Churchplanters Conference
It was an early morning for us (4:30am) as our plane left Buffalo at 6:30. We got to Atlanta around 8:30. Thanks to some quick manuevering by Dad (who used to live in Atlanta) we shaved some driving time from the ridiculous morning traffice jam. The conference www.churchplanters.com started after lunch with Shawn Lovejoy who planted MountainLake www.mountainlakechurch.org in Cumming GA about seven years ago challenging us to relentlessly protect God's vision for the church He has entrusted us to lead. Great reminder for me to remember that even though we want people to come and experience what God is doing at Elmwood, not everybody is going to like it and that is ok. We can't be all for all but we can be all that God has called us to be in order to bring the message of Jesus Christ to our community.
Ed Stetzer who actually planted a church in Buffalo back in 1988 also spoke and he rocked it! I love being creative/relevant and the such but I have to remember that all of that is just a tool so that people will be pointed to and hopefully connect with God. He made agreat point that our message should start with relevance but lead to revelation. If we connect with people in the culture that they are living (Buffalo) we can't leave them there but help lead them back too or better said point them to the transforming person of Jesus Christ!
Love hanging out with some of the leadership team of Elmwood – What a great team of people God has and is gathering!
