Live Blog From Catalyst ’14 – 33 Leadership Quotes And Lessons From Craig Groeschel

As a member of the Catalyst Blog Team and INJOY Stewardship Solutions, I will be bringing you live updates from the much anticipated Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, GA.  The theme for this year’s conference is Change Is Coming.

The conference’s second day was opened by Craig Groeschel, the incredible Founding Pastor of Life Church.  Few Christian leaders understand leadership better than Craig.  He is one of the planet’s best leaders.  The following are 33 Leadership Quotes and Lessons from his wonderful session out of Mark 2:1-5 on creating a culture of innovation.

Also, before reading, make sure you check out the announcement from INJOY Stewardship Solutions shown below about a FREE webinar I will be conducting on October 16th for churches needing to raise capital in 2015.  Now onto Craig’s thoughts:

1. A few hundred years ago the church was the epicenter of creativity. It drove the arts. It was the center of the city.
2. What organization in the world is better equipped to get the Word of God out rather than a local church?
3. In the church world, we’ve delegated innovation to Apple.
4. We’ve handed off relationships to Facebook.
5. For far too long, anything Christian has been viewed as second rate.
6. To be innovative you need limited resources (most people think you need a lot) + a willingness to fail + an increasing passion to share the goodness of God through Jesus Christ = Exponential Innovation.
7. So often we think with a scarcity mindset instead of an abundance mindset.
8. Too often we say, “We can’t because we don’t”.
9. We have an all-powerful God who has given us everything we need to do everything He wants us to do.
10. God has given me everything I need to reach as many people as He wants us to reach.
11. Limited resources are not a hindrance. They are a catalyst to do more than you ever thought possible.
12. Sometimes God guides by what He withholds.
13. A community of change-makers says, “We can because we don’t.”
14. So often the mindset in churches is “Failure is not an option.”
15. Failure is a necessity to move the ball forward and learn as we make mistakes.
16. The fear of failure drives us to stop taking risks.
17. Not taking risks ultimately leads to failure.
18. The greatest lessons I’ve ever learned were through failure.
19. Be careful not to blame yourself for the declines because one day you will then take credit for the increases.
20. God must do something in me than before doing something through me.
21. The pathway to your greatest potential is straight through your greatest fear.
22. Failure is not who you are.
23. You are not a failure.
24. If you are not failing every now and then you are playing it too safe.
25. We don’t WANT to reach people for Christ. We HAVE to reach people for Christ.
26. With our actions, the church is saying, “You can go to hell.”
27. Sometimes you got to dig through a little manure to get people to Jesus.
28. We will do anything short of sin to reach people for Jesus.
29. Argue you want if it’s effective but argue yourself out of the way.
30. If you want exponential innovation you will have to break some rules.
31. The things closest to the heart of God is offensive to Pharisees.
32. You’re going to have to make some Pharisees mad.
33. Woe to us if we don’t preach the Gospel.

More leadership insights to come throughout the day.

Please join me on October 16th at 2:00 PM EST for a FREE webinar I will be conducting for INJOY Stewardship Solutions entitled How To Raise More Money In 2015 Than You Ever Thought Possible.  It will be a fun hour of equipping and training.  Click HERE or on the image to left to register today.