Drive Conference

Just back from Atlanta and the Drive Conference. What an amazing week of learning. I was privileged to bring the team with me this week and we even got the chance to meet Elvis. (As pictured). Every workshop and main sessions was just what I needed. I want to share with everyone five random thoughts that Andy Stanley shared about church and leadership.

1. "To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things that no one else is doing." Wow, what a thought. As a church, let us not be satisfied with what we are currently doing but let us always find new ways to reach new people.

2. "The next generation product almost never comes from the previous generation." The takeaway is, we can either fight it or fund it? Are we willing to risk failure for the next generation? Let us not be critics, lets be students.

3. "What do we believe is impossible that could change our church." We must not put limits on God. He is the God of all possibilities!

4. "If we got kicked out of leadership and came back with fresh eyes, what would we change?" This is a good question as it is easy to become emotionally attached to the things we are comfortable with. Are we doing ministries and programs that are ineffective? What are manufacturing energy in? We must own up to the things that are not working and why they are not working?

5. "When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near." I've heard a lot of people say, "We need to go back when........." We can't be experts on the past. If the vision isn't driving the church then the past will. When the past is driving us then the end is near. We must always look towards the future and what God is in store. Vision comes from a burden within. What do we have a broken heart for? These are the things that should drive us into the future.

Andy closed by saying that the real issue in America is not the high price or gasoline or the war in Iraq or who will be the next president. The real issue of America is the heart. Only the Gospel of Jesus can penetrate the hearts of people. This should drive us as a church because we are ones with the incredibly important message. We carry the hope of Christ with us. Let us do what is necessary to continue to reach this generation for Christ.