For two years we’ve loved spending time with you here.
For two years we’ve listened to your stories and your hearts as we know you’ve listened to ours.
For two years we’ve loved being that online space that women could call home – where they could kick off any expectation of perfect, set aside their fears, their shyness, their worry that they’re not good enough, and find some of Jesus’ words of rest woven into every blog post shared here.
And for two years people have been asking us if we were going to have an (in)courage conference.
We wanted to, but we worried there wouldn’t be enough space. That it would leave some of our community out. That not everyone would be able to put their feet up on the beach house coffee table with us if they were hindered by the price of travel, the concern about child care or the worry of what to wear.
We needed a new model – an (un)conference conference
– where everyone would be (in) and no one left out.
“For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun.
Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
~Isaiah 43:19
We needed a way to give the thousands of women who visit (in)courage on a daily basis with their aching hearts, their joys, their fears, their prayer requests, their hopes and dreams a real life community to share those with. A community that is seeded online and grows off line.
That’s how (in)courage in real life was born.
{Click the logo to come over, learn more, and register}
A God-sized dream to connect women beyond the blog posts.
How?
Well, with a day of (in)courage meetups – think mini beach house parties – all around the country and globe and a webcast for everyone to tune into. There will be something for everyone – walking, talking, laughing, hugging blog content – right in the comfort of your living room.
In short, we’re bringing the beach house right to your doorstep.
On April 27 & 28, 2012.
IRL. In Real Life. (in)RL!
We’re hosting an all-you-can-eat, wear-your-comfy-clothes, invite-your-neighbor, don’t-have-to-pack-for-it, girls-just-wanna-have-fun, in-real-life-is-better-than-online, un-conference, conference!
The webcast kicks off on Friday and (in)RL beach house parties follow on Saturday with more live (in)courage content to tune into together. Just imagine thousands of (in)courage women all over the world getting together in homes, coffee shops, restaurants, or churches – you name it– to connect in real life!
We love the online world, but there’s only so far a comment box can go to connect us. We’re looking forward to stepping through blog posts and into each other’s real lives.
Click here to register, it’s only $10 {and get your free (in)RL T-shirt!}
And then join us on twitter at 10pm EST tonight {hashtag #inrl}
for an (in)RL twitter-palooza where we’ll answer your questions, sneak you some more fun updates, and share these tasty giveaways:
24 of our (in)courage contributors are all at Hilton Head this weekend for their own (in)RL meetup. So we’ll be crazy-eyed, humidity-fried, cross-legged, beach sand, group tweeting with you all. Can NOT wait.
Come one, come all and come just as you are!
Leave a Comment“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” ~ Matthew 18:20.
Sounds fabulous, forward thinking, God honoring! Love your heart for women and Jesus. Thank you for inviting us to join in the fun!
I. AM. SO. EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 REGISTERING NOW!
YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!!!
I am SO in!!!!!!!
I’m totally there!
I wondered if it would be a conference! Sounds great I hope I will be able to be a part!!
WooHoo! Count me in!
I’m so excited for this!
You GO GIRLS! Awesome idea. Will participate and tell everyone I know!!!!! 🙂
W r #in all the way ;0) @incourage rocks …. @hiltonheadsc … jg
Thanks for making this the “Funnest” planning weekend ever 🙂
Is this going on right now in HH? Sept 10th?
Just the planning part 🙂
We r #in all the way ;0) @incourage rocks …. @hiltonheadsc … jg
YAY! So exciting! Wish that I could have joined in the the twitter…got the msg after the time – unless it’s going to be on Friday night… in which case, count me in! 🙂
It’s Friday night – so you’re actually early 🙂
AwEsOmE <3 Thanks soo much for sharing my Faith tattoo on your video! I was soooooo excited to see it!!!
I never would have guessed– what a great idea! 🙂
I’m in! This is exciting! I so hope that I will be able to attend.
Thank you so much for all of your planning and hard work that is going into creating this (in)courage conference. And a big thank you for thinking of everyone and bringing the conference to each of us. Those of us who are homebound or unable to travel won’t be left out. (in)courage is such a great community to be a part of.
Girl, we LOVE to hear that!
So excited about this!!!
I am REGISTERED! CANNOT WAIT! We will be hosting a meet up here in the Shreveport/Bossier City, La area! (And count me in for the Twitter party, too…assuming it is on Friday night!) 🙂 WOO HOO!
whooo hooo right back at you! 🙂 And yes, Friday night is on!
YESSSSS! I’m in! 🙂
I am very excited, and am looking forward to getting our group together. I haven’t been a part of (in)Courage but just a few weeks now, but you all bless me everyday with your
words of encouragement and just pure emotions, and love! THANK YOU!
can’t wait to hang with you all in real life!
This sound so exciting and encouraging. I can’t wait to hear more about it and am definitely registering. My online friends have become so important to me that I would love to have a conference in whatever manner you decide to lead out on!
GREAT idea! Way to go!
Wow! Sounds like fun! What a great idea and opportunity to share Christ in a cozy fun environment. Love love this.
Simply Amazing!!! Thanks for always being there to [in] courage, [in] spire, & [in] trigue us! I’m elated to see two of my photos in the intro =]. Thanks for making my heart SMILE big 🙂
I tried to register, but can’t figure out how to do it. Is it only open to those in the US? We are currently stationed in Spain. I have an FPO address, but the registration page wouldn’t support it.
Let us look into that. It should be open to registration from all over the world. Please keep trying 🙂
Ok, so I want to join… so bad. But I am wondering… you guys probably don’t carry a database. Joining this conference would be most fun if it’s not just me sitting on the couch. But I am allll the way in Holland. Know of others who are in Holland who I can contact so we can curl up on the couch together and do this? (I know I am going to feel so lonely otherwise.)
Blessings with this!
I just checked out the in rl website and I just made a community. Let’s pray there are other HERE that long for good fellowship and friendship!
Best thing to do is open the meetup page and start a community in Holland so others can find you there! Grab some friends and start your own Beach House party! http://www.inrl.us/host.php
Wow – what an awesome idea! Your efforts of outreach and inclusion are truly inspirational. I can’t wait to be involved.
This is so exciting…a retreat to meet IRL and no packing! Will miss the really meeting IRL….but, still think this is a wonderful idea! Ticket(s) purchased…and hope to make it to the twitter party tonight! Thank you!
I am SO in! This sounds wonderful!
That’s cool, though I can’t help but be jealous of all you fabulous women together now at a REAL beach house in Hilton Head! I live in Germany, 6 hours ahead of EST. I know of at least one other woman here who reads (in)courage and could probably find a group from our MOPS group to get together for the April “conference.” But, is it all in real time (which could be in the middle of the night here), or will you offer the sessions to watch later?
YAY!! GOOOOOO. DREAM IT!! DO IT!! Count me in too! 🙂
It is SO exciting to see (in)courage taking this step to help readers connect offline – I’m in!
Wow! I love it!!! Can’t wait! I know it will be great!
Courtney
I’m in! Finally a conference I can attend!
SO awesome! 🙂
Hooray! So excited to start planning! <3
You girls totally ROCK! Fabulous idea and the planning on my end for a in(RL) slumber party is already beginning! Thank you for always allowing God to lead!
Sounds like so much fun! I hope to be able to sign up. Just need to free up that $10 in the budget and put the dates on the calendar.
Well done, (in)courage crew! Lovin’ your song on the video. And won’t it be like that one day? All of us in one great big House in heaven, with lots and lots of room?
Thanks for making room for everyone here on earth — a sort of rehearsal for the party we’ll have in Heaven someday. 🙂
Amen! 🙂 It’s the local church, local body of believers gathering together, and it’s got Jesus’ heart — where everyone is invited, if they’d like to come to the feast — and I can’t stop smiling! A glimpse of heaven indeed, Jennifer! 🙂
See you at a rehearsal party, sister! 🙂
Technology is an amazing thing. What a WONDERFUL way to use it! Looking forward to being a part!
What a great idea! I love the heart you have for encouraging women. Thank you!
Very excited to be involved in a RL Conference ~ marking the date down and signing up today ~ looking forward to tonight……What a great community!!! I’ve been with you since it’s inception and have just loved every minute of it!! You ladies have such beautiful hearts ~
I’m so so so excited!
Sounds AMAZING!! 🙂
So exciting!
Oh wow so this is great news such a great ideal. Has to be a God ideal to be able to bring all in. I am excited can’t wait to see how it all works out. I so need to connect. Looking forward to it. See you all there 🙂
Yes! A God idea! That everyone is (in) and the body of Christ gathers all over the world, in real community that can support and grow and be real together! Isn’t this so of Jesus’ heart?! Thrilled with you! 🙂
So glad the secret is out! Excited to host a meet-up – even though life is going to be CRAZY at that time! I will need the girl time!
Oh I just signed up and joined a meet up in St. Paul by where I live. So excited to meet other incourage members.
So excited you’re excited !!!
Orlando is so in!!! Can’t wait to see you there!
[…] community. That means women like YOU were on our hearts and minds the entire time! {In fact, today (in)courage launched a sweet, sweet surprise that will bring the beloved beach house to YOU! I tell ya, the beach house is exploding with the […]
Party on!!! How stinkin’ fun and innovative and exciting!!! My only little glitch…baby #2 is supposed to be making his/her grand entrance into the world on the 28th!! What to do, what to do….pay the $10 and risk it?!?! No offense would be taken if I was laboring for the bulk of my time at the conference IRL right?! 😉 Hmmmm……
Oh, how (in) credibly fun!!! I can’t wait!!
This sounds just amazing. I am leaving for Hilton Head tonight, so I would love to see you all there. What a crazy coincidence. 🙂 And looking so forward to April. If I can help you all this weekend in anyway , please let me know. 🙂 Now I am off to pack my family for the beach!:)
[…] Lisa-Jo at Five Minute Friday. And have you seen the fabulous IRL-ing she’s cooked up at (in)courage? Did you enjoy this post? If you want, you can subscribe to my blog updates via email. Or if […]
This sounds wonderful! I love connecting with people online, and to develop those into “real life” friendships would be fantastic.
I had a feeling it would be a conference but I love how accessible you’ve made it! I’m in a friend’s wedding that weekend so I won’t be able to participate this time, unfortunately. But I hope you’ll schedule another one after that!
Cool!! And… Can I just say how jealous I am (esp as an SC girl) that ya’ll are enjoying HHI, and I am sitting in the soggy DC area!… but this kind of makes up for it 😉
OH, btw…What does being a host involve? I’d love to, but am wondering if I need to run the idea past my family (who shares this house with me) first!
I have a question. Do Host need to register? Can’t wait!
Yes please, everyone needs to register.
So excited for this!! What an amazing way to connect women! Would love to host and can’t wait to hear more details!
FABulous!!
I cannot believe there was a site chosen in Porirua New Zealand 5 mins away from where I live. Completey amazing. I never thought there would be anyway I could be involved but maybe I can. I’m just hoping there are some other Kiwi ladies who might be keen to join me. I would love to meet some new faithful women who are trying to be the best they can whilst encouraging and inspiring others.
LOVE hearing that! Keep us updated – can’t wait to hear about all the Kiwi (in)courage girls!
This sounds really cool. Your map says there’s a meet-up in my area, but there are no members, what does that mean?
That you’ll be the first attendee – yay you!
[…] Minute Friday – In Real Life Posted on 11.09.09 by Bekka This week’s prompt is (in)spired by (in)courage’s upcoming (un)conference. Ok, that’s a lot of modified words. But really, the upcoming conference, which takes […]
[…] five minutes—how can you talk about a community of friends in just five minutes?!) is inspired by an exciting announcement from (in)courage: “in real life” meetups coming next April, all around the globe. “Connecting women […]
Sounds like lots of fun – and it is right after my birthday.
Discussing logistical type details with a local Raleigh, NC (in)courage friend. Between the two of us, one will host, and we are thinking about seeing if we could even use a projector and meet at the church if there are enough other (in)courage girls in the area. Either way, God willing, there will be two of us beaching it up down south, y’all!
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Love this! Will be promoting on my blog and FB. Can’t wait…pajama par-tay! 🙂
Thanks…Shelly
A to the Men!
This is wild wonderful- I was reading Ann V’s blog for todaysnd thought those beach pictures look like Hilton Head…then read on and saw they were at HH. I am reading this while on the beach in Sea Pines, HH right now. How exciting to know that this is happening here right now.
Ohh, so love this idea!!! I know it will be such a beautiful thing–so beautiful that I hope it can be an annual thing. My husband and I are serving with Wycliffe Bible Translators-Maritime Services in Papua New Guinea and I’m looking forward to furlough after next year so maybe I’ll host one in 2013! I’ve been a lurker for so long but you have no idea how much of a blessing you all are to this oftentimes lonely, missing family and friends, but still trusting missionary mama. I was thinking though of just registering for next year just so I could meet the girls in my NC (near Charlotte) hometown community before we return. Any thoughts?
Oh yes do – that would be lovely! So glad you find (in)couragement here!
[…] of (in)Courage were brainstorming ways to include me! And YOU! This past week, they make their HUGE announcement — watch it for […]
Great idea! Can’t wait!!!!
Hey friend,
I prayed for you yesterday but couldn’t get my silly computer to cooperate with my comment. I kept being kicked off (internet in Papua New Guinea is a blessing so I shouldn’t complain!) but I was a bit frustrated and then thought that maybe the devil didn’t want me praying for you. So I prayed even more!
[…] in Hilton Head last week getting to know each other better and counting down the minutes until the big reveal at midnight on Thursday of (in)courage (in)RL, an (un)conference in your space, your real […]
Love this God-idea!!! So exciting! Unity is precious!!
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[…] community. That means women like YOU are on our hearts and minds the entire time! {In fact, today (in)courage launched a sweet, sweet surprise that will bring the beloved beach house to YOU! I tell ya, the beach house is exploding with the […]