Tomorrow, I will be sitting in an operating suite preparing to have all four of my wisdom teeth removed.

I know, I know. How did I get to be 33 without getting my wisdom teeth out? A carefully curated mix of taking care of my teeth and not going to the dentist for 20 years. But last week, my wisdom teeth won the battle, and on Halloween, I will be able to dress up as a Mombie, complete with swollen face and dead eyes – all thanks to these four little teeth.

I could have scheduled the extraction for a different day, but there are some events you just don’t want to mess with. As soon as I heard my teeth had to come out, I had one thought – I will NOT miss Thanksgiving. That food and that time with my family comes once a year (with one brother in Rome and one sister in CA, it’s literally once a year!) So there is no way I’m letting some jacked up teeth get in the way of the event I’m so looking forward to.

You have events like that, too, don’t you? Things that, so long as it’s within your power, you absolutely would not miss? Well, I submit that like my Thanksgiving, Exponential in Orlando should be one of those events for you.

So,  here’s my list of why shouldn’t you schedule your tooth extraction for the week of Expo.

1. The community. I get that ‘community’ is a buzzword in church world nowadays, but that’s because the modern church, fighting against the isolation brought on by technology and a highly individualistic culture, is working its hardest to remind people how valuable community truly is. Jesus spent the last three years of his life ministering to others – but He did so with his twelve best friends along for the ride. If Jesus didn’t try to do ministry alone, we certainly shouldn’t. Like Thanksgiving brings my family in from all corners of the globe, Exponential in Orlando brings your friends and colleagues in from everywhere, too. No other event all year provides the same level of access to people who get what you’re going through – so why would you get your teeth pulled that week?
2. The fun. You may have heard Stadia ring this bell before, but it’s because it’s a truth bell (that doesn’t exist, but it should.) Getting together with friends and peers at Exponential is simply fun. The Stadia Village at Rosen Plaza makes it even more fun – after the incredible teachings and workshops at the conference, you know for sure you’ll run into people at the pool or the restaurant, because you’re all staying in the same place and you’re all ready to enjoy yourselves! I’m an introvert by nature, but I love Exponential because you’re surrounded by people who you know are on your team, so you can truly let go and just be. I’d never get my teeth pulled before Expo, because I would never want to miss the fun.
3. The event. Exponential is designed for church planters. All the workshops and sessions are built around the unique journey that you are on – and it’s the largest church planting conference in the country. Maybe you’ve been a planter for twenty years, or maybe you’re just starting out – but we guarantee, there is something happening at Exponential that will strengthen, grow, and ignite something new in you. But it won’t happen if you’re home nursing some pulled teeth.

Thanksgiving is sacred time for me and my family – and in my work life, Exponential is also sacred time. It’s a time of refreshing, to see that God is “doing a new thing,” so we can all go back to our respective homes and continue on this life-changing mission called church planting apart, but together. So if I need to get any other teeth pulled, it won’t be during Exponential, because that’s one event I don’t think anyone should miss.