Registration for our 2011 Pastors Conference—"The Powerful Life of the Praying Pastor"—is open, and the early bird discount is still available if you register before January 1st.
Here is John Piper's invitation to the conference:
Dear Friends in Ministry,
We believe it’s time for a focus on prayer at the Desiring God Conference for Pastors. Few things are more astonishing to me than that the all-knowing, all-wise, all-governing Creator of the universe would instruct us to ask him to do particular things (like send laborers into his harvest, Matthew 9:38). It is a wonder. And most of us make too little of it.
I want to end my days praying more. And praying more confidently—bold before the throne of grace. I would like you to come with me in this quest. It would be a great joy to be encouraged together for the sake of our souls, our families, and our people.
If the Lord wills, we will gather under the theme The Powerful Life of the Praying Pastor: In His Room, with the Family, Among the People of God. The conference will be held Monday evening through Wednesday noon, January 31–February 2, 2011, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. (To get a feel for the flavor, browse through the speakers and themes for the previous conferences.)
Joel Beeke, the President of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, has agreed to bring two messages that unpack the pastor’s personal life of prayer in his own “closet,” as well as inspire us to lead our own families in prayer and worship. I have heard Joel speak on this topic and was moved to fresh devotion. I am thankful he can be with us.
We’re also eager to have Paul Miller join us. Many of our people have been helped by his book, A Praying Life. We’ve asked Paul to take up the general topic of his book, but address it to pastors in particular, under the title, “Helping Our People Discover the Praying Life.”
We have been eager for some time to have Jerry Rankin for our global focus at one of our conferences for pastors. Jerry was the president of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptists from 1993 to 2010. It was a remarkable tenure overseeing 5,000 missionaries—including martyrs. We’ve asked him to focus on the relationship between prayer and finishing the task of world evangelization under the title, “Unreached Peoples and the Power of Prayer.”
When I heard Francis Chan’s message, at our recent National Conference (October, 1–3, 2010), I knew I wanted him to expand what he was saying there, in regard to his experience of prayer and daily walking with God. Prayer and loving people. Even though Francis’ future is still somewhat open-ended, he has agreed to come, and I am glad.
In keeping with the theme of prayer, I plan to do my biography this time on Robert Murray M’Cheyne. He is long overdue for this kind of attention, and I am eager to immerse myself in his life and mind for my own soul and ministry. I pray that the overflow will be useful for you.
This conference is not mainly about technique or method. It is about becoming a certain kind of God-besotted pastor of prayer in private, with our families, and with our congregations. So I am eager to be together with you and to worship and pray and think and discuss these great matters. I hope you will come.
The Auditorium at the Minneapolis Convention Center sounds like a mighty waterfall when 1,500 pastors sing with all their hearts to the Savior they love. The bookstore will be amazing. Conversation and prayer will be rich. Connecting with lovers of the gospel will strengthen the heart. We all will be reminded that we plant and water, but God gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). And nothing done in his name is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
With affection and joy,
With David Mathis
