What's the funniest, most embarrassing, or (in retrospect) dumbest thing you've done in Group Life? Nick Plassman, from Community Christian Church in Naperville, shares his story:

Call for entries.  Ready to submit your own Best, Worst story? Read the Submission Rules to learn how.

View more videos in the "GLTV" section of this blog, and on the big screen in the Group Life Conference 2008 Film Festival. Finalists will be played during Main Session Five: Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time.

Group Life Conference 2008 has a number of “firsts” – first afternoon opening, first evening session, first Film Festival, first whole-conference satellite broadcast. Here’s one more: our first Exhibit Hall.

It’s always a challenge for small group leaders and ministry point leaders to find the time to look for curriculum and leadership development resources. Even if you had the time, your local Christian bookstore has a mere sampling of all the resources available through the multiple publishers and ministries that churn out worthwhile stuff. So, we’re gathering a bunch of providers together at the conference to show off their stuff: Books, CD’s, DVD’s, online resources, trainers, ministry consultants, and more. A whole Exhibit Hall full of ideas and practical tools to help you facilitate Group Life. It’s one more feature – a first – at Group Life Conference 2008.

If you are a provider of Group Life resources and would like to participate in the Exhibit Hall, email us for details.

Hows about I give youse twenty bucks? (This sentence is grammatically incorrect unless you're from New York. Like me. In which case it reflects honors-level English.)

No, really. If you register for the Group Life Conference 2008 by Tuesday, July 29th, it's like us handing you twenty bucks. Use it for gas. Take a trip to Starbucks. Surprise your finance committee.

Now multiply that $20 times everybody on your team who is coming to the conference. That's right... every registration is $20 less NOW than it will be AFTER July 29.

If you don't know all the names of people you're bringing, that's OK. Our crack registration team can put you down for any number of registrants "to be named later" just like in the Big Leagues. Pay now, recruit later. Don't know what breakouts you want? No problem. Register today, and you can choose your breakouts up until October 3.

You only have a few days left to pull this off. Register online now or call 800-570-9812. You'll save big bucks.

Why Do I Love Small Groups? Alan Hirsh's answer has been added to our collection at Group Life TV.

Alan is the director of Forge Australia. Known for his innovative approach to missions, Alan is a teacher and key mission strategist for churches across the western world. His book The Shaping of Things to Come is widely considered to be a seminal text on missions. Alan’s latest book, The Forgotten Ways, has quickly become a key reference for missional thinking, particularly as it relates to movements. Alan is an adjunct professor at Fuller Seminary and lectures frequently throughout Australia, Europe, and the U.S. He is the co-founder of www.shapevine.com,a forum for engaging with world-transforming ideas. He blogs at www.theforgottenways.org. Watch GLTV: Why I Love Small Groups

What's the funniest, most embarrassing, or (in retrospect) dumbest thing you've done in Group Life? From the small group that wanted to study the "Dead Sea Squirrels" or the toddler in the laundry chute, to the most ill-conceived icebreaker of all time ("Tell the group the worst sin you ever committed"), these true (we think) stories will have you in stitches.

Call for entries. We need your story on video to add to our library. We know you've got a great one... we can hear the wheels turning from here. Watch this true story... mine... for an idea of what we're looking for:

You'll be able to review these videos and vote for your favorite online in the "GLTV" section of this blog, and on the big screen in the Group Life Conference 2008 Film Festival. Finalists will be played during  Main Session Five: Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. Ready to submit your own Best, Worst story? Read the Submission Rules to learn how.