The Seven NRB’s - Which One Did You Attend?

You may not know it, but there are at least 7 very different NRB Conventions each year in Nashville.  I am completely exhausted this year, because I attended 5 of them, but I have been a part of all of these over the years.  With the size of the Gaylord you might not know that all of this goes on at the same time.

Which one did you attend?

Main Sessions - I am not counting this as one of the seven, since this is (or should be) the part of NRB that we all see (and also because I liked the title “7” instead of “8” lol).  Coming together for the Opening Session to hear from Dr. Wright on the state of the NRB, and worshipping together on Sunday morning are essential.  I am also going to throw the Saturday night receptions in here - what a wonderful time for fellowship and networking in the five “verticals” of TV, Radio, Internet, iNRB and Church Media.  The music nights are a bit more optional, but I think everyone should attend as many of the main sessions and Saturday night receptions as possible.

Reach Super Sessions - it used to be called “Reach”, now it is “Super Sessions”, or some might call it the “Phil Cooke World”.  This is predominately TV and film-related, and since Phil can bring in some big-name hollywood media types to speak, I think he pretty much gets to plan and put on these sessions - plus the “hip” Morning Brew sessions - himself.  Phil does a great job brining in quality speakers, is a great speaker himself, and these sessions are insightful times of discussion and encouragement for the TV and film crowd. 

I have also heard some negative comments about this “NRB.” It’s no secret - just follow the Twitter hash tag and you know what I’m talking about.  Attendees that are just about Lord’s work and not in the TV/film world are a bit turned off by the celebrity nature of these sessions.  This year I skipped this NRB except for one Morning Brew, but I know I need to go to some of this NRB and I just need to keep in mind that TV and film is a celebrity-driven culture, and just seeing that culture from the outside doesn’t always translate well to the rest of us.

Educational Sessions - these were full on Saturday as we talked about Social Media, but not as much on Sunday and Monday as the Expo opened and people lived in the other NRB worlds.  This is mostly the middle-tier “doers” at the large ministries, the “smaller” (but often having a great impact) ministries, and vendors.  Sadly, many of the large ministry executives who really need to be in these sessions skip them, maybe because they don’t want to be seen as admitting they still have things to learn - I don’t know.  As part of the Internet vertical, these sessions are essential in our rapidly changing world.

Expo World - a great mix of vendors, ministries, products - you name it.  Don’t make eye contact if you don’t want to stop and talk for awhile - everyone in here is passionate about their product, ministry or service.  Most should be - some great stuff - but a few...well, let’s just say I’d like that 10 minutes of my life back please!  But there are a lot of great companies, tools, and ministries here and its a must-do at NRB.  Some of the exhibitors never make it off the Expo floor, and they really have no idea about the other “NRB’s”.

Suite World - in Club 44 and in suites above the Delta shops and Magnolia ballrooms, business is done as ministries and the companies serving them have meeting after meeting.  For some, they arrive on Friday and barely get to beauty of the Gaylord -  except for the wining and dining of course.  On Monday night we could not get into the Italian restaurant for dinner in the Conservatory because there was a two hour wait, and the same with the steakhouse, which I never knew was there until this year.  I would like to take my wife there - will remember to make a reservation next year.  This world is the business side of ministry.  If this is your NRB world, just keep your guard up at all times not to lose sight of Kingdom purposes.

The Old Guard - these men and women built NRB, and yes they hold the power of the association.  As the radio generation retires, the slightly younger TV leaders take their board positions.  I don’t know many of them, and the ones I do know I don’t see around much, so they must be meeting in private rooms somewhere.  They all attend certain events, like the Media Leadership Dinner on Sunday night which I have been fortunate to be invited to as well.  They keep the work of NRB on Capital Hill going, which is a very important and necessary aspect of NRB.

The ones that are approachable and that you might get to talk with are some of the much older radio group - the original NRB members.  I see and have met several of them - some now retired but they still make the annual pilgrimage to NRB to see old friends.  If you see them stop and talk with them - they have wonderful stories about early days pioneering in Christian radio.  It is worth an hour of your time to glean from their wisdom from years of media ministry. 

Maybe that will be me in 30 years, retired and sitting by the fountain with my wife and some old friends.  I hope some young person with a passion for God (and that new thing that I don’t really understand) will stop and talk with me.

iNRB and Radisson World - there is hope for the future, and many of them are staying across the street at the Radisson.  The college students volunteer at NRB but also have their own sessions, community, competitions, and an entire different experience at NRB.  There are a few others at the Radisson as well - guys like me circa 2009 with start-up companies or small ministries, passionate about what I’m doing but needing to save $50 a night.  As you take the shuttle each morning, meeting some of these students will give you hope for the future of Christian media.  Also you might meet a certain CBN Executive, whom - although CBN would pay for it and can certainly afford it - after talking with I believe stays there because he can’t in good conscious spend an extra $50 a night to stay at the lavish Gaylord while children around the world die in starvation and while millions still haven’t heard the Gospel.  He is on to something - perhaps we should all stay at the Radisson.

Young Christian Leaders - walk through the Gaylord at 1 am.  All is quiet with the Suite World and Old Guard asleep, and even the iNRB college students are back at the Radisson (but probably still up).  The day is done at the Gaylord, right?  Not at all, for here and there in the quiet corners, on couches chairs, there are small groups of young Christian leaders are meeting over decafs and cokes (OK so some aren’t drinking Coke).  Late 20’s to early 40’s...and the medium of our generation is Internet.  We know the TV and Radio generations don’t get it, and some of us make our living consulting with those ministries.  But we also are passionate about serving Christ and fulfilling the Great Commission, and we have ideas and dreams of our own, and no shortage of talent and passion.  Some of us own start-up companies, or have small, innovative ministries.  We welcome in newcomers and we are talking and laughing together, enjoying building friendships with other like-minded leaders.  I like to imagine this is not unlike the early days of NRB, and those early radio ministries who were passionate about reaching the world with the new medium of radio.  We wonder if the Old Guard will pass the torch, whether the association is flexible to change  as much as it needs to welcome in our generation and the next one.  The future of the NRB is unclear.  But in those late night hours...catching up with what now have become good friends...it doesn’t matter.  I am being encouraged and blessed, hopefully I am encouraging those around me.  I am enjoying the moment, because for me this is my favorite of the 7 NRB’s.

Now you might think that this is a critical blog post - expecting at this point to read that I am going to blast one or more of these “NRB’s”.  Actually, quite the opposite.  Each of these NRB’s is important, each serves a different purpose, has a different crowd (with many overlaps obviously), and is one of the things that makes NRB unique and the most important associations for Christian media.  We need networking, we need vendors, we need meetings, and we need education.  But more importantly we need a place where we can come together, encourage and pray for one another, and make connections that will help advance the Great Commission.

If this was your first time to NRB, if you only came for part of it, or if you are realizing that you only attended one or two of these “NRB’s”, perhaps read through them again, and see if there is another one you should have made time for as well.  For example, many in the Suite World and Expo World mostly skip the Main Sessions and Educational Sessions, which is very unfortunate.  And next year, stay for the entire convention, get out of your “world” and truly experience all that NRB has to offer.

The NRB is an association, and it is a work in process, just as we all are.  The future of NRB is what we make it.  Let’s make NRB’s future reflect it’s first generation’s passion and commitment to use “the airwaves” to proclaim the Gospel and teach the Bible world-wide.  And let’s not make it about us - it’s all about Jesus.