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If you follow me on Twitter, you have been inundated with tweets marked with a hashtag that reads: #story10. Some of you may be wondering: 1.) When will he stop doing that. and 2.) What does it mean? Allow me to explain.

I am in Chicago Wednesday – Friday of this week to participate in a really cool event simply known as STORY. I am actually leading a team of 11 volunteers that are handling the outdoor logistics (parking, greeting, etc…) of the 2010 edition of STORY.

Several have asked something like: “What is this STORY thing all about.” To answer that, I’m going to transpose some words written by my friend and STORY founder Ben Arment. These are the first words in the STORY conference book:

As a member of the creative class in ministry, you have the challenge of telling others about an invisible kingdom, an unseen God and a hidden underworld. This is no small feat – communicating the unseen. The greatest story ever told can be the hardest to tell. But when you consider the possibilities, they’re limitless. This is why STORY exists… to provide fuel for the creative class. STORY is not about fomulaic creativity. There are no blanks to fill-in, no how-to instructions, and no stock videos to download. Our goal is to inspire and equip you with the highest level of creative possibilities.

Now my words: STORY is unlike any other “church conference” in the country. It’s simultaneously incredibly creative and highly personal. Each attendee is treated like an honorable guest from arrival to exit. The communicators are not pastors from big churches. They are filmmakers and authors and brilliant minds from the “secular” marketplace. STORY pushes the limit of heart, mind, and soul through stunning technological visuals, powerful moments of worship, and challenge talks.

To find out more about STORY and to see one of the coolest websites you’ll ever run across, go here: www.storychicago.com

To follow the event on Twitter, follow the #story10 hashtag.

To watch exclusive backstage content as it unfolds, visit here: www.storyunfolding.com

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the relationships in my life. The more I think about it the more I am struck by the variety of people that I am connected to. Specifically, I am encouraged by the awesome stories that are being authored all around me.

I deeply appreciate the multitude of friendships and acquaintances I have, and I love how tools like Twitter and Facebook (and silly iPhone Scrabble game) bring these relationships into the forefront of my life on a daily basis. Here are some people I consider friends:

• A young executive in Cincinnati who is one of the youngest managers in his company.
• Missionaries in Guatemala and Russia who give their lives to far away people.
• A bank executive who wields his influence in the Church as masterfully as he does in the corporate world.
• A married couple who are youth pastor and executive assistant who are both on staff at a very large, very influential church in San Diego.
• A former college basketball star who played 7 professional seasons oversees.
• A dynamic motivational speaker who produces amazing school assemblies and impacts youth culture in Southern California.
• An entrepreneur who takes huge risks and creates awesome environments for church leaders and communicators of all types.
• A college student in Florida who moved 1,000 miles away from home without a car, because he’s pursuing God’s call on his life.
• A husband and wife in Kansas City who are changing the landscape of the adoption system in America.
• A pair of musician siblings in Nashville who are chasing their dreams, and fully embracing the starving artist lifestyle.

These are just a few of the cool people in my life. I haven’t told you about the amazing youth leaders, parents, and 9-5′ers in my life.

Who are some of the interesting people in your life?