The One Event Pastors And Christian Leaders Cannot Afford To Miss

I have the privilege of attending another of great events for pastors and Christian leaders each year.  It is my belief the Pastors Track put on by The Orange Conference April 29 – May 1 is the best investment Christian leaders can make in their 2015 personal growth budget.  That is a strong statement but one I strongly believe to be true.

The following are 5 Reasons The Orange Conference is The One Event Pastors And Christian Leaders Cannot Afford To Miss:

1. The speaker lineup (2014 included Carey Nieuwhof, Jeff Henderson, Derwin Gray, Perry Noble, Reggie Joiner, Mark Batterson, and Andy Stanley just to name a few) is the best collection of current practioners of innovative ministry.  These are smart, smart leaders who will stretch your thinking and challenge your assumptions about how to deliver effective ministry.
2. Because of the many breakout sessions provided, you have access to these individuals with a Q& A format.
3. There is a difference between exposure and experience.  The tracks are created by pastors and church leaders for pastors and church leaders.
4.  Leaders are respected and not only challenged to get better but given the resources to do so.
5. ***BONUS*** I will get to meet you personally as I lived blog from this event annually.

To give you a preview of what you can expect, the following are 40 of the top leadership statements from last year’s event which will make you a better leader.  Before reading, click HERE to sign up this week for special advanced rates.

Carey Nieuwhof

1. We don’t evaluate particularly well. We spend all our time on preparation, not evaluation. Your congregation spends all their time evaluating, not preparing.
2. Future churches give people a place to BELONG before they BELIEVE.
3. There are four principle platforms we are going to use – Facebook because everyone in our church is on Facebook. Twitter because our community leaders are on Twitter. Pinterest – moms own Pinterest. Instagram because if you’re under 30 that’s what you use.
4. Quicker equals speed. The speed of future growth is impacted by the speed of decision-making. If you as a leadership team can’t make an important decision in 24 hours you’re too slow.
5. People don’t drive for an hour to go to church. Christians drive an hour to go to church.
6. When I was in my 30s it was all about competencies. I learned competencies is not the issue, it’s character. You’re competencies cannot exceed your character.
7. If you’re a leader and you’re over 40 you’re going to have to work to stay relevant and you’re going to have to work to stay around young leaders.
8. The most effective strategies to reach the next generation will likely not come from the current generation.  You need teenagers advising you on where culture is going.
9. You can put the kids in the basement if you want. I’ll put the adults in the basement. Don’t give them leftover space and leftover staff.
10. Every Sunday we fill the room with people who are involved in business.

Geoff Surratt

1. The churches the Apostle Paul planted eventually died. Either Paul did it wrong or there is a natural growth cycle to churches.

Ron Edmondson

1. You can talk to me about anything but my wife is off-limits.
2. This church, I don’t know how long I’m going to be there but I know how long I’m going to be with my wife.

Andy Stanley

1. You celebrate what God is doing in others but you leverage what He’s done in you.
2. How you handle something during a group will determine if you are allowed to handle it after a group.

Mark Batterson

1. I remember the first Easter 42 people showed up…I couldn’t have been more thrilled.
2. The Mark I am right now is not the Mark that needs to lead this church two years from now.
3. I remembering preaching to 12 people when I was in college…I remember the church having seven pews. What visionary built this church?..But I’d (still) stay up to 2 or 3 in the morning because I needed a word from God.
4. The one thing you can’t delegate is prayer.
5. The difference between the best you can do and the best God can do is prayer.

Derwin Gray

1. I was celebrated for my competencies (in my third year in the NFL) but had a hole in my soul.
2. We can define ourselves in ministry by outward success. How do you treat the janitor?
3. The New Heaven and New Earth looks more like a Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake concert than the church does.
4. In the NFL character was secondary to gifting. In the church I’m afraid we do the same thing.
5. We have so many resources in ministry we may get good at ministry and the Holy Spirit may not even be there.
6. We have never had enough money to do anything we’ve ever done.
7. “Can’t we all just get along?” As a leader I can’t have that theology.

Jeff Henderson

1. The better you prepare the better you preach.
2. Leadership at some point comes with a microphone.
3. America’s Best Places To Work never includes a church.
4. It’s my responsibility for people to love staff meetings.
5. The sooner we can get students to start serving in the church the quicker they’re going to fall in love with the church.
6. If you have a big church, you think all your issues will go away. They get amplified.

David Salyers

1. The best ideas win. The best ideas get funded.
2. The church has the most important message in the world. Why would we get cheap with that message?
3. It’s not fair to my competitors that I get to go to North Point Community Church and learn principles from Andy Stanley to use in my business.
4. If you ask a lousy question you get a lousy answer…If you ask a profound question you get a profound answer. We need to elevate the quality of our questions.

Perry Noble

1. I see three things in children’s ministry – Clean, Safe and Fun. Parents don’t care about anything else.
2. It’s O.K. if you disagree with the way I do ministry. There’s two type of questions – Clarification, Condemnation. You can take the questions on Condemnation and stick them where the sun don’t shine.
3. I really do feel good about the future of the church.

Once again, click HERE to sign up for the April 29 – May 1st Orange Conference.  I hope to see you there!

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