I have been reading and reflecting about what it means to be apart of this redemptive community. I had some time to hang with Scot McKnight and to also read his book A Community Called Atonement which I highly recommend.

Scot talks about at-one-ment: becoming one again with God, others and the world. His view of the atonement, rooted heavily in biblical theology, goes beyond the personal to something deeply communal. What Christ accomplished has far-reaching implications for our world and our relationships, not simply our individual salvation. It affects everything and calls us to deep change.

I resonate with this deeply. I see how God is reconciling all things to himself through the cross. Not just individual Christians, but groups; and how the atonement has a ripple effect throughout the earth, restoring relationships, promoting racial reconciliation, motivating people to embrace and serve the poor, and inspiring us toward better creation care.

I watched it as our neighborhood community rallied behind a needy family; I watched it as a couples group engage deeply with the homeless; I watched it as a men’s group reached out to the only African American family in the area. That’s God—making all things new and all things one in Him.

How is your community experiencing at-one-ment?

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.