The Christian Educators Fellowship just concluded a great Conference at the Lake Junaluska Assembly grounds, North Carolina, of the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church.

This was a great event featuring connections of the Pan-Methodist family, Dr. David Otto of Centenary College in Louisiana, outstanding workshops and speakers, including several members of the General Board of Discipleship family.

Oneof the outcomes of this event was that I was named to the 2008 design team and so now I have a host of new adventures ahead. The next location is Albuquerque, NM October 24-27, 2008. I am very excited about this opportunity, and hope to help find suitable speakers and topics related to the Conference, which is going to be paired with the Preaching from the Center Conference.

CEF bears the theme "Christian Education for the 7th Generation: Blessed to be a Blessing."

One of the things I found interesting was the similarity of logos for CEF and The Emergent Village. They are both symbols of the leaf, recognizing new growth, and there is the reality that they both come from the trunk and branches, which bear a long history, the 7th Generation, and the historical church.

It is going to be important to recognize the seven generations that have come before and the seven generations after we are done, seeking ways to connect to both.

There is a story of many of the Native American tribes which provides a space in the tribal council for a person who will only voice the concerns of the 7th Generation to come.

What a vital response to the world, to find the people who will speak for those who have not yet come. How do we prepare our preachers, teachers, educators, and those who would change the church, sustain the church, and remember the church, by being faithful to those who have come before, those who serve now and those who are yet to come?