Yes! I'm pumped to be attending CatalystOneDay at Granger Community Church. I've been a big Andy Stanley (North Point Community Church) fan for a number of years and he is not disappointing. I so connect with his communication style. Fact is if I am ever in a position to teach regularly, I am sure I would have a tall cafe table and chair onstage with me. Atmosphere aside, to emulate his contagious and engaging ability to honestly and authentically connect with his audience would be quite cool.Craig Groeschel is the other speaker and I just finished his new book, IT. He leads lifechurch.tv a cutting edge church that has 13 venues including an online church. I was especially struck by his deep desire to communicate Jesus and the emphasis he placed on his sermon prep time being more associated with his own spiritual life and less about content. Not negating the need for solid content but realizing that the spirit of God's work in us must be and is the most important aspect of preparation.
Okay so what follows is some of my note taking.
Craig Groeschel - Busting Barriers with Mindset Changes
- Ministry practices must be built around organizational size and type.
- We must think differently about the culture of our church. Have we lead our people to be accountable for time? Have we lead our people to be generous?
- Tons of activity. Minimal results. Life Church has narrowed their focus to 5 things. Worship; Student ministries; Kids; Small Groups; Mission Trips.
- Strike activity...do less, do it better, affect more people positively.
- Are we about our mission or about guarding peoples feelings?
- We must hire for the future.
- Tremendous people in the organization must surround the point person.
- Develop a church culture that makes it easy for the wrong people to leave.
- If we're confident and secure in our mission...that is an attractive element to those seeking a church home.
- God often guides out of what he doesn't provide. Peter and beggar example.
- Great leaders see opportunities when others see limitations.
Three assignments from Craig -
1) Find someone one or two steps ahead of you and learn how they think. Most want to learn what they do - not how they think.
2) Identify one wrong mindset and ask God to renew your mind with truth.
3) Identify one painful decision you've been avoiding and commit to make the decision no matter what the short-term pain.
Craig and Andy together
Quoted Hybels - "as a leader one of the best things you can bring is your energy." If I am working outside my giftedness then prayer and devotion doesn't help much. Working outside my giftedness a large percentage of the time is outside the will of God.
- Refuse to do some things. hmm.
God has really blessed and maxed your facility. You are missional . Strategic partnerships.
Missional impact is huge because of not duplicating staff.
Interesting note: Craig and Andy teach about 33 weekends thru 09.
Craig Groeschel - Creating Spiritual Momentum
What is my leadership dark side? I'm quite confident that there are multiple dark sides to my existence. One of them is that I like to control things, funny how Craig hit this head on in this talk. High control=low growth.
- Take time off. Can't? You're full of pride and you're a poor leader for not having raised anyone up around you to lead.
- Sermon prep does not equate spending time with God.
- I believe that my church needs my leadership more than anything else that I can offer.
- We will do anything short of sin, to bring people to Christ.
- Craig spends 12 nights of the year away from his family. 12 only. No more.
- 5 o'clock news theory. = Craig getting his sermon together week of. moving with the current.
- Andy 3 sermons out most of the time.
Andy - Don't be that Couch
In this talk Andy referenced an old couch that is purchased when a couple marries and because of sentimental reasons continues to be moved from house to house even though the springs poke you in the butt and the fabric is faded. What are we doing at MCCh that is an old couch and needs to be thrown out or in our case given to the youth group. (Sorry, inside joke. Step into the youth room and you'll know what I mean. There live the most ugly worn out, but loved couches in the world!)
- Programming begins as an answer to a question, over time it becomes a part of the organizational culture and the answer becomes institutionalized.
- If we institutionalize an answer, the day will come when it is no longer an answer.
- We must be more committed to our mission than to our programming.
- Refuse those things that are not life changing
- If a program is not working, tweaking won't help.
The assumptions a team has held the longest or the most deeply are the likeliest to be its undoing. Some beliefs have come to appear so obvious that they are off limits for debate.
Posts
