Catalyst ’16 – 23 Leadership Quotes From Andy Stanley Catalyst Opening Session

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

As is their custom, Catalyst opened up the conference with Andy Stanley, Senior Pastor of North Point Community Church.  He is also the author of such noted books as Deep and Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love To Attend and Next Generation Leader: 5 Essentials For Those Who Will Shape The Future.  Andy spoke on the value of uncommon fellowship.

Also, as a special gift to everyone reading these posts, INJOY Stewardship would like to invest in your leadership by inviting you to a FREE Thursday October 13th online event entitled “How To Overcome The Challenges Of Leading A Growing Church.”  Click HERE or on the image below to sign up.

The following are 23 Leadership Quotes and Lessons from his incredible session:

  1. Preacher’s kids see church as the church really is.
  2. Once upon a time there was a version of our faith characterized by uncommon fellowship that changed our world.
  3. People who were nothing like Jesus liked Jesus and Jesus liked them.
  4. Jesus did not predict a place. Jesus predicted a people.
  5. Early Christian fellowship included all kinds of diverse people. Unity of believers is a testimony to the world that Jesus is God.
  6. Our ability to love one another will be our megaphone to the world.
  7. Our uncommon fellowship is critical because disunity disrupts the mission.
  8. If there is one thing we’ve got to get right is unity around Jesus, the Son of God, is the Christ.
  9. Unselfish love fuels uncommon fellowship.
  10. Mutual submission is the most powerful relational dynamic in the world.
  11. When you find a group of people mutually submitting to one another it is extraordinarily attractive.
  12. Imagine a world where the people were skeptical of what we believed but were envious of how they treat one another.
  13. Everybody wants to be one-anothered.
  14. Uncommon is uncomfortable.
  15. If we get this right all of us have to do uncomfortable things.
  16. If you are not uncomfortable you have surrounded yourself with people who are just like you.
  17. Oneness has to win the day. Unity around who is Jesus is preeminent. Everything else is details.
  18. Immorality in the church disrupts unity.
  19. Unity preempts personal preference and satisfaction.
  20. Uncommon fellowship requires we look beyond the things we don’t have in common. It is an invitation to embrace the one thing we have in common.
  21. Jesus sacrificed His life so you could experience the most uncommon fellowship of all – fellowship with the Father.
  22. If your theology separates you from sinners like you, you may have some work to do.
  23. We can’t all be right. But we can all be one. Jesus did not pray for our rightness. He prayed for our oneness.

Be sure to check back for more leadership insights throughout the day.

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On Thursday October 13th, INJOY Stewardship Solutions is hosting an online event entitled, “How To Overcome The Challenges Of Leading A Growing Church”.  You will able to learn church growth lessons from experience pastors like Shawn Lovejoy, Marty Schmidt, Josh Pennington, Mike Linch and Jeff Maness himself.  Click HERE or on the images provided to sign up.

Brian Dodd

Brian Dodd is the author and content coordinator for Brian Dodd On Leadership. In addition to overseeing this site's content, Brian is Director of New Ministry Partnerships for INJOY Stewardship Solutions where he helps churches develop cultures of generosity. Brian has also authored the critically-acclaimed book The 10 Indispensable Practices Of The 2-Minute Leader.