blog a few times a week just to keep with my old church family. I enjoy the discussion. Keek up the good work. TD
Hey Wade,
My wife and I will be making the trip, but the workshop is not our main attraction! There is going to be a meeting of about 30 people, half of whom are seriously considering forming a team for Rwanda. We’ll be spending most of our time with them, but hope to get to hear some of the excellent stuff on tap. I’ll try to find you somewhere in the zoo, but if things don’t work out, just know we’re not trying to hide from you!
~Greg KB
By the way, did Justin ever email you back? He emailed me with his pricing, and also posted on his site (http://radicalcongruency.com) abotu his hosting packages.
Len Sweet at Tulsa? I know I have not been there in a while, but how in the flip did that happen?
There’s hope!
Believe me, I’d love to be there, and I’ve actually already met you once before… the first one you spoke at after taking the position at Garnett. I doubt you’d remember it. I wanted to compliment you on an awesome lesson, but I had a brain fart and ended up sounding really dumb.
Yes, I’d love to be there this year. I guess that if I were still a church of Christer, the fact that you’re having it on Easter weekend would be no big deal for me to leave and come to it. Who’s numbskull idea was it to have it on Easter weekend, anyway? *lol* I’ll bet it was ol’ Terry, wasn’t it?
Us Christian churchers have things to do all weekend with our Easter stuff.
I was really hoping to get to hear Leonard Sweet, and some of the other folks like yourself. I guess I’ll just have to order some tapes.
Beneath His Mercy,
Brian
Hey bro,
Sounds like a great workshop. I must agree with Brian, though, Easter weekend? What’s up with THAT? I like the look of your blog site. I will give you a call in a few weeks to catch up. I miss you up here, but I’m glad you’re doing good stuff down there.
Blessings,
Brad
The workshop happens at the same time every year. We have the Tulsa Fairgrounds reserved YEARS in advance. Easter hops around the calendar like a white bunny. We called the Vatican and asked them bump Easter back a week this year, but no go. If I were Pope, the first thing I’d do is get rid of the whole celibate thing. The second thing I’d do is make sure that Easter and the Workshop don’t fall on the same weekend ever again.
Well,
Maybe you’ll get further with the new pope (yikes! can I say that without being insensitive?). Blessings!
Brad
Wade, it was an awesome workshop with something for everyone. There were the scholarly presentations, the lessons directed at contemporary concerns, and then tonight’s sawdust and grit tent revivial service was just off the chain for me. Thanks so much for all you did and do for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Wade – so good to have been in Tulsa the past few days! I have to confess that I’m not sure what I think about all of the changes, but that is what the Workshop is all about! I appreciate the open-mindedness of the program, and have great hope for our “tribe”.
It was great to run into you on the way out of the pavillion on Sat. night and to get to speak to you again! The fact that you remembered my name has to go on my list of highlights that I write up every year.
Thanks for the wonderful weekend, and ,Lord-willing, I’ll see you again next year.
God bless,
Amy in Texas
Wade,
My husband and I have attended the workshop for years up until about 5 years and then took a few years off because of our son’s baseball games. Then again we attended this past weekend. I am sorry to say that the changes that have taken place are not agreeable and liked from this family. The congregational singing is NOT congregational singing any more, it is a preformance of the praise-team and the songleaders to a captive audience. I felt that the “praise-team” is a huge stumbling block and the songleaders were saying “Look at me, I can jump around, clap my hands, raise my hands and God will bless me more.” I love to hear Keith and Jerome lead singing, but it was a little much this year. I do not agree with the Christian Church preachers speaking next year or the booths with the instruments. I am sorry, but some little OLD fashion religion and preaching should be done. The workshop is really getting in the DEEP DITCH with all the changes. For years I have defended the workshop to a lot of people and now I am beginning to see where they are coming from. I wish that the churches would just preach the gospel of Christ and teach what the Lord preached. Don’t add to and Don’t take away from the word.
If you are trying to convince the Christian Church to change their beliefs, may I recommend some one on one bible studies and not a debate format. You know, Satan goes after the one instead of the masses.
Until the workshop is changed back to the teachings of Christ word, I will not be attending. Karen
Just to echo the majority of the sentiments above, I thought the workshop was great. This was my first time, and although we didn’t get to attend much (we were actually there for another reason), I loved the “feel” of the place. I’m not sure I can describe it more clearly than that, but especially your comments before Mike’s talk on Friday. As we can see, some of these changes will be met with criticism and perhaps even anger, but I think Satan has been dividing God’s people for too long, and the sooner we have this “reunion,” the better. Lord willing we won’t be here next year, but if we are in the States, we’ll certainly be in Tulsa!
~Greg K-B
P.S. It was great to put a real face with a virtual one!