Today, I was at the Leadership Summit at Willow Creek (the first of two days for this conference). I am overwhelmed with information, with being challenged, with the Spirit’s proddings. It IS like trying to get a drink of water from a fire hydrant. I am SO wishing someone was here with me–and it makes me so excited for the Catalyst Conference in October which the whole EMT + Jason will attend together.

Here’s a couple highlights from the day:

  • Opening worship was powerful, powerful. They had a cool girl-fiddler for some of the music. Rockin’.
  • First Speaker: Bill Hybels. He is the senior pastor at Willow Creek. My first time to see him in person. LOVED him!!! He talked about the “High Drama of Decision Making”. The content was good. I was especially impressed by his authenticity. He encouraged us to use God’s work in our lives and our life experience to create axioms that help us make decisions on the fly, when need be. He shared some of his, and ironically, one of them is “This is Church”. See Pastor Chuck’s blog post from yesterday.
  • They invited us to text a request for follow-up/debrief questions to a number. I love it. I get a set of reflection questions sent to my phone immediately after each speaker. I am serious when I ask: can we do this after worship at FT? Text reflection questions based on the sermon to those who would want them?
  • Second speaker: Gary Haugen. He is the Director of the International Justice Mission. OH MY. They work around the world to correct injustices like the sex slave trade, slavery, police brutality, etc. The stories he has to tell are unreal. He said that Christians need to be more about the big adventures God has for us. He said if the ministry you are doing is not so big that you HAVE TO depend on God, you need to take another risk. He said that at the IJM, they start each day with 30 minutes of silence for reflection, Scripture and prayer and then they take another 30 minutes for prayer at 11am every day. Everyone, every day. He said their work is so brutal, that they couldn’t get it done any other way. Reminded me of the guy who runs SEED in Haiti.
  • Lunch was a study in how to get things done. They fed all of us (thousands) very quickly and deliciously. I love a good deployment plan.
  • Third speaker: Bill George. Used to be CEO of Medtronic. Good stuff.
  • Fourth speaker: Wendy Kopp. This was actually a one-on-one interview by Bill Hybels. Wendy Kopp is the Director of Teach for America. She was absolutely amazing. Kept saying that the awful problems we have in inner city and rural schools can be solved. She started Teach for America when she was 22!!!! I learned about determination from Wendy Kopp. And I also learned that it is OK to ask people to sacrifice for a cause that is worthwhile. What is more worthwhile than the Gospel?
  • Fifth speaker was John Burke, lead pastor of Gateway Church in Austin, TX. He talked about the church’s job NOT being to change people or fix people –that is the work of the Holy Spirit. Rather, our job is to make good soil so that God can do the work in their hearts. He had amazing stories of people with messy lives (drug addicts, athiests, homosexuals, etc.) coming to their church, being welcomed and then God moving them along in their lives with Him. It was a challenging talk.
  • Sixth speaker was a guy named Efrem Smith–pastor of a church in North Minneapolis. He talked with us about working towards churches that are NOT segregated by color or class or anything else (“preview of heaven” he called it). He was so great. VERY funny. He really got rolling at the end and people rose to their feet to cheer his vision for who God is calling us to be as leaders.

OK…no wonder I’m tired. SO thankful for this opportunity. SO wanting to translate what I’m learning back to my work at FT. SO missing home.

Good night!