We’re Back!
I took the Elmwood Staff to Atlanta to attend a ministry conference called DRIVE that was hosted by Andy Stanley and Northpoint Community Staff and volunteers. What an incredible 3 days we had together learning, laughing, learning, eating, learning… you get the drift. It was three days of downloading that I think was some of the most impactful lessons and take-aways that I have ever gained from a conference setting.
I want to be a leader who is trying to help the next generation succeed – I am 45 this summer – I can't believe it – Nick is 20 for crying out loud! I need to have an open ear to hear from this generation so I was excited to expose Nick and the rest of the crew to a great environment to help us get better, to be more dependent on God to come through than ever before, to see what our God can do and wants to do not only in Atlanta but Riverside, Black Rock, N Buffalo…
One of the high lights was they had Jeff Foxworthy come in Tuesday night and made us all laugh for over an hour – that dude is funny I don't care who you are!
Andy Stanley is one of the best commmunicators that I have ever had the chance to hear speak – he can take the complex and make a simple guy like me understand. He spoke three times and I swear after each one I came out saying that's it – that is his best… the take-aways are so accessible, understandable and then I would hear him again and I would say that's it – that is the best…
The jest of the conference was creating a healty culture within the church staff, big or small – I know most people think when you work at a church it's 40 hours of praise and worship! – WRONG – we defintely have some great moments but there is always a SUNDAY coming and we want to always do our best because the "product" we are revealing is worth our very best and is the only HOPE for humanity! Church staff's can become as un-healthy as any other office environment so it is important to be learning for us as a staff how to BE what Jesus wants us to be and then how do we do what He wants us to do at our highest capacity!
Here are few good take-aways that ANdy gave us
- The Church should be the best run organization in your city!
- The 2 greatest thing's you can give as a team member is TRUST and TRUSTWORTHINESS
- The gap between expectation and reality can be filled with either suspicion or trust – we are naturally suspicious (most of us)
Can't wait to kick off our new series The Incredible Family:The family we all wished to be! This is an ORANGE Series – joining the forces of the church and the family - equipping parents to be the primary spiritual navigators in the lives of their kids! This will be a great series for anybody who is in some type of family… in other words, a series for EVERYBODY!
