Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Highlights from the Next Level Leadership Conference

Last week I attended the Next level Leadership Conference at Savannah Christian Church in Savannah, GA.  This was the first time for me to visit this fair city and it was beautiful.  Every city thinks they are attractive, but Savannah truly is with it's squares and tythes and park vistas witht he Georgia Oaks towering above with the spanish moss drifting in the wind.  Indeed, it was eye catching.

I was able to tour three of the oldest churches I have ever been in.  They are beautiful and historical.  I posted the pictures of them on my facebook page.  I also went down by myself.  It was a retreat for me as well to get away for a while and just let me and god be together.  I really enjoyed that.

I thought I would share some of the best quotes and highlights from my time at this church.  Just to let you know Savannah Christian church in the mid 90's was around 200-300 people.  They decided to double their ministry every five years.  Once they had that vision they started getting real specific in their planning and strategy in reaching Savannah.  They didn't double in five years.  They did it in three.  They started this onference to share the lessons they have learned in the process.  Here are some of those lessons and quotes:

  1. The simplest definition of a leader is they know what to do next.
  2. If you are a leader you have to master the art of self-leadership.
  3.  When you take care of God's business... he takes care of your business. - Tommy Barnnett
  4. God blesses the church after his own heart.
  5. God blesses a church that loves what he loves.
  6. We only accept half the gospel.  we are to love God AND love people.
  7. There is only one King inthe kingdom.
  8. At church we shoot the wounded becasue we don't really know them.  you don't shoot you're friends.
  9. The Christians in our church are hard charging, lost seeking, disciple making, hill taking, sacrafacial follwers of Jesus!
  10. When you're through changing.. you're through!
  11. If you want something different then you have to do something different.
  12. Your church needs to align four different areas: Doctrine/Theology; Directional/Methodology;  Systematic; and Relational.
  13. The dress code of your church will tell men if they belong or not.
  14. In order to figure out the man code in your church men... look at the leaders (Are they strong?)... They listen to the music (can they sing it?)... want to hear about other men (Am I part of something real?)... listen to the ministers (Does he challenge me directly?)... are extremely sensitive to quality (Is this cheesy?)... listen for vision (Can I dream a something great happening here?).
  15. Our church does three things, evangelize, send people out, and disciple.
  16. If you want commitment you have to ask for it.
  17. Do you know the difference between a college coach and a high school coach?  A high school has to develop talent.  A college coach receruit developed players.
  18. Ministers are often like college coaches and not high school coaches.
  19. Everyone is supposed to be a disciple maker.
  20. God wants to supply what you need- sometimes we don't look.
  21. Developing leaders require proximity to potential leaders.
  22. You know where a person is at spiritually by listening to them.
  23. Christians grow just humans do.  They are born again, then they are an infant, then a child, then a young adult, then a parent.
  24. "A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it."  Proverbs 22:3 & 27:12
  25. "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done."  Proverbs 19:17
That's plenty for now!  It was a great trip and I learned a lot.  I must confess I always come back meloncholy from these evetns.  I come back with all kinds of ideas and dreams but I also realize that we have a long way to go!

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