A 4 Minutes Max added for artists: Wed., April 2

If you're reading this and you're coming and you're an artist, this is for you. We've changed the schedule for Wednesday evening, April 2. Instead of a panel we're doing a kind of open mic for artists and the rest of us can be entertained. It'll happen 9:00-10:3o PM.

This is the teaser announcment.

4 Minutes Max: "Perform, Show, and Tell"

How many slots? 20 slots for artists of any media, and it'll be first come first reserved. You'll reserve a slot by email to our MCs. That email will come to you if you've registered.

So stay alert!

Two new donors: Cielo Water & Tea Embassy

We're very excited to have two new donor-sponsors. Cielo Water is a local bottle water-making company. Here's their statement:

"Cielo oxygen-enriched purified water is sold by a small local non-profit community dedicated to a simple life of day and night prayer, work, hospitality, and reconciliation.
We believe that water is one expression of the goodness of God towards all peoples of the earth. We are privileged to be stewards of the very best and purest water, and take seriously the responsibility to sell it with thankfulness, joy, and integrity."

Check them out here.

The Tea Embassy is also owned by friends and they have millions and millions of teas for sale; or at least that's what it feels like when you behold their wall of super tasty teas.

Check 'em out here.

An Evening Rate available

We're offering an evening rate for the symposium. It'll be $25 and you'll need to pay at the door. No advance payment possible on this. But if this helps you come to at least part of it, we're happy to offer it.

The evening sessions are Tuesday and Wednesday, and they begin at 7 PM.

Eugene Peterson speaks Tuesday evening, Barbara Nicolosi on Wednesday evening. And there will be other things accompanying the talks. Do see schedule for details.

Video on YouTube about "art in the church" in Austin, TX

Check it out: here. That's the short version.

This is the longer, I think more interesting version: here.

Many thanks for Taylor Martyn for getting this together!

We invite you to PRAY for the TC Symposium

We would like to let you know that we have a prayer team that has been praying daily for the symposium: the events, the speakers, the volunteers, the logistics, and for all of you who will be coming. We eagerly invite you to take a moment here and there to be praying for God's good, perfect and pleasing will to be done in and through and around and even despite us in this time we'll be spending together. Every prayer matters. Every prayer matters a great deal.

I'm copying here a portion of the liturgy that was prepared for this prayer effort. To God be the glory.

*We ask that the Body of Christ be built up in love, setting aside "childish things" to pursue maturity. May beauty and brokenness walk hand in hand in a spirit of reconciliation and mutual blessing. And may this blessing overflow into the various churches in Austin as well as the churches represented by each person attending the symposium.

All: Hear our prayer, O Lord.

*May Your church come alive to the arts and may the arts flourish and flow in the context of love. May foundations be laid at this symposium for ongoing contact and mutual support among artists, pastors, and all those working for cultural transformation.

All: Hear our prayer, O Lord.

Call: Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.

Response: Establish thou the work of our hands;
yea, establish thou the work of our hands.

Interview on Moody Bible Institute Radio

Moody's "Prime Time America" conducted an interview with me last Friday, March 7, about the arts. It's here.

Are we recording the talks?

That's the popular question of late. The answer is yes.

Yes, we are definitely recording the main session talks, including the plenaries and panels.

Yes, we will try to record all seminar talks. We may not get them all, but we'll try.

And then we'll post information in this NEWS section about how to get ahold of it.

So stay tuned.

When the Plenary Speakers speak

This is the order in which everyone will be speaking for the plenary sessions:

#1: Tuesday, 11:30-12:30 AM - Andy Crouch

#2: Tuesday, 7:30-8:30 PM - Eugene Peterson

#3: Wednesday, 9:00-10:00 AM - John Witvliet

#4: Wednesday, 10:30-11:30 AM - David Taylor

#5: Wednesday, 7:30-8:30 PM - Barbara Nicolosi

#6: Thursday, 9:00-10:00 AM - Jeremy Begbie

Our latest list of sponsors

We're very grateful to all the organizations and groups that have partnered with us in pulling off this symposium. They are:

- Christians in the Visual Arts
- Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
- First Evangelical Free Church (Austin)
- International Arts Movement (NYC)
- The Christian Post
- Baker Books
- Redeemer Presbyterian (Austin)
- All Saints Presbyterian (Austin)

It's a tremendous list of friends. We thank them now, we'll thank them during and after.