Start Planning Now for PtP 2013

Yesterday, my family and I returned from another wonderful week at Polishing the Pulpit. This was our third year to attend. Different from the first two years, though, I was not speaking, so I got to attend a couple more sessions than in past years. 2519 people attended PtP this year, and the program just keeps on growing. That is so encouraging!

There is simply no way I can describe how wonderful this week is, and it isn’t just for preachers! The name may throw you off a bit, because the idea was started for preachers, but there is something for everyone.

So, I am encouraging every member of the Lord’s Church to start making plans to attend in 2013. If you need some encouragement, here are 5 common hang-ups, and how to overcome them.

1. It’s too expensive. There is no getting around it. Polishing the Pulpit is not free. It costs some money to attend. However, there are a couple of ways to work through this. First, look at the ROI (return on investment). The number of lessons heard, and the number of friendships made and renewed make it worth every penny. Also, as with any other trip, there are several ways to save some money. For example, we bring our own breakfast and lunch food, so we only eat out once per day. This saves us a ton of money over the week. Also, many preachers (and some elders and deacons) ask their congregations for some help with the trip, since this is a way to grow in the work of the Lord.

2. I can’t afford a trip like that. You can if you start saving now! Go to the website and see the costs, then figure up a small amount of money to put away each month to go. Or, as many families do, use your vacation fund and make this your vacation for one year.

3. I can’t go for a full week; after all, the kids are in school. Many schools have started back by the middle of August. However, did you know there is a weekend version of PtP? You can attend the “Spiritual Renewal Weekend” that kicks off Polishing the Pulpit, and enjoy a “mini-version” from Friday evening through Sunday morning. It’s a great way to put your toe in the water and see the great things going on there.

4. Is there that much to learn? Let’s put it this way: in the last 7 days, I have attended 46 lectures. Forty-six. I have a pile of notes to work through, in addition to almost 100 pictures of PowerPoint slides that I put in my Evernote account. The best part about PtP is that the lessons run the gamut from in-depth textual studies of Scripture to the most practical things you can imagine (there was even a lesson this year on how to vacation inexpensively!). I attended a 6-part textual study of Ephesians, but also a lesson on how a book is published. Amazing! There are classes for members, preachers, elders, deacons, youth workers, singles, Bible class teachers, homeschoolers, teenagers….. need I go on?

5. I can’t wrangle my kids through 40-someodd lectures! No need to worry. They have classes for children, students, and teens, and they are amazing classes. This year, over 200 children and almost 200 teens attended PtP and heard lessons from some of the greats in our brotherhood on needed topics. While the child care is not available during every session, it is there for the vast majority of the classes, so you can take your children somewhere and they will learn about the Lord, and you can go learn, too.

So, there you go. There are five common reasons people give as to why they don’t attend Polishing the Pulpit, and we’ve answered them all. Since those excuses are gone, start planning now, and I hope to see you  in Sevierville, Tennessee in 2013 for this wonderful event!

QUESTION: Will I see you there in 2013?

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