Nation New Church COnference Exponential 09 Orlando, FLWow

Wow, what a refreshing time for our staff and me personally to get away hang out together and spend time getting to know so many people. As many of you may know just because I worked in a very established church for almost 8 years and did a very similar job there as I am doing here at Resonate, it being a church plant is a totally different animal all together. So it was very encouraging to meet, share and learn from other people who are in the same position as me. I got to know Joe Taylor who is the Worship Pastor at Momentum Christian Church, which is in McDonough, Georgia. I also got to to meet Daniel Hogdes who is the Worship Pastor at Kinetic Church, which is in Charlotte, North Carolina. But more importantly than that was the time out staff got to have hanging out and enjoying being together. We spent every night by the pool and hot tub laughing and enjoying being together. We also got to go to Diseny World which was a blast. Even though I am 27 I still find myself giddy like a little school girl at this magical place.

WHAT I LEARNED WHILE AT CONFERENCE:

From Erwin McManus:

~ People are looking for people in which the power and presence of Jesus is undeniable.

~ Jesus died so that we could live our most heroic life... but most Christians like to believe and live as if it were just to save us so we could go to heaven.

From Craig Groeschel:

~ A movement will never be safe, predictable and clean. It must become dangerous again.

~ We unintentionally invite people to a better life which is not the Bible. Preach a dangerous message. NOT EDGY but dangerous.

~It is not about the package we sell... it is about His presence that changes lives not at all about what we do! We have a tendency to produce false converts. Just because you go to church doesn't mean you are a Christian.

~ A movement will never be about your ministry... it is about His Kingdom.

~ Build your church on what you are about and not what you don't do. We have to look at other churches like team mates. If we dont we are arrogant and we need to realize that people are different than you and me.

~ Your idenity cannot be wrapped up in numbers... it has to be wrapped up in who you are in Christ. This is the only way you will survive.

~ Don't take the blame for the decline... because you will take credit for the increases.

~ You will be tempted to preach messages to bring people in and not the Glory of God. You will be begging people to stay instead of blessing them to go.

From Bob Roberts:

~ There is something more exciting that church! Its Jesus. We need to be radically in love with Jesus.

~ Most churches the focus is on the preacher and not the disciple.

~ We are so current in the church mindset and the way we do our programs... but we are sop old school when it comes to the rest of the world.

~ Risk is seen in life or death and not nickels and noses.

Also, Francis Chan spoke... but this is a whole new blog. He challenged me beyond what I can even put to paper yet. I am still working through this. There will be a blog about it soon... but I am still trying to figure out action steps for me and Resonate in this area. So more to come I promise!