Catalyst Conference 2007

So, the past week Pastor Chris, myself and our two apprenticing pastors, Dale and Tommy, drove down to the ATL for a pastors training conference called Catalyst. It was great. There were many amazing speakers and many ministries represented. Beyond all the craziness (and there was plenty), past the vendors, lights, and effects, several key things sunk deep into my heart as I heard these pastors and speakers share their heart.

The first thing that stood out to me was to always remember we are in ministry to LOVE PEOPE. Love people! Love people! Love people. I remember before I went into ministry I was so passionate about sharing the gospel with all my friends who didnt know Jesus. Now, after 16yrs of following Jesus and 5 yrs in vocational ministry, almost every one of my friends is a follower of Christ. I must be more intentional about developing close relationships with people who dont know Christ. So what did I do? Last night I went out to a bar to watch Monday night football with some folks who don't go to church. It was great! Once you get passed the smoky air and the occasional need to quickly divert the eyeballs, the experience was amazing and invigorating! The game was fun, but it was even more fun to intentionally invest myself into people I dont already know! Cant wait for next Monday night!

The second thing that stood out to me was in response to Rick Warren's speech. What hit me was to always remember to stay humble. Success will come when we are doing God's work, but we must never forget that it is His ability at work in us that leads to success in ministry. As Andy Stanely said pointed out, when Jesus was the "most powerful person in the room" he stood up, wrapped a towel around his waste and washed the disciples feet! Powerful stuff!

The third thing I came home with was something John Maxwell said. The heart of his message was to make the choice everyday to intentionally invest in the best interest of other people. Simple, yet profound!

Lastly, I realized that I need to focus my time on developing my strengths, and managing my weaknesses, not the classic "focus on your weaknesses" at the expense of your strengths approach. For me this means focusing on being a better communicator! I am going to intentionally invest my time into writing...hence the blog entry. I am going to invest even more time into my sermon preparations, and into training other leaders! This is what God is stirring in my heart.