Intersection

Social theory states we are never more than six relationship connections from anyone on the planet (often referred to as six degrees of separation). This is evidence of our human connectivity and the smallness of the world around us. I fully recognize this and yet still enjoy seeing it become a reality. 

This week at the Next Level Conference further cemented that while providing me with evidence of the impact we can share when those relationship lines intersect. It reminds me to be intentional in my interactions and to pay attention to the stories people share. Not only will there be crossover in people groups , but the chance of future impact will increase as well. It helps to shape a mindset of genuine human compassion when we realize we are all connected. 

Stretch Your Mind

I am at the Next Level Conference at Savannah Christian Church this week with part of our staff. It's always a challenging and encouraging time when you are exposed to great leadership. It's very practical and also mentally stimulating with a variety of experiences. Part of the difficulty of the week is gathering all of this information and then determining what to do with it once you return home.

Any learning experience poses the same dilemma. There is a need to be receptive to innovation and personal transformation while not overreacting to what we hear. It's the discerning mind that is able to sort through, find the most valuable piece of knowledge, and then put it into practice for lasting change. When we aren't able to do this effectively we end up hearing a lot of good information and never changing anything at all.

Careful Consideration

Our staff is at the Drive conference at NorthPoint Community Church this week. It's a phenomenal organization that obviously follows God's leading and functions by staying strategically focused on the same vision through all levels of what they do.

The standard line when you are attending these conferences is that you need to focus on the one thing you will take away since there is obviously no way to implement everything you learn. I know some people who stop paying attention once they hear their "one big thing" and others who can't seem to narrow it down. I remember when I first started attending conferences (in my previous life as an athletic trainer) and how flooded with ideas I would feel over the course of 2-3 days. I've learned to soak it all in and take copious notes that allow me to go back later and work on what's most important. I guess that's probably a pretty decent idea for life in general--don't go running out and making major changes without some time to carefully consider the implications of your choices.

Preaching Rocket Thoughts

I was in Atlanta today at NorthPoint Community Church for a workshop sponsored by Preaching Rocket. It was a great time to get away with our preaching team & to hear from great leaders and pastors including Andy Stanley & Louie Giglio (and others.) I tweeted a few things earlier today, but thought it would be a better summary in a blog post.

• If we're not prayed up for our sermon, it will show up in our sermon.
• The reason God lets us be part of this process is that He likes to go to work with His kids.
• We are followers 1st & preachers 2nd.
• Set a goal in the realm of things you can control.
• Does my approach to communicating support my goal or trump my goal?
• Engaging unchurched people has more to do with your approach than your content.
• If you want people to fall in love with the author of Scripture, you have to get them into the text.
• When you give unchurched people an out, they respond by leaning in.
• If Christians would act like Christians, non-Christians might want to be a Christian.
• The reason we take the Scriptures seriously is because of Jesus-not the other way around.
• The main commodities to reach this generation are authenticity & vision.
• Humility is a by-product of walking with Jesus.
• Important information that's not remembered won't have the desired impact.

Orange Conference Reflections-Part 2

A few days later than intended, but here are a few more thoughts from Orange 2010:

• Don't squander the chance to invest in our children's lives. -Rev Run
• Building a ministry is much easier than building a healthy family. -Doug Fields
• If I don't focus on my family no one else will do it for me. -Doug Fields
• Spend as much time making your home attractive as you do your ministry. -Doug Fields
• The best way to impact the church is to collide with the next generation. -Perry Noble
• You can't hold people accountable for unspoken, unexplained expectations. -Perry Noble
• If we don't empower our leaders it's because we don't want a move of God to happen that we don't control. -Perry Noble
• If you're walking with Jesus, He won't let you stay like you are right now. -Perry Noble
• Are you leaving things better than when you found it? -Donald Miller
• God created us to be in family-we have made it corporate. -Donald Miller
• We need to provide lots of positive male role models in our church! -Donald Miller
• We need to teach children/youth to envision the future. -Donald Miller
• The best teachers pull the best out of you, but don't kill your spirit in the process. -Sue Miller
• Utilize a Systematic Relational Connection Approach to ministry.

Orange Conference Reflections-Part 1

I spent Thursday & Friday with our children's ministry team at the Orange Conference in Atlanta. It was a privilege to spend time with our leaders and we were all challenged by what we heard. Still processing a lot of it-especially in the wake of the Exponential Conference the week before.

• The quickest way to see your spiritual gift is to have someone walk in the room with the same gift, but at a higher level. -Nancy Ortberg
• People will stagnate or move backwards if they are not given challenges. -Nancy Ortberg
• Leadership is the promise of development. -Nancy Ortberg
• Vulnerability in leadership is a powerful commodity. -Nancy Ortberg
• The more you collide with God, the more you understand who you are. -John Ortberg
• Every parent is singularly overwhelmed by their own inadequacies. -John Ortberg
• We are called to something bigger than being nice. -John Ortberg
• For me to be the me I need to be, I will disappoint people. -John Ortberg
• Transformation requires at least as much grace as salvation does. -John Ortberg
• This generation will not grow if their leaders are not transformed. -John Ortberg
• Both the culture and the church have failed children. -Chap Clark
• God's heart never breaks passively-it always breaks in action. -Chap Clark
• "Social capital" is the key to healthy growth. -Chap Clark
• We have different measures of effectiveness than God does. -Chap Clark
• A stable family is the safety net for an adolescent. -Chap Clark
• We have made Jesus into our image and then we worship that image. -Chap Clark

Exponential Reflections-Part 2

Continued thoughts from last week's conference in Orlando:

• You cannot expect your people to be what you are not. -Matt Chandler
• Be careful-since we deal with the divine it can become routine to us. -Matt Chandler
• Your call is to Christ first and foremost-then to your mission. -Matt Chandler
• Every church planter starts with a good vision-most of them don't resemble that a year later. -Shawn Lovejoy
• The only way you can stay away from criticism is to do nothing significant with your life. -Bill Hybels
• Whenever we answer God's call there will be much personal pain with it. -Shawn Lovejoy
• Finishing the great work (of church planting) will take courageous conversations and courageous calls. -Shawn Lovejoy
• The greater the work is, the greater the opposition will be. Opposition reaches a fever pitch right before God does something awesome. -Shawn Lovejoy
• A pastor must have thick skin and a soft heart. -Darren Patrick
• We complexificate things. -Reggie McNeal
• The church is too much like a merry-go-round. It has lights and cool music, but it's only going around in circles. -Ed Stetzer
• Two groups that pastors should spend more time with: leaders and sinners. -Alan Hirsch
• God desires to advance His Kingdom through our transformed and transforming lives and churches. -Efrem Smith
• We have separated evangelism from compassion, mercy & justice. -Efrem Smith
• Whenever someone is lost and alone, God's reaction is to "go" and to "send."- Dave Ferguson
• When we maximize the ministry outside of the church walls, we don't minimize the ministry inside of the church walls. -Dave Ferguson
• How do we step out of our homogeneous, ethnocentric holes? -Brenda Salter McNeil
• Leaders need to count the cost and be prepared to go the distance. -Brenda Salter McNeil
• The process of engaging diversity will make you the church. -Brenda Salter McNeil
• There are a lot of virtual/pseudo communities. -Shane Claiborne
• Don't just tell people what not to do-give them replacements! -Shane Claiborne
• True transformation starts in our mind. It is honed in great community. -Dave Gibbons
• Why don't we stop focusing on the movement of masses and focus on the movement of the Holy Spirit? -Dave Gibbons

Exponential Reflections-Part 1

Mike & I were in Orlando last week for the Exponential Conference-essentially a church planting conference, but also a time to see what God is doing in churches both big & small as He calls His people to Him. I took copious notes (and also posted many quotes on Facebook &Twitter), but thought I would hit a few highlights here too-more thoughts will continue tomorrow:

• Are you willing to trade your life for what you believe in?
• It's never about where you are going, it's who you're becoming. -Mark Batterson
• There are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet. -Mark Batterson
• Sometimes God gets in the way to show us the way. When we realize that our frustration evaporates. -Mark Batterson
• How much do you need power and need life? Be in the Word(s). -Louie Giglio
• The operational power of the Kingdom of God is the Holy Spirit! -Louie Giglio
• Rejoice in the cross, but don't forget the power of the resurrection! -Louie Giglio
• God's words have an assignment & they never fail their assignment. -Louie Giglio
• The harvest is now! Let's not be a group of people who want to wait for the harvest! -Rick Bezet
• If you just send your money to the mission field and not your people, there is proof that the next generation will do neither. -Rick Bezet
• It's not the idea that gets rejoiced at-it's the fruit that gets celebrated. -Matt Chandler
• You are never going to make the gospel so cool that everybody understands it-it will always be offensive to some. -Matt Chandler
• When your desire to draw a crowd is greater than your doctrinal integrity, you're out of bounds. -Matt Chandler
• You can't protect (your church) from suffering/persecution, but you can prepare them for it. -Matt Chandler
• We have to live a simple life to model a simple life for our people. -Matt Chandler
• Are we crying out for good soil & good seed? -Matt Chandler
• It's not about a "system" for producing fruit-it's about following God and being faithful to where He has called you. -Matt Chandler
• Has there ever been a greater need for servant leadership than now? -Ken Blanchard
• You have to be a servant 1st and a leader 2nd. -Ken Blanchard
• Any time you don't feel joy, peace & righteousness, you are detached from the vine. -Ken Blanchard
• When you follow God you get three consultants in one-Father, Son & Holy Spirit. -Ken Blanchard