The second day of Shift 2008 ended with the Thursday Night Experiences, aimed at having the conference extend beyond just what happens in main sessions and breakouts.
To start the night, everybody began together in the main auditorium for a Q&A session with the band Switchfoot. The conversation covered everything from Switchfoot’s “strategic touring” of good surf destinations, to the motivation and inspiration behind their music. Lead singer Jon Foreman and fellow band members discussed their desire to avoid the narrow labeling of sacred and secular, and instead create “music for thinking people,” helping listeners question and think about the larger issues of life.
After Q&A, lead singer Jon Foreman played a short acoustic set of Switchfoot songs, as well as material from his new solo effort, and a new song written for the soundtrack of the upcoming Prince Caspian film.
After the performance was over, conference guests scattered across the building for six different experiences, including the World Vision AIDS theater, the Interlinc Cafe, featuring music artists Lanae Hale and Ayiesha Woods, an interactive art exhibit centered around social justice, a premiere screening of the Shells, the 20th short film in the NOOMA series, worship led by missional-community-on-the-move Psalters, and finally a space where student ministry leaders and their teams could assemble packs of medical supplies to be sent to Kenya and Uganda by Bright Hope International.
We’d love to hear from any of you who were there: what experiences did you participate in? Was it worth coming back for? Did the night provide additional learning and growth opportunities for you other attendees?
