A Message From The Board

Joel Manby and Virginia Ward 

Welcome to the Orange Conference. Founder and CEO no longer on staff at Orange. Everyone in this organization deplores any action that lacks integrity or breaks your trust and will continue to walk with anyone who has been hurt by this. 

The mission has not changed and the commitment to those values has not changed. 

Thank you for the outpouring of love.

Orange has always been about more than one person. Orange is a strategy. Orange is a belief that the next generation is worth everything. 

Our leadership has changed but our mission has not changed. 

Our hope is this week you are inspired, reenergized, and connected. 

Session 1 Notes

Jon Acuff

“Dad, you’re fun size.”

“Here for it!” What does it mean? 

“Here” means present. Consistent. Rooted to the moment. Kids are asking, “Will you still be here…when I push you away…when I’m awkward.”

My youth leader wouldn’t be pushed away. 

You might never have your kid be 48 and on stage saying it. 

“For” means advocacy. Linked arms. Pulling for you. It doesn’t say here to fix it. People aren’t projects, they want you to be here for it. No one is here for the money. You’re not here for the fame. You’re not here for the convenience of the job. 

“It” is messy. It is unpredictable. It is chaotic. We often think, I don’t want it, I want a guarantee. Every teenager gets to watch a highlight of everyone’s life. All of it about of my control. I was a high-functioning atheist. You couldn’t tell who had connection to the creator when you looked at my list of worries and what I was trying to control. If you want to have difficulty in ministry think you have control. God’s got it. The last thing Christ said on the cross was, “It is finished.” Not it’s your turn. Not it’s up to you. It is finished. 

You don’t have to worry. All you have to do is be Here For It. 

—

A star named Arrendale. It knew it existed but we didn’t notice it yet. God created it to shine. Kids were created to shine. When you notice, it unlocks a world of possibilities. 

—

Paula Danielle

Have you ever thought of all the things that need to fall into place to get from there to here? 

Here physically but are you really here emotionally? 

Hebrews 13:7, “Remember your leaders…”

In a world where everyone thinks they are a leader based on their social media count, remember your leaders.  

Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life. 

Imitate their faith. It’s impossible to imitate something you’ve never seen. Imitate, remember, imitate, remember. Remember when they saw Jesus in you and imitate this. 

—

Danielle Strickland 

In Hebrews 12 the author is telling the new Christian’s what they are here for. 

Everything that can be shaken, will be shaken, until what can’t be shaken is revealed. 

We are all here for that. No just at Orange, although Orange is being shaken, but the whole church. 

There is a whole lot of shaking going on. It’s important to tell the truth of where we are. We have to know where we are to find where to go and how to get there. We are living in a time where everything we thought we knew is not what we thought it was. Structures and people are being exposed. We are out of control. A proud sense of not being able to change anything. A constant question in faith and a question in where is God? 

The Perichoresis- The Divine Dance

That God is present and working in community creating beautiful things. Genesis 1, explains to us the revelation of God at work. God’s Spirit is here for it, alive and working. And the Spirit speaks, let there be light. John 1:4. 

“The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” John‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The destroyed world is the very place where God is working. Exposing sin isn’t darkness winning it’s evidence of God moving. 

Don’t miss the opportunity of what God wants to invite us into. We see darkness as an initiation instead of an invitation. The light is here. Let it come. 

If we can see chaos as where God speaks. 

“As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A disciple is here for it. A disciple jumps in the boat. 

In one of Jesus most popular points in his ministry He left the crowd. The disciples believe the invitation. They are conflicted but they go. So many of us don’t. In confessions and church abuse, in self harm, in everything. 

4 biggest temptations

To deny and reject. Some normalize or minimize. When you deny it, you are not here for it and you miss it. 

To avoid it. A blindness where you don’t want to see it. Homelessness for example where people avoid you. Margarette Book: Willful Blindness. We continue in bad things because our brain takes a long time to catch up to the truth. The personal makeup of whistleblowers are people so committed to the mission that the distance between what is true and what is happening makes it so they can’t take it. Distraction. Look over there. 

Cover it. Hiding it is not cleaning it. Cover it.

God’s invitation to be HERE FOR IT will not happen if we pretend everything is fine when it isn’t.

Run from it. God’s invitation to be HERE FOR IT will not happen if we don’t know Jesus’s presence and power for ourselves.

We choose to be with Jesus. We want to go where Jesus goes. 

“But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭NLT‬‬

To take the invitation to be here for it is to accept the difficult call. The way is hard. We face things that we know we can’t do. 

Question 1 – Don’t you care? The biggest question isn’t if they will live but does Jesus even care. This question comes up when you get in the boat. That’s part of the dance, it’s part of the invitation. 

You can’t know He’s real, if you’re not here for it. Do you know He’s real? You realize He’s real when you’re willing to go to the place where He invited you to. To be here for it means you will be willing to face your fears. 

“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”” Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭39‬-‭40‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I’m afraid because I’m out of control. I’m afraid because I can’t do it. And you’re right. You aren’t in control and you can’t do it all. Jesus said, “Where is your faith.” Jesus question was genuine. Why are you afraid when Jesus is right here. 

Our faith is in people or an organization or our denominations or our economy. The opportunity is to relocate our faith. To find it again. To put it back where it belongs. 

A fragmentation happening. What they said is different than how they lived. An awareness that this is happening. How can I deal with this? What can I do? God said, “Get some help.” Counseling. Listening prayer exercise. Seeing a raging ocean storm. Why are you so afraid? Afraid it’s too much. Afraid of the exposure. Can you find Jesus here? Can you visualize Jesus in this fear? Oh yeah, He’s here for it. Why are you so afraid? Where’s your faith? 

They were terrified and asked each other, Who is this? Even the wind and the Naves obey him!” Mark 4:4 NIV

Find your faith and put it in Jesus. The revelation that God is here for it. 

To be HERE FOR IT is to bo honest to find our faith and put it in Jesus. 

To be HERE FOR IT is to encounter Jesus, who is with us and can save us.

Day 2

Leslie Mack

The next generation gets to go places we never knew even existed. 

Will there be a job for me in the future of AI? 

Maybe we don’t need to know all the answer and we are invited to just know them. 

To know them culturally. Microsoft word, if you know how to save the file, you’re not in the same cultural context. If you know the yellow pages…If you needed a college email address to sign up for Facebook, you’re in a different cultural context. 

Every single generation has to kick the tires on their values. 

If we want to be here for them, we have to understand on a deep level how to be here for them on their level. 

Gen Z and Gen Alpha are the largest generation. Whether we acknowledge them or not, they are standing on a new threshold saying here we come. 

—

Kara Powell

You know you’re old when you injure yourself in your sleep. 

The pandemic has changed the way we think about sitting or how/when we sit. How many have a standing desk? Treadmill? It’s a good thing to have more activity. 

“Sitting is the new smoking.” Mayo Clinic. 

Not in all ways and all metric but sitting is worse for us than we thought. Think of your churches. How much would we see people sitting? No successful institution with young people has them sit and listen.”

Jesus very quickly changed their posture from listening to witnesses. Sitting can be killing the faith of our young people. 

“And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits.” Mark‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus sends the disciples. They were presumably around 15-20. Let that sink in. The God of the universe decided to invest in 15-20 year olds. This is who Jesus moved from sitting to sending. 

We want the faith of young people to last. Faith beyond youth group. Young people need to practice faith together. 

Faith beyond youth group is sparked as we move from sitting to sending.

Jesus gives authority and power. See what God is doing and do something bold. One church disbanded the adult prayer leaders and put in the youth. 

Shouldn’t church be the one place that doesn’t place more pressure on kids to achieve? When 11 year olds are getting cell phones and all time anxiety high, we want the church to be safe but not coddled. Jesus sent the disciples out 2 by 2 in relational community. This generation doesn’t want to be consumers, they want to be co-creators. 

What does sending look like with younger children? We need to pair them with a caring adult and their family. With the right adult support they can develop deep roots and branches. Give agency. Anything they can do, we want them to do. As an example, packing their lunches. Let young people pack their spiritual lunches. They have gifts and talents. Let’s let the next generation lead. 

How do we actually do this through? Pay attention to how God is already working and send them forward. God is already at work. 

When we send young people, all generations benefit. This generation is here for it, let’s be here for them. 

—

Crystal Chiang 

Research from the national institute of health say suicide rise in the 6th grade and peak in the 10th grade. There is so much opportunity in the 10th grade. 

The phase gallery is an immersive experience where you walk through every phase of a kids life at the interception of church and home. 

The parent cue app is a resource every parent should have. 

It’s just a phase, so don’t miss it. 

—

Dr Dharius Daniels 

“O Lord, you misled me, and I allowed myself to be misled. You are stronger than I am, and you overpowered me. Now I am mocked every day; everyone laughs at me.” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭20‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jeremiah makes an accusation of God. That God didn’t tell him everything. There are things you didn’t tell me about in chapter 1 that I’m now experiencing in chapter 2. You told me you would use me but you didn’t tell me that I would experience adversity and accusations. There were things you told me in chapter 1 that made me think I’m here for it. The God who knows all things will at times refuse to share all that He knows. There will often be seasons and situation you can not predict or control. How are you able to handle what you didn’t see coming? 

I believe in planning. Jesus wasn’t a surprise. I know God is intentional and we are made in His likeness. Remember things will rarely go as you planned. Life be lifing. 

We need to attempt to ask and answer a key and critical question. What do you do when you are faced with what you didn’t predict and you can’t control. What do you do when you don’t know what to do. 

We can obsessed over what we don’t know or be anchored by who we do know. 

Realize that just because you are surprised doesn’t mean you are unprepared. 

“Life is lived forward but understood backwards.” God uses past experiences. God will take you to school and you don’t even know you are in class. There are situations causing aggregation in your life where God is using it for activation and preparation. 

David with the lion and the bear preparing him for Goliath. 

God will use the aggregation for our past to prepare us. Maybe you were called to the church for such a time as this. 

Remember God’s timing is an expression of God’s kindness. It’s almost like all of this started happening after I made this commitment to Christ. That the crisis came after the commitment to Christ. Maybe? Maybe not? Maybe this crisis was always coming and can you imagine trying to navigate this crisis without Christ? How could you manage this misery without hope if this had come sooner? Would any time be a good time? 

This revelation can lead to the minimization for a desire for an explanation. When you read Job he never gets an answer. There is no time where Job would have felt it was the right time but the way he managed you see God’s timing was an explanation of His kindness. 

Remember that God is a good steward and that good stewards waist nothing. All through scripture we see themes of redemption and repurpose. Jospeh with his brothers, you meant it for evil and God meant it for good. Beautify from ashes. He will take lemons and make lemonade. 

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We all have or will face what Jeremiah faced where we see God didn’t tell us everything. God gives information on a need to know basis. He meets our needs but He doesn’t accommodate our preferences. By His grace He picks those who have been purposed to handle the hardship of a holy calling. May we be encouraged and strengthen by this. 

Breakout 1 – How Do I Get Volunteers to Be Here for Kids? Amber Baker 

Remember a time when you had your best experience as a volunteer?

What three things stood out to you?

Write them down on the back of your paper.

Serving the Orange Conference: 

The genuine appreciation of leadership. 

Being brought into the behind the scenes. 

Team camaraderie. 

What we learn from one another is key. In the seat knowledge is different. Jim Wideman changed my world. I went from being a good kids pastor and then my mindset shifted and helped me be a minister to my volunteers and my ministry expanded. Learned successfully systems. In your ministry journey, I hope you have people who help shape your ministry journey to align with what God’s spirit is calling you to. 

Let’s talk about us as leaders first. 

Where have you been and where are you going? As a leader, you must take an inventory. You can not lead a group of people where you have not been before, physically and spiritually. If you want your small group leaders to pray with the kids but you haven’t modeled it, you have a responsibility to pave the way. If you want leaders to show up prepared, are you modeling this? 

A mindset check in. Are we serving our volunteers or are we using the volunteers? Sometimes we forget they have families and full time jobs. We don’t minister to them and expect them to show up. It’s our job as leaders to serve them. It’s hard, takes extra work, but it’s worth it. 

Make sure everything in the room is ready to go when the volunteers show up. I don’t want my team showing up and cutting out circles right before a craft, I want them with kids. Someone else can cut out circles from home. We want them to walk in and shine. 

Our own levels of leadership. 

John Maxwell book: the five levels of leadership. 

We start in positional leadership, move to permission where people follow you because they want to. Move to the next level by being someone who is modeling the example. Show your leaders you are worth following. 

Move from permission to production because what happens in the organization is awesome and I want to be a part of it. 

Then you start growing your people and you equip them to succeed. Now you move to people development and people want to follow you because of what you have done for them. 

The pinnacle is where people follow you because of who you are and what you represent. 

You can be on different levels with different people on your team. 

The 10 Insights:

1 When you move up a level, you build on the previous level. You don’t leave it behind.

2 Leadership is dynamic. You can work at a different eadership level from one team member to the next.

3 The higher you go, the easier it becomes to lead.

4 There is no shortcut to get to the next level. Each level requires more time and effort to reach than the previous one.

5 Although moving up a level takes a lot of time, moving down one or more levels can happen very quickly.

6 The higher you go, the greater the returns.

7 Moving to the next level always requires growth.

8 Not getting to the next level not only limits you, but it also limits each of your team members.

9 When you change position or organization, you rarely stay at the same level.

10 You cannot climb the levels alone.

When thinking about your own leadership, what one thing you can shift, tweak, or grow in?

Write it down. Share it. – Joy in the Journey 

Know Your Why – Communicate it effectively. The why never changes, it’s foundational. What fuels you. Simon Sinek – Start with Why. When you see a team thriving it’s because their why is solidified. 

I do not babysit. I don’t do childcare on Sunday mornings. We have church where kids come together in community, they open God’s word, they worship, and they process together. 

Slow and Steady wins the race. Volunteer recruitment isn’t a one time event. It’s over and over. You have to keep it on the front of your mind. Who are the 3 people I’m going to ask, “Where are you serving?” Don’t get distracted from the important things. 

Make your vision clear. A vision is a picture of an imagined future. Know it clearly enough to articulate it into every conversation without even thinking about it. Weave it into parent communication. Weave it into the posters on the back of bathroom stalls. If we don’t share our vision then people will make up their own. The reason we play the game is to… The reason we have small group is to… Create a clear vision. 

Make sure volunteers know who they are serving. The phase information changes ministry life. Clear packaging to help your team. Give your leaders phase understanding of who the kids are they are serving. If your leaders aren’t equipped then they can’t ministry as good as they could. What are the demographics of your church? Does your church reflect your community? If a leader is wearing $250 shoes but ministering to broke kids, it matters that they understand the context of those they are serving. They can probably wear the shoes but it matters how they talk about the.

Have an onboarding process for your volunteers. Know their goals. Check their references. Do training and safety checks. Meet and give them a handbook. Give them policies and vision. Talk about expectations and job descriptions. This takes time but so very important. Ask other ministry leaders for resources and help so you don’t recreate the wheel. Pair them with a seasoned leader. In a few weeks, check in with them and make sure it’s a good fit. Give them freedom to choose. 

Cast your vision often and everywhere. 

Language shift from volunteer to leader. Empower the next generation in a clear way. The verbiage can make a culture shift. Cast the vision on social media, announcements, emails, everything and everywhere. 

Have a posture of celebration and gratitude. 

Prepare their supplies. Have goodies for them. Pinterest treats of appreciation. Calendar their birthdays. Hand write notes for them a couple a week. People like mail that’s not bills. Give pins and swag. Party starter award – someone who has high five leadership. Peers nominating them for the award. This helps especially the teenagers. Being noticed matters, even if it’s just celebrating that they showed up today. 

Recruit. Recruit. Recruit. 

Don’t recruit alone. Empower the team. Give applications and ask them to hand them to their friends. Who am I inviting to come serve this week? 

What sticks out to you today? Hand written notes, thank you for just showing up today. That’s enough. 

Abaker@grace-church.com

951-235-7466

@AmberDBaker

Pull out your calendar and write your next step. 

Are you writing in pencil or pen?

Moving the Finish Line: How to Be There for 18 Plus

Lisette Fraser

Vince Parker

Kara Powell

Over one million young people walk away from the faith every year. Somewhere around 50% of students in the church walk away from their faith. 

https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/orange-18

Get the slides and be an insider with up to date information. 

Approximately 40-50% of youth group graduates drift from faith and the faith community. 

The assumed path of emerging adults. High school college job marriage, kids. 

Today: 

18-30 is a time of intense transitions. 

EMERGING ADULTHOOD: A DECADE OF PARTICULAR TRANSITIONS

FRIENDSHIPS 

EDUCATION 

VOCATIONAL 

DECISIONS ON MY OWN

18 SPIRITUAL OUESTS

FAITH COMMUNITY

RELOCATING

FINDING-MAKING HOME

IDENTITY EXPLORATION

SINGLENESS

FAMILY HISTORY

RELATIONAL COMMITMENTS

RECOVERY

DAILY LIFE MANAGEMENT

FAITH AND DOUBT

PARENT RELATIONSHIPS 

PARENTHOOD

MARRIAGE + DIVORCE

YOUNG ADULTS + TRANSITIONS

TRANSITION DEFINITION

STEVE ARGUE FROM THE FULLER YOUTH INSTITUTE

The new, challenging, exciting, and disorienting experiences emerging adults encounter as they navigate life changes and make choices to take responsibility for their lives and relationships.

TRANSITIONS IDENTITY

Emerging adults’ efforts to harmonize their multiple internal and external dentities in order to live into and external identities in order to live into and embrace their authentic and true selves.

Example: Becoming a parent (ages 27 and 30)

TRANSITIONS RELATIONAL

Emerging adults’ efforts to seek out and negotiate their various relationships by being vulnerable with some people and creating boundaries with others.

-Example: Building new friendships 

TRANSITIONS VOCATIONAL

Emerging adults’ efforts to make meaningful contributions to the world and providing for themselves and others. 

Example: Starting college, the military, or a new job

TRANSITIONS SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS

Emerging adults’ efforts to evaluate the religious and spiritual narratives they have inherited from parents/Guadians and/or faith communities while constructing a worldview that is congruent with their emerging identity, belonging, and purpose. 

Example: Doubting inherited beliefs. 

None’s and Um’s – still figuring it out. Drifted away and still figuring it out. 

TRANSITIONS RESPONSIBILITY

Emerging adults’ efforts to cultivate agency for themselves and others, make individual or communal decisions, and adjust to Increases in responsibility tor their lives, relationships, and actions

Example. Attempting to oe financially independent. 

TRANSITIONS WELLNESS

Emerging adults’ efforts to advocate for themselves by making healthy choices that ensure, improve, or recover their physical,

emotional. and/or mental health.

Example. Struggling witn addiction and going to treatment. 

TRANSITIONS GEOGRAPHICAL/INSTITUTIONAL

Emerging adults’ efforts to adjust to newer and/or unfamiliar living ana or workine environments.

Example: Moving to a new city for a new job

TRANSITIONS INTERCONNECTION

All transitions are interrelated/ interconnected.

Example: Moving to a different state for a new job. 

SELF QUESTION. TAKE A MINUTE

• Of these 7 transitions, which one/s do you see young adults working through the most in your

context?

What do we do? 

How to come up with a plan for 18+

1 Know the win. People showing up is not the win. There’s more than attendance. 

2 Educate the people. Tell everyone. Don’t keep it to yourselves. Tell people the goal. Pre-Educate people about what we are doing. 

3 Model the example. Here is how to do it. The example starts with me. 

Empowering young people to make the space for themselves. 

4 Create a replicable system. Do you have sustainability? What can you do that can be done over and over again? People in transition need something constant in their lives. 

5 Normalize the results. Summer attendance is low. When we don’t normalize things it takes a lot of energy to convince people to keep going. Don’t make things so weird that they don’t identify. 

6 Evaluate the Progress. Don’t just say that you are doing this work in the name of Jesus. Did you actually help them transition well or did you just put on a really good event? 

In church we start a bunch of things that just feel really good. Is the enemy just trying to make you busy and distracted? 

Help prepare college students in middle school. Start now. Similar empty nesters struggle so how about start now with education and opportunities to work now. 

Start early. What do we offer parents and students? Intentional parenting events. Speak through the transitions. Physically walking people through all these transitions and seasons. Helping parents be in small groups with other parents so they have community and bonds. This impacts the students as well. If kids don’t see their parents in community then kids believe community is something you eventually outgrow. 

How to do laundry and how to go visit another church. Take 12th graders on a church visit and walk them through the process. Debrief afterwards. Help them know what they are looking for. Help drivers license students with involvement in serving. 

Help adult life groups to adopted a junior or senior into their group. Give them experience. 6-7th graders could be adopted into their group once a month also so they see pouring into others. Normalize things that feel weird. The world pulls you forward but the church pushes you out. You’re too old for junior high ministry, move up. The rest of the world says, you’re good at basketball, join the varsity team. 

Small groups: The point of gathering is to give you Biblical intentional community that helps you grow. 

We are asking 3 major questions: Identity, Belonging, and Purpose. 

A healthy church reflects its community. Look at your zip code census data. How do you listen to the demographic you are not attracting? 

Be intentional and don’t take a shot in the dark. Ask questions and make sure you can keep doing it consistently. 

Relationship, relationship, relationship.

Here for Technology: AI, ChatGTP, and Whatever Comes Next with Dave Adamson

The hardest thing to talk about today is AI because of the speed of how quickly it advances or changes. New technology is available daily. AI is constantly adapting and advancing. 

ChatGPT came out about 18 months ago and now everything is integrating AI. We have so many things pressing in our churches, it’s hard to keep up. 

The mosquito in a nudest colony. I know exactly what to do but don’t know where to start. I’m not going to give you a list of tech companies and tools. I’m going to help you advance and move the ball forward practically. Goal: Walk away today and know more of how to integrate AI tools into ministry. 

The good news is you understand the potential of the new technology. Maybe you agree with the CEO of google that A.I. is the nest profound technology humanity is working on. 

YouVersion Bible app “As technologies emerge and create new possibilities, it’s important to us that the Bible be at the forefront of innovation.” 

The landscape has changed, we no longer want to broadcast and reach the world, we want to reach our community within driving distance. 

According to Barna, 88% of US pastors are comfortable using AI in areas like graphic design. 89% of US pastors believe AI will have some impact on relational quality. And just last year 54% were concerned about using AI in their churches. 

The A.I. Church leaders should prioritize is…Authentic Interactions. Prioritize this over anything else.

*Explore Waze advertisement for your church. 

How do you reach more people with the Gospel? The tech needs to serve our mission not vice versa. Run it through the filter, does it help us reach our mission? 

Flying into ATL, Dave saw that Meta released llama 3. 

Limitations of A.I. Billions is being invested but A.I. can’t do everything. We are afraid of what A.I. can do, and not just those who watch the terminator. Teenagers and parents are worried about A.I. being a job killer. A.I. can be a job opportunity maker but there are limitations. 

Kenny Jahng “You really need to think of A.I. as a seminary student intern.” 

An Assitant Intern. You wouldn’t just deploy the work without checking it. See it as an assistant intern. Give A.I. tools the same responsibility and oversight you would give an assistant or intern. Be more human by putting the right inputs in. The outcomes are determined by the inputs. 

What we need to learn most, is how to give a good input. 

According to Bloomberg, Forbes, and Wallstreet journal is a prompt engendered. 

Prompt Engineering: The art of using keywords to get AI tools to generate better images and more accurate and relevant written responses. This is a new career. Become the prompt engineer of your church right now, for free. 

P.R.O.M.P.T. 

P = Professional Experience. 

Set the parameters that define the roles. Let it know what profession I want it to have. Start the project by saying, “You are a social media professional with 10 years experience creating highly engaging social media campaigns for non-profits.” 

You are a professor of Biblical Hebrew with 10 years of experience in the church…

You are a child education expert with 30 years of experience in a rural setting…

R = Review Understanding 

Make sure to ask the AI model do you understand. “Do you understand.” Chat will say, “Absolutely…” Weed out the rest of the internet and pull in the 10 years of experience you are looking for specifically. This hasn’t started the search yet and it’s already creating clarity. Google just came out last week saying the best way to use this is to use prompts that are 25 words or less. 

O = Objective

Outline the objective of your request. What do you need done? Do you need a bible story written? Do you need a short video script? Weed out the rest of the internet and hone it in. 

“You are a social…” 

“Do you understand?”

“I need a cross-platform social media campaign comprising 12 posts to promote a night of worship to be held on Friday April 28th. Do you understand?” 

M = Mimic or Model

A style guide. If i was wanting AI to write a devotional for elements aged kids, I want a style. “I need a toddler-friendly bible verse written about Deuteronomy 5:6-9 in the style of Kellen Moore.” I want a sermon outline “I need an outline for a 30-minute sermon about _ written in the style of Time Keller, Rich Villegas, Danielle Strickland, and Craig Groeschel. 

“I need the post in the campaign to mimic churches like Elevation, Church of the Highland’s, and Life Church. Do you understand? 

P = Primary Audience 

Weed out what you don’t need to get to what you do need. 

“The posts need to target 18-30 year olds living in Gwinnett County, Georgia.” Do you understand?” Not just who but where. Give the demographic information. 

T = Task Parameters

What do you need the boundaries to be? 12 posts? 300 word blog? 12 minute script? What are the parameters? “

“I need the 12 posts to work across multiple platform character lengths, to include at least one emoji in each, and to have a call to action or question at the end of every post to attract engagement. Do not use any hashtags, or formal or insider language.”

Last, type: “Give me the information.”

All the information needs to be checked. Verify spelling, dates, information, etc. This is a tool that makes life more efficient but it still needs to be verified. 

Your church, right now, needs an A.I. Policy. Volunteers and staff are using A.I. for content that is going out to the community. It can be simple and easy, but it also needs to be clear. There are people currently using ChatGPT while taking credit. People are putting out information without being double checked. Everything generated by A.I. needs an * and a review. 

There are 3 clear categories or buckets where A.I. can be helpful right now:

1 Communication. Social media posts, emails, bulletins, small group questions. This can be done quicker so you can focus on the authentic interactions in your church. 

2 Researching. Summarizing content, sermon research, message illustrations. Ask it to search for messages illustrations. Here is what my message is about can you give me 3 historical illustrations that can enhance the theme. Double check everything. Check the theology. Look for biases. 

*Notebook LM – google is live testing this A.I. language model. This will move most pastors over the line with A.I. “Do a dissertation on ___.” The information is put in by you. All the message scripts you have used for decades. Then it pulls from your own information. Put all your notes and highlights from kindle and it will pull from your books. Transcriptions from YouTube videos! 

3 Data Strategy. Data analysis, reorganizing data, pattern identification. For example, it can determine since January you have had more 18-25 year olds drop out of small group. Then you know to check in with those people. 

AIforChurchLeaders.com

AI for Church Leaders Facebook – a video generated from a photo.

ChurchTechToday.com

MetaChurch book by Dave Adamson

Q&A: 

Purchasing plugin’s that work with your church management software. But know that anything you put into the A.I. models is accessible to everyone on the internet. Another reason you need a policy. 

Adobe Photoshop is image based while ChatGPT is language based. 

“I need an Easter graphic done in the style of __, and it needs to include these 3 words.” With adobe photoshop you can just ask it to do what you want it to do. You can ask it to manipulate the photo in pretty much any way you can imagine. 

If just getting started, go to the AIforChurchLeaders.com and read all the beginner information. 

ChatGPT free vs version 4. The prompt model is a great way to get something great out of it without having to pay. 

A.I. and translation opportunities? Fantastic. Google translate is A.I. we just didn’t call it that before. Double check everything. Get help making a prompt that makes it even helpful moving forward with future prompts. It will even learn from you. 

Have you seen it’s bias? ChatGPT has already passed the bar and medical school. Check the strategy, philosophy, and theology. You are the product of the 5 closest people to you and ChatGPT is the same. It receives everyone’s bias so make sure you check everything.

Using it to minister to kids and students who grow up as digital natives. Students today are growing up in a world where they talk about IRL and for most of us in the room, in real life is face to face. For them it’s in the DM’s and likes. For us that is scary and kind of sad. As a digital pastor, it’s like starting a church next to a porn store and there is no where else the church ought to be. The light shines brightest in the darkness. Shine the light in the dark places the next generation is growing up in. Parents need to follow and be followed by their kids. Opportunities to create conversations. Listen. Ask students who they are following. 

Teachers have ChatGPT filter checks. 

Data Privacy Steps? No private information, especially other people. Very limited information about me. If using tools like image generation, then incognito mode. Somewhere on the church website you can include this data information protection. 

A.I. tools church people are using that would be useful for us to know? ChatGPT is most common. Siri, Alexa, etc are all A.I. We use A.I. everyday even if we don’t know it. 

The Quiet Exit: What People Leaving Your Church Wish you Knew by Stuart Hall 

If you’re not careful the next generation will follow Jesus out of the church. The body of Christ is the hope of the world. There is no plan b. It’s very difficult to leave something that you are. We are the church. 

If an alien walked into your church what would they experience? Erase every preconceived idea about church and think what conclusions they would draw. 

Over 40 million people have stopped attending church in the last 25 years…

More than 1 in 7 adults who used to attend church no longer do.” The Great DeChurching. 

Go to church…

I’m late to church…

We left the church…

If you have an attractional ecclesiology you will primarily make consumers and spectators. 

If you have a Movement exclusionary you will primarily create contributors and disciples. 

Decentralization of Information – fact checking the pastor. Middle school kids are googling to fact check you. 25 years ago you had to attend a church to hear the message. Today everyone everywhere. 

Institutional Distrust – Covid, racial unrest, violence and war, mass shootings (600 every year), humanitarian crisis. So why should I trust the mass institutions? Often most rapid in the church. 

Political Division – January the 6th. Let’s be Jesus with each other and talk about political division together. 

Deconstruction – much of what is happening is the churches responsibility and we have to own that. all the evidence suggests it starts with a grounded identity (think Disney movie). The triggering experience makes the teen take a critical assessment. Some go back to their grounded identity (in the person of Jesus) while others move to a critical assessment of constructions. There is a difference between a teenager leaving the faith and a teenager leaving the church. 

Identity Crisis – the next generation is driven by belonging. You used to look for where you identified belonged and then identified. Not only do you need to offer unconditional belonging before they belief but now more than ever you need to offer unconditional belonging even if they don’t believe. 

Causal vs Casualties – There is a difference between a causal church attended and casualties because of the church. Some just fade away while others were hurt and left. 

“The House of God stretches from one corner of the universe to the other. Sea monsters live and ostriches live in it, along with people who pray in languages I do not speak, whose names I will never know. I am not in charge of this House, and never will be. I have no say about who is in and who is out. I do not get to make the rules. Like Job, I was nowhere when God laid the foundations of the earth…I am a guest here, charged with serving other guests— even those who present themselves as my enemies.” —BARBARA BROWN TAYLOR, AN ALTAR IN THE WORLD

“You cannot connect all the dots until you collect all the dots.”

Experience over Content – Do people need more content when there is YouTube? Experiences over content. The next generation is using YouTube religiously. Are you creating experts or explorers? 

Engagement over Attendance – How connected do people have to be in your church to grow in how they follow Jesus? If the growth of a teenager revolves around attendance we fail. In middle school there is a vacuumed in discipleship but you reach a ton of kids but in high school it flips. Change the turf. You go to them. Simplify what you do so people don’t have to be in the program to grow. Train and send. 

Footprints over Blueprints – Does a person have to sit in your building to be influenced by your church? It’s not about the blueprint of your building but the footprint of your influence. How is your church connecting with the local schools? The already existing and invented modes. Would your neighborhood miss you if your church went away? The future church will look like 6 different things. 

Asking Questions over All the Answers – How are you positioned to embrace and encourage information and curiosity? A post Christian society has questions. Create a space where the questions can be asked. Embrace and encourage curiosity. Don’t pretend to know all the answers. 

Partnering over Competing – How can you see someone changing churches as a win? We all grow and change. We have to be okay with this. School teachers and coaches can love Jesus and we need to partner with them. 

Tables over Rows – How do you change the orbit of community for people in your community? We need to have meals with people. Signing the bottom of the table. How do we change the orbit of community? 

Alone <——————> Community 

Abstinence <——————> Total engagement. 

It’s okay to unplug. The best thing for your soul may be to stop right now and unplug. 

Filter the lives of our teenagers by how they are doing this. Some teenagers need a week or two to rest their soul away from the church. 

For I believe the crisis in the U.S. church has almost nothing to do with being liberal or conservative; it has everything to do with giving up on the faith and discipline of our Christian baptism and settling for a common, generic U.S. identity that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, and part affluence.” Walter Brueggemann, A Way other than Our Own. 

Live Notes, so more coming over the next couple of days. Check back as the conference continues.

Live Updates: Insights and notes from the D6 Family Ministry Conference

Note: I’ll be updating this post over the next 3 days with all my breakout and session notes. Check back in for live updates and follow along on social media with #D62024

How to Use Parenting Small Groups Effectively 

Dr. Scott Turansky from the National Center for Biblical Parenting 
609-658-6518
Scott@biblicalparenting.org

Create a Vision for Parent Discipleship

1. Jesus’ Discipleship Mandate (Matthew 28:19-20) Start with the why. The reasons behind what we do found in Matthew 28:19-20. And specifically “…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Teaching them the what to do behind the why for doing it. 
2. Parents are Commissioned (Deut 6:6-9, Eph 6:1-3)
3. The Heart is Crucial (1 Samuel 16:7)

Family ministry is DNA of the leadership of the church where Scott pastors. He and the executive pastor co-lead the church. 

Parenting is heart work – Book: The heart’s desires and the heart’s emotions. Emotions are often connected to the desires. “I want” or “I feel.” And belief’s. There are 9 areas of heart work for parents. Be careful to watch out for feeding selfishness because of the “I’ll give you what you want if you obey” mentality. 

“Parents are the best counselors for their children if they have a good plan.” 

Will you child grow simply through correction? Training is much more powerful.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Tools to Consider:

BiblicalParenting.org

for books, small group resources, other parent training tools

ThrivingKidsConnection.com

An online community for parent discipleship. Ongoing training for coaches and parents using a heart-based approach.

BiblicalParentingUniversity.com

Classes for parents to take at their own pace. Churches can obtain a site license.

BiblicalParenting.coach

Become trained as a biblical parenting coach.

BiblicalParenting.org/THRIVE

12 sessions family training video experience. For individual families or church small groups.

Host a live seminar

Have Scott Turansky and Joanne

Miller come to your church and energize your parent ministry.

Practical Ways to Get Started

1. Communicate a vision for parent discipleship. Is your senior pastor involved? Is vision being casted weekly to the whole family? What sphere of influence are you stewarding? 
2. Choose the venue – What opportunity do you have built into the parent’s schedule? Is there something that fits naturally? 

•   Sunday School Class
•   During Awana
•   Weeknight small group
•   Other venue that fits your culture

1. Choose relevant curriculum
2. Consider parent training as an outreach to the community
3. Start with interested people – Maybe start small
4. Plan a live seminar to boost interest and motivation
5. Build a parent resource team
6. Communicate broadly to the church about parenting

Know your VIP’s – Very Intentional Parents

Two Elements of Small Group Ministry

1. Teaching
2. Support

Both are important

Implementing Structures

•   Email parenting tips
•   Small groups
•   Preaching
•   Family Nights
•   Mentoring
•   Devotion training
•   Live seminar
•   Book reviews
•   Biblical Parenting University
•   Family event
•   Prayer Team

Overcoming Roadblocks

Scott brings the kids up every single Sunday to be in front of the church. Prayer, 

Consider naming things intentionally. Not just the “work day” when the old folks show up but instead call it a “Family Service Day.” Now children will also come to serve as well as the older people in your church. Foster generational community in your church.

Download the Leadership Infographic Pack: 

https://app.biblicalparenting.org/rAm44?r_done=1

Brad Rhoads – Discipling Marriages in Your Church

How can I go from here favorite person, to her least favorite person in under a year?

If the person who knows you the best, loves you the least, take a good hard look in a mirror. 

Marriage ministry that missed the entire marriage. Crisis counseling and pre-marriage counseling but not helping walk through the day to day. What if we changed the way the church did marriage ministry? What if we helped people avoid drifting into the crisis to begin with? When do we first engage a couple in marriage ministry? Waiting until someone is in crisis to engage is ineffective. 

Today, according to Barna research, 72% of churches do not have a marriage ministry. 

51% of children are ralsed In In tact families. (Pew Research Center, Get Married, Wilcox, p.7.)

The US has the world’s highest rate of children living in single-parent homes. (Pew Research Center)

Marriage rate at an all-time low. Marriages have decreased by 31 percent over the last 20 years and 61 percent over the past 50 years. (End Game, p. 207 citing CDC/NCHS National Vital Statistics.)

40% of young Americans belleve marriage is an outdated tradition. (Pew Research Center)

Complacent stagnant marriages stunt our Gospel message in families. 

The best thing I can do as a dad is to love your mom well. 

“I believe the Church holds the key for addressing the collapse of marriage – and that addressing the collapse of marriage is also the key for rebuilding the church in America.” (P. 11. End Game) https://a.co/d/gZMUPOP

If anything comes ahead of your marriage with the exception of Jesus Christ, your _ will slowly die.

Programs by themselves are insufficient. 

A focus on marriage should not be a program of the church, but a pillar of the church. 

Research shows that married couples that spend at least 8 hours in skill-based training with one another have significantly stronger, longer-lasting marriages. Helping parents keep their marriage strong is children’s ministry.

We can’t change the next generation without changing the people that are raising the next generation.

Sowing and reaping is a reel thing. The more we sow into marriages, the better our church and society will be.

—

Ron Hunter – Defining Family Beyond a Norman Rockwell Painting

Families are great at getting into predicaments, but God is great about redeeming them. 

Let’s define family and ask about the one widow with two kids, what about the single daddy trying to hold it together, what about the abandoned child with identity struggles, what about orphans (physical or spiritual). 

We therefore have abba Father, and He redeems where we are. 

When we see that and we ask ourselves, how do we minister to kids who have that role model? Not all can trust the Heavenly Father because not all can trust their earthly father and they struggle with it. Some when they think of God the Father, They worry that God the Father will abandon them, or punish them, or even abuse.

You are part of a family bigger than biology. You are part of the family of God. 

Family: People who share a common bond or experience through biological, theological, or relational means. 

Co-workers, social groups, military friends, and church friends. 

Family is an endearing term that goes beyond biology. 

Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Ephesians 1:5 – we are adopted

Rom 8:27 – we are His heirs

He is Bridegroom, we are His bride

He calls us his children, He is Abba.

Mentor, Teacher, Second Parent, Friend

Ruth: Her husband died and she had a special relationship with her mother in law. 

Family Ministry as a Verb: 

Nurturing, encouraging, sharing experience and empathy, biblical counsel. 

Family ministry is spiritual ancestry, and it’s not limited to biology because it extends to theology. 

Self reflection. 
Ministry reflection. 

How is part of your spiritual family that you intentionally nurture?

What does scripture say? But if we’re not careful in this self reflection of trying to paint ourselves, we fall into the trap of looking for ourselves in Scripture, rather than looking for scripture to be in ourselves.

I’ve said this before, but I think dads and moms want to know how to do this every day. The people in your church don’t know how to do it. They don’t know how to pray with each other. They don’t know how to talk and read Scripture together. They don’t know how to ask those simple questions. And I think one of the things we’ve got to do is teach, train, and give a tool.

Kurt Bruner –  Why Family Ministry is Getting Harder

We are living in a day and age where the front lines of spiritual warfare is the family. 

How can the church make it easily and likely for families? 

Is your desire to equip families to fit in with the world and wider culture or to stand out from the world and wider culture?

Distractions. Demographics. Defection. Antagonism. 

There’s been a demographic shift away from parenthood. 

In Japan they sold more diapers for the elderly than they did for babies. 

When families aren’t being formed, and children aren’t being born, we see a decline in faith. 

God designed the home to be the place that faith takes root. 

When are the things of our culture that were are absorbing that are causing us to become more a product of our culture than a disciple of Christ? 

Most people are products of the culture rather than disciples of Christ. 

The gospel has always been a call to radical and distinct identity. 

The Hope: The gospel has always been a radical call to a distinct identity.

Parents are not the spectators, they are the coach. Never let go of the reins. 

If you’ve ever been part of a loving, healthy family you have smelled the sweet aroma of heaven. If you’ve lived in a troubled, broken home you have breathed the foul stench of hell. Spiritual formation starts with making your home what God intended it to be — a place of intimacy and joy instead of isolation and pain; a little bit of heaven rather than a foretaste of hell.

Carissa Potter – Parenting with a Global Vision

“Then Jesus came to them and sald, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” Matthew 28:18-19

“Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.” Galatians 3:8

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…” Revelation 7:9

Am I moving the story forward by what I am intentionally doing in the everyday? 

If our God is a global God, then we must live as disciples with a global vision and raise disciples with a global vision.

“Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” Genesis 18:18-19

God invites your family into His global story. To love and reach not just your neighbors but also the nations. 

Loving the nations should feel normal to our kids. Infuse God’s love and purposes for the nations into your everyday, normal family life. 

3 Ways to Parent with a Global Vision

1. Start with God’s Word. Help your children see God’s global vision woven all throughout Scripture. Study it. Talk about it. memorize it. 
2. Learn About the World. Hang a world map in your home. Learn about the nations through play, music, food, and stories. 
3. Be Multifaceted as You Live it Out. Build prayer habits. Find international opportunities in your community. Give strategically. Be specific about unreached people. 

“May God be merciful and bless us. May his face smile with favor on us. Interlude May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere. May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world. Interlude” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭67‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“To belong to Jesus is to embrace the nations with Him.” – William Carey

Michele White – Scriptural Savvy: Overcoming Your Fear of Personal Bible Study

“Let’s Pray” God has created us in such a way that even in the moment of prayer our body realizes there is a dependency on God. 

Pursue Rightly And Yield.

When we are pursuing God, our appetites should change. The things He desires should be what we desire as well. It’s a pursuit.

Can we rightly divide the word of God with a Juicer? 

2 important items to remember in studying God’s Word: 

The Bible interprets the Bible. 

There are No contradictions in the Word of God. When you feel there are look for God’s character to give the correct answer. 

What about the pulp? 

Emotions, Feelings, Thoughts, Opinions, Previous Experience, Spiritual Giants. 

The pulp has value, it matters, but the pulp is not the truth. 

Chris Sasser – Emotional Bags: Learning How to Lighten the Load

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We live in a broken world, fix our eyes on Jesus. 

How would your life change if you could pay more attention to what you’re encountering that is forming your expression in the world?

We can’t change the past, but we don’t have to continue living there. 

Traveling Light

We want to hear your life story, faith story, and family story. 

A new target for success is health. 

What if we could learn to be healthy: Mentally, Emotionally, Relationally, and Spiritually? This is the new target. 

Walk away from the device. In a recent survey, the number one thing teens would like to change is ‘I wish my parents would spend less time on their phone and talk to me more.’”

“When your child starts speaking to you, put down your phone and look them in the eyes. Do this as soon as you hear their voice. Even if it’s just to tell them you need some time to finish whatever it is you were doing. But make eye contact every single time. Your child is more important than your phone. Never, ever give them a reason to think otherwise.” 

Suggestions for how to be healthy Emotionally: Focus on embracing the peace that God offers. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts in your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Focus on the God of peace and receive the peace of God.” 

Suggestions for how to be healthy relationally: Love and serve people like Jesus. Philippians 2:5-8

Suggestions for how to be healthy spiritually: “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10. Where you put your attention will get your affection.

Tony Souder – The Secret Sauce of Building Belonging in the Church

God has made us with a longing to belong. 

Young people in our churches, right now, according to Barna, are growing up in our churches but they do not sense that they belong. 

We tend to leave the places and people we don’t feel a sense of belonging to. 

Young people are experiencing the church differently than we do. They walk through a sea of adults that they don’t know, that they don’t have a confidence that these people are for them. They are in our churches now but they are leaving. 

I believe we can make every young person in our church can belong. The secret sauce of belonging is prayer. Prayer is the fast-track for belonging between two people. 

Jon Forrest – From “Super and Duper” to “Good and Faithful”

I would love to have a report card from the Lord. How am I doing? Is it a numbers game? Are you allowed to take your foot off the excelerator from time to time? 

The Lord is not looking for super duper. In Matthew 25 we see the example. 

““The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Lord isn’t looking for super duper hero’s, he’s looking for servants. 

“A lot of well-meaning disciple making machines who want to be super duper for all the right reasons scorch along at a breakneck pace as if they have discovered a new spiritual discipline of perpetual exhaustion and hurry. But when it comes to disciple making I’m learning that it is done best when it’s done slow and small.” -Jon D Forrest, D6 Conf ‘24

Hurry is not a spiritual discipline. 

I believe the most urgent business in the world is winning people to the Lord. It’s urgent, but I don’t want it to be hurried. 

1. Because you’re not super duper…

Some good things will go left undone, one of them cannot be your family.

My full attention should not be a treat for my family. 

“And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The fruit of the spirit cannot be done quickly. 

“Preach the Gospel, die, and be forgotten.” – Nikolaus von Zinzendorf 

The Gospel does not ride on my shoulders, I ride on the shoulders of the Gospel. 

Matt Markins – We’re Stuck in a Stalemate

The church and home stalemate. 

The top 3 epic relationship stalemates of all time…
Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. 
Bilbo Baggins and Gollum
Jim and Dwight 

“Parents are the primary spiritual influence of their children.” This statement has become our foam finger. 

We have to move beyond the declaration, “Parents are the primary…” It’s accurate but incomplete. 

1. Define the Stalemate

Get the Book: “Children’s Ministry in a New Reality.”

Church Leaders and Parents do not agree on the domain of faith formation. The Church’s leading strategy to train and equip parents is to give them a resource. What’s the outcome? The take home paper has founds its way to the minivan floor. 

Joy and grief can sit side by side. I feel like all you want me to do is to sit in the ditch and cry with you. Exactly. In the sitting, wounds begin to heal and relationships begin to grow. They don’t need declaration, they need more dialog. The church as to move to relational equipping with parents. 

Declaration: It is true (theology) that parents are the primary disciples of their children. 

Dialogue: It’s also true that by not relationally engaging the saints in training and equipping (orthopraxy) to disciple their own children, the church is falling short of our mission of disciple-making.

David Gibbs –  Elevating Your Ministry Through Smart Staff Selection

How many of you understand that the wrong person can blow your place up?

Hire intentionally aligning gifts/talents with competencies, not by emotion or relationship.

Define positions by positions, not people. 

Get out of the personalities and be subjective. 

Define success for the position and ask applicants what their approach would be and what tools they would need.

Remember: Certain types of talented people may not fit in the culture of your ministry. 

Don’t confuse talent with spirit. A talented bad spirit is more dangerous than a less talented one. Don’t look simply at their degrees. 

Use written applications and employment agreements identifying all terms/conditions. 

How many of you believe we shouldn’t sue each other? That we should resolve things biblically. Binding Christian arbitration should be in all agreements. 

Check references thoroughly by interviewing former employers. They jump from place to place because we don’t check reference. Ask, “Would you be 100% delighted to have this person back?” 

Run credit checks and background checks. If they refuse, then don’t hire them. 

Remember, nobody is better than the wrong somebody. Nobody won’t put you in court. Nobody won’t have an affair. Nobody will embezzle money. Make sure you have the right person, don’t just fill a spot. If you don’t fill the spot, the ministry will still move forward. 

You can get sued by what they do. You have the responsibility to oversee them. If they go and do something, then you are on the hook. 

Evaluating Your Ministry Through Smart Staff Selection

Ron Hunter and David Gibbs

Book: How to Find the Right Pastor. 

https://findpastor.com/pages/resources

People, Personalities, and Policies. 

We tend to hire based on emotions and potentially one good interaction or one good sermon while we haven’t done our homework. 

Hire within your philosophy. 

The quality of your ministry will rise and fall based on the people in your ministry. 

The people will reflect out. If you put someone up on the stage the people will reflect them. 

People don’t have to be perfect, but they have to be safe. Judgement, discretion, propriety, and other factors. It’s different if you see things that are off and lines are being crossed towards dangerous/not safe. 

Learn how to create a profile of the ideal staff member and match the candidate’s criteria to better prepare for the interview process, while removing the risk of emotional selections and providing answers in a trustworthy manner. 

5 Major Categories 

Review

Biblical Criteria – What are the unwritten expectations? 

Unwritten Expectations – Dress standards, music, and family standards (what is required away from the church. Often unwritten expectations like Bible versions.)

Theology – Be careful when picking people if they don’t fit. Groups try to cross theology but this often blows up. Know your fundamentals because these will create major tension in the culture. Even in other positions than lead positions, they still have influence over the church and the next generation. 

Education – How much does it matter when you purchase an item based on the label of who made it? If the labels matter in garments the label of your education matters also.

You need a diverse representation helping in the hiring. Not just extroverts. 

If you ignore these criteria, you wind up spending time building independent ministries.

Five Phases of Hiring: 

Prepare for Your Search

Build Your Pastoral Profile

Find and Narrow Your Top 3-5 Candidates 

First Interviews with Your Top 3-5 Candidates

Your Top Candidate Visit and the Vote. 

Know what is non-negotiable and preferences.  

No impulse, at least work through the process. If you have to slow down for 6 months, that’s so much better than getting the wrong person. More ministry trauma than if you just slowed down. There’s a tension because there’s not enough people out there. 

When building a 20M building, you pay to have the plan upfront to make sure it all works. That cost is worth every dollar. 

When you lose a key leader, how long do you wait before filling them? 

Lead Pastor. If they have been there 10 years, then a month per year for the search process. Unless they left on difficult circumstances. If they are beloved and sitting in the front row still then time is needed for the church to transition. 

How do we pay? Your budget is a factor here in hiring. You may be able to afford a search firm.  People might need to step up in the season without a pastor to serve the church.   

An interim? This person may be exempt from being a candidate but in that process you may discover a gem from someone who is filling in during the downtime. 

When the pastor is gone, there’s stress. A good leader is always building their replacement in. Pastors should be getting their church ready while you’re still leading. 

Train your board in this process. What would happen if you weren’t here? What would you want us to do. This is kind of like writing a will. We don’t like thinking about a world without us. What would happen if you weren’t here. Have something in place just incase it is ever needed. 

Our churches don’t hire frequently so they may not be good at it. 

Prepare for Your Search: Download the church assessment. 

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0791/5719/9149/files/Pastor_Profile_Forms_LINED_REV0606.pdf?v=1688759906

Build Your Pastor Profile. 

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0791/5719/9149/files/Pastor_Staff_Profile_Form_Print_Only.pdf?v=1688759894

What do the donors of your church want in their next pastor. These people have skin in the game. Most churches are a donor driven model. 

Don’t go to the grocery store without a shopping list. 

Most litigation revolves around power. Making decisions or spending money. Churches are famous for half expectations. Who has the authority to make decisions? Who can hire and fire? Have this defined. A growing church needs to give the pastor enough authority that they are inspired to actually do it. 

Tell me about your bible reading this past week. 

Tell me about your prayer life. 

Tell me about how you are discipling somebody. 

When was the last time you lead someone to Christ? 

Ask them face to face and you’ll get the most honest answer. Ambush them a little bit. 

Non-Negotiable should be a list of just 3-5. 

Be realistic in your strongly preferred categories. Is it even possible? 

Can I mow my grass in shorts? Can I preach out of any translation? 

Talk money early, not late. You can spend so much time going down an unrealistic route. If they say they are okay with a lower salary you can ask, “How do you plan on making it work?”

Comparison Chart

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0791/5719/9149/files/Pastor_Staff_Profile_Comparison_Sheet_Print_Only.pdf?v=1688759895

First Interviews: Group interviews close together so you can easily compare candidates. Have everyone there. Give them an appropriate amount of time. Then we will rank them again after the interviews. 

Follow up on the candidates 1uestionnaire. Are there flaws? Did they do good work with this? Use the follow up interview to 

Ask General Questions: Observe how passionate they are in their answers. Can you actually listen to this person week after week? Does their personality match what you saw on paper? 

Use Scenario Questions: If the youth pastor asked to use the van for personal use while their car is getting fixed? 

Probe Doctrine – lean on clergy connections for help. 

Two Way Interview – they also need to be interviewing you. Does the board actually reflect the church? If you have young families in your church but they are not represented on the board then they may draw a different conclusion about the church. 

Evaluate Candidate Communication: Written skills, verbal skills, non-verbal skills, sermons. Their level needs to be at or slightly above your congregation. Find sermons from 4 years ago, not just their trial sermon. Also find out how do they generate content? Are they AI reliant? 

Your top candidate visit and the vote. Bring their whole family in. Treat them well. Put them in a nice hotel. Don’t put them in someone’s home because they may need time to digest as a family. 

What is a sufficient vote? Factions and none can get 80%. If Jesus showed up to teach could He even get 80%? Be careful when you go to the vote with a realistic expectation. Communicate ahead of time so the candidate understands. 

Jim Putman – Hope for the Prodigal 

I don’t remember a dinner growing up where someone didn’t call or show up. 

One of the biggest mistake was believing saying no to the church meant saying no to God. 

God gives me permission to say no to the church so I can be there for my family. 

The greatest Father in eternity lost His two kids in the garden of Eden. What did God do wrong? 

What does it look like to be God’s version of the church? What does it look like to be a church that knows every single week there’s somebody’s prodigal that’s walking in the door? 

It’s my prayer that you have a relationship with Jesus and a relationship with others. 

It’s not what you do for Jesus, it’s who you are in Christ. 

It’s not the prodigal son, it’s the prodigal sons. Both sons lacked spiritual fruit in their lives. A prodigal is someone who is not walking with Christ and being obedient to Him. 

Shane Pruitt – You Don’t Have to Be Cool & There is No Secret Sauce 

Mama said, “I’m praying God makes you miserable in your rebellion.”

We are all benefactors of next gen ministries. It’s because of Psalm 145:4.

We have a lot more in common than we realize. 

“The now generation has become the Me generation” New York Times, written in 1976 about boomers). 

“They have trouble making decisions. They would rather hike in the Himalayas than climb a corporate ladder. They crave entertainment, but their attention span is a short as one zap of a TV dial. They postpone marriage because they dread divorce.” Time Magazine 1990 (About Xers)

There is no secret to reaching young people. These things remain true: The Holy Spirit is the power to reach. The Bible is still relevant to equip and disciple. The Gospel can still save. 

Now is the time to reach students!

Students are the church right now. They’re not the future of the church. It’s our job to equip them to be the church of today! 

The next generation isn’t scared to die young, they are scared of boredom. We need to raise the bar because they are the church right now. 

Students are not ageist. Young people don’t care how old you are. They are not looking for cool leaders they are looking for authentic ones. 

We don’t retire from discipleship, we just graduate one day.  

Young people don’t need adults who act like kids to reach kids. Be you. 

They know brokenness all too well. Young people are asking a lot of questions and experiencing a lot of confusion over these things: sexuality, sex, and gender. Culture is screaming about these things while the church remains silent so the next generation only hears one point of view. 

1 in 6 Gen Z identify as LGBTQ+. Roughly half of Gen Zers (48%) say gay marriage is a good thing for our society. Roughly half of Gen Zers (50%) think that society is not accepting enough of trans and non-binary identifying people. *Pew Research

Students are on a truth journey. Young people are desperate for truth. They are a truth hungry generation. 

81% of Gen Z say they’re curious about the Bible

64% of Gen Z said they wished they read the Bible more

60% of Gen Z said they wanted to know more about Jesus 

*American Bible Society & Bama Research Group

The definition of marriage, conception, etc. Biblical truth before it became a political statement. The world is infringing on the scriptures truth, not vice versa. 

The next generation is sick and tired of self help none sense because they see it doesn’t actually help.

The world has bullied the church into silence. 

Follow your heart…You will fallow your heart right into a ditch.

Be your authentic self…Your authentic self is a sinner in need of Jesus. 

Live your truth…no, there is THE truth, and His name is Jesus.  

No young person is too lost, too dirty, too broken, too wounded, too far gone, too guilty, too sinful for Jesus!

Partnering with Millennial Parents – Brittany Nelson 

Who are millennial parents?

28-43 years old today. Make up the largest generation alive today. 22% of the population. Born between 1981-1996. 

Millennials are the first generation of digital natives. It may have been dialup but they still grew up with internet. 2006 iPhone came out. A common word of millennials is demanding but they grew up in an on demand world. They live in a world where social media creates unrealistic expectations. 

Live in a world of information overload. So many contradictory voices. 

Diversity world. Not just racially but family makeup. The family makeup looks different today. Average age of first child is 28. Both parents work and depend on both incomes. Diverse in parenting styles. Children being invited into family decisions. 

Not anti-religious just apathetic. Help them understand the value of our faith and why it’s important. 

3 C’s to partnering with millennial parents. 

Connection: Check in with them. What’s the hardest thing about raising a child? Imagine if a trusted church leader checked in and prayed for their families. Be intentional. 

A parent counsel advisory board to bounce ideas off of. Get their feedback. Learn from them. Millennial parents want to contribute not just consume. 

Maybe once a quarter offer a connection point after service. Bring in king of pops and make it fun. Help them linger and gather. Memories and shared experiences. 

Convenience: How does this make my life easier? Know the resources parents have available. Are you asking parents to print something at home? 

Parents spend a lot of time in the car. Consider a mini podcast series. Consider a Spotify playlist. 

Make a realistic calendar. Don’t overload them. 

Customization: Parents have a mentality where they want to make things fit what they are doing. A parent may even ask to change the date of a church event to fit their personal schedule. 

Freebies and Resources: 

10 MILLENNIAL PARENT TRENDS

Let’s take some time to learn a little more about the Millennial parents in our ministries. Below are 10 trends about the Millennial generation of parents gathered from various sources. Read through them and discuss with those around you:

•   Which, if any, trends have you seen in the parents in your ministry?
•   Which, if any, trends surprise you?
•   Which, if any, trends concern you?

Talk about your reactions to these trends and how they might influence the way you partner with parents.

1.   82% of Millennial parents work, and today’s parents are busier than ever before, but they are spending more time with their children, and they place high value on togetherness and family time.!
2.   Nearly half (46%) of Millennial parents feel burned out? 64% of moms said they believe parenting is more competitive today than it used to be?
3.   96% of Millennials (in general, not just parents) lack a biblical worldview. Instead, they have a worldview known as syncretism, a blending of multiple worldviews in which no single life philosophy is dominant, producing a worldview that is diverse and often self-contradictory.4
4.   Only 50% of Millennials think religion is important in raising children.
5.   Millennials are the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in our history. More than four out of 10 Millennials are non-white and more than 40% of Millennials are foreign-born.
6.   Three out of four Millennials lack consistent trust in the words and decisions of Christian pastors. Instead, the most influential voices are their parents, friends, and the online world.®
7. Millennials are getting married later and having children later in life than previous generations.? but they are much more likely to be child-centric than parents in the 1960s.®
8.   In their parenting style, Millennials focus heavily on open communication and emotional intelligence with their kids. 73% of Millennial parents believe their parenting style is better than past generations?
9.   Millennials place a high value on having a mentor, and they consistently express a strong desire to learn from a mentor who listens to them and values their thoughts and opinions too.
10.     42% of Millennials haven’t gone more than 5 hours without looking at social media, and younger Millennials check their phones around 150 times a day, significantly higher than the average of 581º

—

Derek Alton – Parenting the Parents of Children and Teen Ministry. 

How did you feel parenting would be before actually having kids? Know the answers. Unconditional love. Fun and games. Cheap. Natural and easy. 

Actual parenting is full of: Heartache. Sleepless nights. Stress. Disobedience. Fighting. Heartache. Intentional relationship time. Tough transitions. Managing screen time. (Modeled, if you can’t say amen then you may need to say ouch.) Exhaustion. 

We have grand visions of what it will be like but it doesn’t always line up. 

Seasons of Parenting / Four C’s of Parenting. 

Don’t get stuck in one of these stages. 

Care Giver Stage – birth to 2 years old. Feeding them. Keeping them safe. Providing emotional needs. Diapers. The stage we are doing everything. 

Cop Stage – 2 to age 11. Safety because they don’t have fear. Authority. Teaching. Setting boundaries. Faith formation. 

Give more and more decision making in this phase so they learn before the decisions have bigger consequences. 

Book Recommendation: Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: A Complete Guide to Parenting Adolescents and Launching Them Into the World

Coach Stage – 12 to 18 years old. Gritting your teeth. Life skills. Application of faith. Late Nights. 

In this phase I stop worry about their space and keeping it clean but focus on public spaces. 

Life360 is a wonderful app for accountability. 

Consultant – 18+. Fixing things around the house. Not telling them what to do but deciding if you should weigh in or not. Hear more than talk. “If I was in this situation…” Sharing options on a whiteboard. A good listener. 

Something hurting these phases is the copter parent. You still are the cop or the caregiver when they have moved out of that phase. You hover over them and make decisions for them when you should be coaching or consulting. 

If we act as helicopter parents then it messes with the kids self worth and identity. They can’t do things for themselves. 

We need to focus on Conversations. Kids want our focused time in conversations where we are just there with them and not criticizing them. Conversations about faith and cool things God is doing. Just conversations. 

Before putting in your AirPods, let’s check in. 3 family fun questions in the D6 app. Often the conversations are so good the AirPods never happens. 

Mentors. Sometimes it’s loving and bringing them back other times it’s a kick in the pants. We have to get students deeply engaged with the Bible. 3-4 days a week make a huge impact. Also, get them involved in service. Partner them with a mentor in the local church and let them serve together; maybe even mom and dad. 

Parenting Tools:

D6Family App

30 Days App by Dr. Richard Ross 

See you next year!

Hey fellow ministry friends, pastors, and all-around amazing advocates for the next generation! Buckle up because April 23 to 25, 2024, is going to be a game-changer at the Gas South Arena in Atlanta, GA – it’s Orange Conference 2024 time, and you won’t want to miss it!

Energize Your Ministry with Unforgettable Moments

Picture this: Over 70 sessions, 45 speakers bringing the heat, and a whopping 60+ workshops filled with practical wisdom. It’s not just a conference; it’s an experience tailored for those seeking a burst of fresh air and some seriously uncommon energy for their ministry journey.

Can’t swing by Atlanta? No Problem! Join Us Online:

We’ve got your back with the Orange Conference Digital – your passport to top-notch ministry training from the comfort of your favorite chair.

“Here for It” 

Say hello to the brand new theme for 2024 – “Here For It.” If you’ve ever dealt with awkward conversations or just the general chaos that comes with working with kids and teenagers – you’re not alone. This theme is our way of embracing the messiness, the unpredictability, and the downright amazing moments of being there for the next generation.

“Here” requires a consistent action to show up. 

“For” cues you to have the posture of an advocate. 

“It” engages you to take a step into something unpredictable for the sake of someone’s everyday faith in Jesus.

Orange Conference 2024 is on a mission to tackle the big question: How do we equip the next generation of volunteers and parents to dive into every situation with a “here for it” mindset?

So, are you “Here for It”? Have you made the conscious, brave choice to impact the younger generation! Get a sneak peek of the excitement:

Orange Conference 2024 is your ticket to unleashing new momentum, connecting with future-focused leaders, and creating unforgettable memories. Whether you’re in Atlanta or online, get ready to embrace the messiness and magic of being “Here for It.” See you there! 

Here’s Your Shot:

Win a Complimentary Ticket to Join Us at This Year’s Conference! Click to Enter Now: https://kingsumo.com/g/mwegl9/orange-conference-2024-ticket

Having had the privilege of an early screening of “Ordinary Angels,” I couldn’t help but reflect on how it resonates with our current culture and our longing for genuine connection and purpose. “Ordinary Angels” isn’t just a movie; it’s a transformative tool that beckons us to embrace our inner angels, reminding us of the profound impact we can make when we prioritize others over ourselves.

At the heart of this film lies a compelling narrative centered around Sharon, portrayed brilliantly by Hilary Swank. Her journey from a struggling hairdresser in small-town Kentucky to an embodiment of selfless love serves as a poignant reminder. When she crosses paths with Ed, played by Alan Ritchson, and his two daughters grappling with life’s challenges, Sharon’s innate desire to serve becomes a beacon of hope. As Ed’s youngest awaits a life-changing liver transplant, Sharon’s commitment to the family underscores the theme of community, faith, and the miracles that unfold when we step up for others.

It’s not just a story; it’s a call for all of us. We are, indeed, called to be “ordinary angels” in our communities. The film resonates with the message of healthy churches and communities, urging us to shift our focus from self-centered pursuits to loving our neighbor as ourselves. The profound truth encapsulated in 1 John 3:18 is vividly brought to life on screen: “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”

Jesus’ words in John 13:35 NIV reverberate throughout the narrative: “By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The film serves as a testament to this divine command, urging viewers to reflect on their roles as ambassadors of love, compassion, and change.

“Ordinary Angels” isn’t merely a film; it’s a movement. A movement urging us to listen to God’s spirit, answer the call to serve, and embody the transformative power of love. As you contemplate your next cinematic experience, let this heartfelt narrative inspire you to be an “ordinary angel” in your sphere of influence. Join us in championing stories that illuminate, inspire, and ignite change.

Supporting such projects holds significance beyond entertainment. The success of “Ordinary Angels” underscores the need for more inspirational content in the cinematic landscape. By purchasing your ticket at the theater, you’re not just watching a movie; you’re casting a vote for Christian films, fostering a culture that uplifts, inspires, and resonates with timeless values.

Go check it out, I know you’ll love it!

Craig Groeschel – The Future of Leadership Is Trust

As a leader, do you trust me? If you do trust me, why?

For those who don’t trust me? What have I ever done to you? Why not give the benefit of the doubt? 

Why do you trust? Why do you not trust?

If you met Craig 30 years ago, you’d be more likely to trust him now. 

Watching the evening news and believing what you watched. 30 years ago assumed belief. 

Years ago, you would assumed leadership had your best interest at heart. Today we are skeptical. This is a problem for all of us, because all of us are leaders. 

#1 biggest challenge leaders face today is people will not give you the benefit of the doubt. 

According to Edelman Trust Barometer – people don’t trust until they see evidence. 

Distrust is now society’s default. 

The Future of Leadership Is Trust

Your team will not naturally trust you. If they don’t trust you, they won’t follow you. 

Everyone leads when the leader get’s better. So how can we bridge the gap? How do we create a culture of trust? The answer is not a pizza party or playing games with your staff. Building trust today takes more intentionality. 

Transparency + Empathy + Consistency = Trust

Which quality do you need to develop the most. 

Transparency: A truth to share. 

We are selective or protective in what we share. 

People say you need to be guarding the pastors mystique. 

“Once we were ordained, we glow in the dark.” 

We are all weak, yet as leaders we feel this pressure to show something we really are not. 

Share professionally and personally. We have to be transparent. 

Often we feel okay to share when things are going well. When communication decreases, uncertainty increases. The unknown feels unsettling at best and threatening at worse. 

Don’t deceive the team into thinking things are okay. You build trust when you acknowledge things aren’t okay. You lose credibility when you don’t tell the truth. When they discover the truth the don’t feel included. ”Someone who doesn’t feel like they’re a part, will never bring their whole heart.”

Especially when things aren’t going well, acknowledge it. 

Personally have wisdom and strategy when sharing. Share your own insecurities as a leader. Are you leading out of fear or out of faith. If leading defensively you begin losing because you have to be putting points on the board. Transparency builds trust. People may be impressed with your strengths but they connect with your weaknesses. 

When you lead with transparency teams get closer, you solve problems faster, and trust grows stronger. 

Empathy: A heart to care.

Your team will never care about your mission if you don’t care about your team. 

Talk less and listen more. Don’t share your heart but get to know their heart.

Dr. Henry Cloud says you listen your way into 

LifeChurch 63 personal meetings or phone calls to care for them personally. 1:1 not 1:63.

Tell me what you’re most excited about in this season?

What would you love me to know about you?

If I could do one thing to make your life better what would it be?

Put the answers to these into your memory bank and ask them about the things that matter to them. You don’t just care about what they do but about who they are. This sets your team apart. 

I noticed, and you matter. 

Consistency: A culture to trust.

What’s it like to be on the other side of me?

Does your team ever wonder which you is about to walk into the meeting?

#1 reason team members don’t meet expectations because the expectations are rarely clear.

To create a culture of trust you need to be clear and consistent. 

Be clear what you expect, reward it when you see it, and correct it when you don’t.

It’s not what you do occasionally that matters, is what you do consistently. 

Consistency creates emotional safety, organizational clarity, and exponential impact. 

To earn trust you have to give trust. How do you know they are ready? The best way to figure out if you can trust someone is to trust someone. 

You may be disappointed if you trust too much, but you’ll always limit your leadership if you don’t trust enough.

You can trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight. 

Everyone wins when the leader get’s better. 

—

David Ashcraft 

Our highest value at the Summit is actually humility. We have so much to learn about this mysterious powerful force we call leadership.

Armed with enough humility, anyone can learn from anyone.

—

Erin Meyer – How to develop an organizational culture. 

Netflix

The biggest risk is no longer making a mistake. It is not being creative and innovative enough and we become irrelevant. One of the biggest challenges facing companies and organisations is whether they will be agile enough and creative enough to survive.

As you are thinking about how to articulate an organizational culture that impacts employee behaviors, avoid absolute positives. 

The word integrity for example. No company says their mission is to deceive everyone. 

A dilemma example, leading a marketing team…team instability. Are you going to share this information with your team now? Think in terms of dilemma’s. 

Three steps to employee freedom:

1. Increase talent density

2. Increase candor

3. Remove controls

Wait for the right people to walk in the door. 

Coach and give feedback. 

Process kills creative innovation. The Netflix experiment. 

A Great Workplace is

Stunning Colleagues

A great workplace is not espresso, lush benefits, sushi lunches, grand parties, or nice offices.

We do some of these things but only if they are efficient at attracting and retaining stunning colleagues.

The Keeper Test: 

An individual performance problem is never an individual problem. It always impacts the entire team. The best predictor of how a team will perform is not the average performer. It’s your lowest performers. Poor performance is especially contagious. 

The best predictor of how a team will perform comes down to what the worst performing team member is like.

The keeper test for managers: which of my people, if they told me they were leaving for a similar job at a peer company, should I fight hard to keep them? Would I feel relieved or devastated?

When you tell your employees you trust them to behave like adults, they’re more likely to behave like adults.

Lead with context not control. 

The decision making pyramid vs the decision making tree. 

A tree has 3 advantages. 

Young top talent today want to work for trees not pyramid. More flexible than a pyramid. A tree grows more quickly if the roots desire. 

As we gave employees more control over their lives and jobs, it began to dawn on me… freedom is not the opposite of accountability, as rd previously considered, Instead, it is a path towards It. If you treat employees like adults, they will act like adults. If you give employees control over big decisions, they will become increasingly responsible and conscientious, Give freedom to get responsibility.

@ErinMeyerINSEAD #GLS23 

—

Secretary Condoleezza Rice Interview 

How do you deal with your past? 

Own your past, it has shaped you, but never become a prisoner of it!

There are no victims. When you consider yourself a victim you give your identity to someone else. 

Don’t let that sense of remorse and mourning overcome what needs to be done in that moment. What is the most important thing for me to remember? Sometimes you have to make it up on the fly. Acknowledge we will make mistakes but the biggest mistake may be not acting. 

GLS is all about leadership and leading where you are. When you don’t anticipate the roles, talk about your view of principle leadership. What does leading where you are mean to you? The sense of this is someone you can trust. Integrity is the bedrock of leadership. If you ever lose trust, that’s the one thing you can’t get it back. People need to be able to trust your word. Gossip and talking behind backs erodes the confidence of the organization. Develop trust and protect it. 

Use narratives in creating a vision and opportunities for people to move forward. People react to stories. 

The United States of America is a country of immigrants…We are a country that believes it doesn’t matter where we came from, it matters where we are going. 

Know what you are trying to achieve. In negotiation, be a good listener first. If you can take yourself out the equation for a moment, listen to what others are saying and find interest overlap. Move towards yes. If you’re just transmitting you won’t hear those important little clues. List first for a better sense of what is possible. 

Great leaders are able to meet people where they are. 

Know where people are before telling them where they have to go. 

Listen to those who you disagree with. 

No human being likes to be told that everything is up in the air and has to change. Begin to give a sense of what values are timeless and what values will continue. What truths can you continue to hold onto. 

Not everything is a nuclear war. Sometimes it’s just paper clips. If you are constantly in a state of crisis, as a leader, others will pick that body language up. You can not drive the people who work for you 24/7/365. 

The first thing to always remember is there have always been harder times. Remember the stories of what our ancestors have overcome. Human beings are resilient. 

We keep making the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect.

Erwin Raphael McManus – It Doesn’t Take a Genius to Think Like One

Some people are structured for failure.

Am I structured for failure? Have I allowed myself to build the architecture? Will I die with my talent unspent and unknown?  

There’s nothing you will ever go through that will create in you internal limitations. All limitations within you are created by you. You have 100% capacity to remove the structures of failure and replace them with structures for success. 

Your greatest challenge will not be overcoming the weight of failure, but the weight of success. It’s not failure that cripples us, it’s not failure that moves us to self descriptive behavior but it’s success. Success becomes a heavy weight to bear. 

Genius has been placed within you. One of the best proofs you were created by God. 

The challenge though is that when you choose to live a life that’s average…you have a much wider span for error. 

The facts always inform the past, not the future.

Genius is given to everyone, but only a few choose to live in that genius. 

Will you settle for the ordinary version of you? 

Pat Gelsinger – From Cow Pies to Computer Chips

Sometimes your greatest challenges in your greatest dreams become your greatest learnings.

Everyone needs a Career Map:

M = Mentors; People who make you better. Find them and listen to them.

A = Audacious Goals; Bigger than you, set and exhaust them.

P = Passions; Purpose; What has God given you to do?

Every great person can point to their mentors. The people who helped shape their life.

Mentoring with ____ is like going to the dentist without getting Novocain. Mentors make you better. Diamonds in the rough. 

5 Leadership L’s

Listen: Listen first before you pollute the room with your opinion.

Learn: Learn one new thing every day.

Link: Connect the silos, see what others don’t see.

Lift: Be the positive influence, lift the countenance, cast vision.

Love: Their company, their people, the mission.

Ask open ended questions with the goal of learning. Be curious. Unrelenting thirst for knowledge. Don’t listen to the signal, listen to the noise, the dissident opinions, those who don’t agree with you. Have humility and be open to change every day. How will I change today? Most of my great ideas have come from communities and those I normally would not have listened to. 

Audacious goals are about things that are so much bigger than you.

If you have no direction, any path will get you there. 

Set a plan for what you want to do with the rest of your life. 

A God sized goal that guides you. 

The most important thing a leader does is making sure the most important thing is the most important thing. 

Sometimes it takes 11 years. Then God says, “The vision that I gave you, now’s the time.”

Is digital becoming more or less important in your life? Everything digital runs on semiconductors. 

Technology is generally neutral, it can be used for good or bad.

Find things you’re passionate about and your days will be short and your career will be successful. Live in those passions. 

You’re going to have crappy days…it’s all about how you respond to those crappy days. It’s called work for a reason. 

If everyone knows they are loved, your people will show up differently tomorrow. 

What is your career map? Do you demonstrate the 5 Leadership L’s everyday? 

@PGelsinger #GLS23

Dallas Jenkins From The Chosen

We want 1+billion people to experience the authentic Jesus through The Chosen. I want it to take hold in people so that they want to know & love Jesus more. Every step of the way, including the logistics & the sets, are all in service of that WHY.

I got to a place for the first time in my life where I was genuinely okay if I didn’t make another movie, and that became a superpower. I think that’s when God said ok, now you’re ready for The Chosen. 

When you have a dream but no resources: It’s a superpower when you’re genuinely ok if you don’t succeed. It’s not your job to feed the 5,000. It’s your job to provide the loaves and fish. 

I’m not motivated by the success The Chosen has had, and I’m not demotivated by the criticism I’ve gotten.

The director is the immune system for the film. This applies to other industries. 

As the immune systems your responsible for culture and environment. 

Practice Preventative Maintenance. Get ahead of things before they escalate. The temptation is to move faster. Sometimes you need to stop for 5 minutes and determine how to be efficient to move forward. Gather together and create a plan to move forward. 

Communicate don’t complain. Complaining isn’t results driven, it’s just a reaction. Communication is saying something now before getting to the stage of complaint. Build a culture where you say something before you’re upset.

While filming The Chosen I realized that Jesus is the God of the intimate and the personal. Each time He called them to follow Him, He did it in a personal setting. The vast majority of the big moments in scripture are personal.

When you can see Jesus through the eyes of those who actually met Him, and you can identify with their questions, struggles, and doubts, maybe you can find the answer to those questions that they found.

Replace the temptation with a bible verse or anything that triggers you to replace the temptation. 

When facing intense criticism: Replace the habit of defending yourself with something that fills you. When I’m doing the work that will result in praise or criticism, I only focus on the work, creating the scene. 

Top 3 things you want a leader to know:

1 Develop your communication skills

2 Understand people. Study psychology so you understand people.

3 Serve people. Instead of, “What am I going to accomplish?” Say, “Who am I going to serve?”

Realize each person is different. This speaks to service as well as empathy. 

Anita Elberse – Establishing a winning culture. 

A winning culture is not something you just get, it requires year after year effort. 

Set a high standard for everyone. 

Winning is about attitude. This starts with your attention to detail.

No job is too small, even for the CEO. Indicate that every job matters. 

Put people at the center. I don’t run cars, I run people who run cars. 

Analyze your mistakes…even when you’re winning. 

Analyze not just why you lost but also why you win. Then you can replicate the win. 

You dont have to do great things … just do small things in a great way. 

Foster an open, no blame, culture.

Stay away from assigning blame to one individual. Have their back. 

Own your own mistakes. Did I not provide the right tools? Did I provide the right training? See it. Say it. Fix it. Everyone bares the brunt of the mistakes that were made. 

Trust superstars but maintain authority. Forced the drivers to face their own selfishness and who they impacted – the engineers, the factory workers, and their families

Relentless battle complacency. Think about your competition and try to be better than them. Leaders can shape a winning culture through their mindset, values, and actions.

Effective leaders understand that different stakeholders require a different approach. You set the culture.

Albert Tate – Lead Where You Are

You can have a hard season and still be a good leader.

Don’t you once thing this disqualifies you from leadership. 

You’re here not because you are a perfect leader but because you are a growing lead. Lead where you are. Start surrendering. Manna for the day. God is not a Costco God. 

Lead from right where you are, trusting God’s portion of manna for the day.

Trust God with the portion He provides for you daily. 

Keep showing up. The world needs your leadership today. Don’t wait for whatever it is you think you need. Never quit. Do not under estimate the power of just showing up.

Just keep leading, just keep leading, just keep leading.

On the other side of sacrifice is resurrection. Now is not the time to give up. You’re just getting started. 

James Clear

The Aggregation of Marginal Gains

1% improvement in nearly everything we do. 

Test a dozen different pillows, find the best and bring this to the hotel from now on. 

Having never won the Tour de France, winning 5 of 6. 

The pathway to unlocking success. 

Not radical changes but small improvements over time. 

Excellence is not about radical changes, but about accruing small improvements over time. 1% better every day, 38% better in a year. Real life is not exactly compounding interests but it still shows the process of behavior change every single day. 10 minutes a day. The person who always goes to be a little smarter…is different over the course of their life. It compounds, transforms, and multiplies. 

Habits are the compound interest of self improvement. 

Time will magnify whatever you feed it. 

Be the architect of your habits. Trajectory over position. 

The problem isn’t you, the problem is your system. 

You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.

Creating a goal of selling a million books isn’t hard. There, goal. The hard part is your systems to make the goals happen. 

Your current habits are perfectly designed to reach your current results. 

You want an alignment between your desired outcome, your results, and your daily system. 

How do we change a habit? How do we adjust the system. 

Habits are broken into 4 different stages. 4 different levers you can pull to change habits. 

1 Cue – initiate the habit. Visually see the cookies.

2 Craving – brain makes a prediction. Cookies will be sweet and enjoyable. 

3 Response – walk over and take a bite. 

4 Reward – it is sweet and enjoyable 

If the behavior is not rewarded, it’s hard for your brain to make this into a habit. 

Let’s remember the steps you went through and repeat the process. 

Notice different cues and reward your brain. 

4 Laws of Behavior Change

Law 1 Make it Obvious – a viable and easy to see. 

Law 2 Make it Attractive – the more appealing the more likely to do it

Law 3 Make it Easy – remove friction and barriers

Law 4 Make it Satisfying – the more enjoyable the more likely you return in the future. 

Go through these 4 steps and ask how you will make it more obvious, attractive, easy, and/or satisfying. If you want to break a bad then do the opposite. 

Make it Invisible – block and hide.

Make it Unattractive – find the downside and negative

Make it Difficult – Remove steps and add barriers 

Make it Unsatisfying – remove the reward

Example for Law 1: Make it Obvious. Water over Soda.

Adding the prevalence of water in the environment. Move soda to the back and hidden. Some percentage chose the option just because that option was presented to them. The items on your kitchen counter influence the choices you make. People watch too much TV because the living room is designed for this. What is this space designed to encourage. Adjust to your real desires. The cue needs to be obvious. 

Example of Law 2: Make it Attractive. Go for a run. 

When you text a friend and ask them to meet you for a run. The run itself hasn’t changed but you’ve changed the calculation. Making snooze less attractive. A commitment device. When you make the choice in the present to lock in your future habit. Sticking to a positive habit in a negative environment is hard. Swim upstream for a day but eventually the gravity will pull you back. Get alignment. 

Example of Law 3: Make it Easy. The two minute rule. 

Whatever habit you are trying to do, scale it down to 2 minutes. Read 30 books a year because read one page. Working out means just physically going to the gym. The heaviest weight at the gym is the front door. Master the art of just showing up. A habit must be established before it can be improved. Standardize before you optimize. 

Example of Law 4: Make it Satisfying 

Helpful when you make progress visual. Habit tracker. See that showing up is meaningful for the right path. 

The secret is, is not about the habits it’s believing in yourself. Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. Identity change. It’s about who you are and becoming. The goal isn’t to do a marathon the goal is to become a runner. Or a reader. Or a meditator. I’m the type of person who ___. This gives you reason to stick with the story. The true reason habits matter is every action you take is a vote for the type of person you Wish to become. 

“The true reason habits matter is every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become…How can you get 1% better today?” 

@JamesClear #GLS23

Henry Cloud – 5 Principles on Trust

How many of you have experienced hurt in a relationship? You are wired to trust. You do it naturally, like you breathe. You can’t do anything without trust. Humans get life from outside of themselves because we have a Creator — so we have to trust.

Story: President and CEO conflict. Fixed through a process. What were the ingredients? How did these two people end up there? 5 things! Am I doing these? Am I looking for these? 

1 Understanding: We trust someone when we feel like they understand us. It starts with listening. You don’t hear a word until you feel like they hear you and get you. 

“He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.” Proverbs 18:13

Ask: Do they know, that you know, what it feels like to be them?

2 Motive: We feel people’s motives. We feel when someone is for us. It’s not about what you are driving. You want their good. A betrayal is when one party acts without the interest of the other. 

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.“ Philippians 2:3-4 

Ask: Do your people feel that you actually want them to win, that you’re for them?

3 Ability: The ability to get done what you are asking them to get done. 

Sometimes we trust globally, but we need to trust contextually. Going into business with a friend. Asking a boyfriend for tax returns…I don’t care what the tax records say, I just want to make sure he can find them. 

Ask: Do they have the ability to pull off what you have entrusted to them? 

4 Character: What’s their character and make up. Will they do what you need them to do? Do they need praise when there won’t be any check in’s for a year? 

Ask: Do they have the makeup you need? 

5 Track Record: The best predictor of the future is the past. 

It’s more than just saying you are sorry. Sorry is good but sorry is what sorry does. You need a new track record. Forgiveness is free but trust is earned. People build maps of you based on every interaction. You can overcome mistakes but you have to see the new track record lived out. 

Ask: Does the track record point to trust?

Am I doing these 5 things? 

Look for these things in the people you are wanting to trust.

Liz Bohannon on Loneliness 

2 amazing trends we participate in during 2020. 

Pregnancy. Quarantine kids. 

Purchasing a bidet. Toilet Paper Gate.

There is a specific struggle a lot of people have. Specifically successful people. 

Sargent General issued an 80 page advisory. Single highest health threat. The problem is loneliness. We have all known it and felt it. When you don’t have the support systems. 

20% of people who are lonely feel comfortable talking about loneliness but 58% of Americans feel this way today. 70% of leaders feel lonely. If you happen to be in the 70% know you are not alone in handling loneliness. You are not unlucky or unlovely. You dont’ have to feel ashamed or embarrassed. Your loneliness is not an accusation of your unworthiness. It is a signal that you have an unmet need for connection. We’re building/designing a culture with a primary intent of individualism.

The percentage of time people are spending alone vs the time people are spending with friends. Today it has dropped 59% compared to just a few years ago. Every single demographic is more lonely today over just a few years ago. Healthy servant leadership means you are called to bear the burdens of the people you are leading. 

Before you can go create a healthy community and support for others, you need one yourself. Outside of your work where you can be transparent and open. This enables you to be stronger and healthier so you can make a greater impact in the long run. 

75 year study: Greatest predictor for physical health was retaliationships. 

Your friendships are not taking away from your business. They are making you more successful in business. You have to make time for connection.

The way we are living and the loneliness we are experiencing is not inevitable. 78% of young people in America feel lonely. The globe is not reflecting this as much as America. 

What’s working? 

The Commune Community. 

Showing up and meeting a need.  

Knocking on the door and asking for help. 

How? Today. What step?  

1 Go First. You have to go first. If you are waiting for someone else to invite you into community, it’s not going to happen. Breaking ground. Prioritize time. Invite and treat the time seriously. Go first with vulnerability. Invite to the fire pit. 

2 Pay Your Dues. It takes about 90 hours from stranger to acquaintance to friend. 200 hours to get to the most meaningful side of friendship. The average founder needs 8600 hours to break even. 

3 Develop the skill of reflective listening. In all relationships. 

Summit Resource Library Cheat Sheet

Matthew 26:38 “He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’” Jesus is showing us that we were created to need each other. This isn’t a flaw it’s a feature of being made in the image of God. 

We’re all a bunch of hope dealers. 

We are all asking ourselves, what would you think if I sang out a tune…

Michael Junior 

When I’m talking about giving, I’m not talking about tithing. That’s just called, not stealing.

Conflict is the key to a happy marriage and people turn it the wrong way. Without conflict there’s a small chance to get a relationship. 

Information + Conflict = Revelation

“I have 5 kids, and I love them”…that’s just information. 

Compromise is like a spare tire. It will get you to the next generation but it’s not built for a long haul. Why purposefully live with compromise in marriage? 

Learnings from the pandemic. First, you are not essential. There are rules when you hug. Hugs only last 1.4 seconds. Tap, Tap, Release. Left hand over, right hand under. If you’re 5’2” you’re below the hug zone. 

Everything up to the conflict was just information. 

The revelation is: God was saying, do you trust me, I’ve got you. 

God will use a heckler in your life to get you to where He wants you to be. If you don’t have any hecklers, you’re probably not doing anything.

Jamie Lima

Have you ever set a goal and never went for it? Have you ever sabotaged your goals? 

You can have a vision for it but deep down inside if you don’t believe you are worth of it, you’ll never get it or you will sabotage it along the way. 

God can dream a bigger dream for us than we can for ourselves. 

When it comes to our life, you will only ever achieve the dream He has for you, when you believe you are worthy of it. 

3 of the 24 tools on how to build unshakable self worth.

Tool 1: When you understand the difference between self-confidence and self-worth, it will change your leadership. Self Confidence is how you assess your own skills and abilities. Internal and fluctuates by circumstances. Advertisements try to tell us that if you can just get the things to get more confident then you’ll be happy but it’s not true. Self Worth is the deep internal knowing that you are innately worthy of love and belonging exactly as you are. Not as you achieve or your job title, but innately worthy. 

Employee retention and employee loyalty grows when layering self worth more than self confidence. 

Tool 2: When you change your relationship with rejection, you change your entire life. The fear of rejection and failure has most of us canceling ourselves out of our own calling before we even try. 

What’s the first thought you have when you face rejection or failure? “Proof you are not enough.” This is your current definition of rejection or failure. The assigned meaning is so painful you stay stuck. When you assign a new definition to rejection and failure, replace the old one, that changes everything.

You need to implement new definitions of rejections as they happen to you. Flip the meaning and belief it. Rejection is God’s protection! Imagine God saying to me, “You were not rejected, I just hid your value from them.” 

What would you do if you had no fear of rejection or failure? What would this do in your friendship and relationship? 

Tool 3: If you are one of the brave ones willing to show up in your leadership as who you truly are…you are first. Being first can be scary and not everyone getting you. Braving being first is the only way to live the truest, highest expression of God’s call on your life. 

Ryan Leak 

Success is often determined by the circle we grew up in. What is my definition of success? We can often pick up other people’s definitions of success. When leaders stop growing, organizations stop growing.

Our leadership can be marked by WHAT we want to accomplish or WHO we want to impact. For MY definition of success, sometimes I have to say no to some things. I would hate for the people who barely know me to give me a round of applause and the people who barely know me to think I’m a fraud. 

Even if that means that you think that I’m a little less success. The people who know me best…Every leader has to realize that someone adopts your decision of success. 

What’s it like to be on the other side of you? Are you inspiring or intimidating? Do they enjoy or endure following you? People could enjoy following us…they could endure following us.

Good leaders are consistently trying to be interesting. 

Great leaders are consistently trying to be interested.

What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail. Failure is the tuition you pay for success. If you want to be successful as a leader, the admission price is a little bit of failure. Don’t talk yourself out of being brave. How do you know you are going to fail, unless you actually try? “Just Do It!” 

Chasing failure took me further than chasing success ever did.

There’s something powerful about a leader that puts themselves out there and decides to keep it moving.

You’re a lot further than you used to be because you were willing to fail things. 

You’ll never know if you’re an exception to a rule unless you’re willing to try something exceptional.

Cynt Marshall

Take a Risk

Make a Difference

Do the Right Thing

Love the People

There is a difference between doing things right, managers do that, but leaders are doing the right things. 

Listen to the people.

Learn from the people. 

Love the people. 

Love the people, including the people with baggage. Help them serve their families and meet their needs. 

People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Teddy Roosevelt

All IN:

INtent

INtegrity

INclusion

INsight

INspiration

Values for your organization shouldn’t just be on the walls… they should live in the halls.

Love the people enough so they create a team. 

Leading with intent and integrity – values

CHARACTER

#AlwaysDoTheRightThing

RESPECT

#BeNice2People

AUTHENTICITY

#DoYou

FAIRNESS

#EquityMatters

TEAMWORK

#AintNoMountainHighEnough

SAFETY

#NotAccidentalButintentional

Diversity is about counting the numbers. Inclusion is about making the numbers count. Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance. You can have a person at the table, but you need to teach the the culture and the expectations to truly include them. Inclusion is a choice!

Just because you’re right doesn’t mean I’m wrong.

Patrick Lencioni

The world is changing so much! The world is very different than 20 years ago. 

3 critical virtues any leader must have. 

1 Wisdom. 

Know the right thing to do.

Wisdom is why we are here. To know why you do what you do. Your God given virtues. 

2 Humility. 

Jesus introduced humility into leadership and society. Until Jesus, lowering yourself and making yourself last was preposterous. The chief virtue.  

3 Courage.

Most critical today, compared to 20 years ago. 

Courage, comes from the Latin for heart. 

Esther – The queen stepping into the role where the previous queen was disposed of. A plot to eliminate the Israelites. Perhaps you are here for a time such as this. You don’t have to answer God’s call, but if you don’t, He will choose someone else. You do not have to have courage and choose to answer God’s call, but if you do not, someone else will.

Mary – Going to be looked down on. When everyone else ran, she stood at the cross. With child but not married. Social, political, personal courage to be the mother of Jesus. 

Joan of Arc. 1400 years into the future. Mark Twain wrote a book about Joan of Arc. Based on transcripts of her trial. Age 15, hears the voice of God. England controlled France and she was called to liberate her nation. She was illiterate, poor, and from a remote town yet she told people about it. Completely ridiculed and persisted. Demanded to go to regional leader to request the king. Went back over and over until convincing him she heard the voice of God. Trial for sincerity. Proved to the King she heard the voice of God. At age 17, she was the head of the French army to lead the fight of a war. Think of the courage for a 17 year old girl to believe the call and to lead the army. Her prediction proved true. She was captured in battle. On trial without representation. She wouldn’t renounce her call and she was put to death. 

How do you do that today? What is courage today? 

Note: Always with love and always with joy.  

The evil one likes it when we don’t think he’s there. Know who you are fighting against. Don’t give in. Don’t get bitter. 

Personal Courage: Alone with God. Do I really want to be the person God is calling me to be. Am I courageous enough to see the truth and acknowledge it? 

Public Courage: Stand in front of others and declare I am a follower of Jesus and believe what He taught us. I have the public courage to stand and proclaim this, come what may. All are called to have public courage. 

Interpersonal Courage: When sitting with our colleagues, talking with our neighbors, sitting with family and something comes up. Am I going to lovingly say something? Will you just stay out of this? If you love someone, remember truth with grace is necessary. Truth without grace is obviously not love and grace without truth is not love either. 

Today we as a culture lack interpersonal courage. What are we afraid of? Death and imprisonment. How many of us face this today? Today we fear the loss of our livelihood. Where you work today, if you really let people know what you believed you would not be welcomed there. 5 years ago, this wasn’t as big of a thing. Today it’s exponentially growing. Not rumors. We live in a culture today where being a follower of Jesus and a leader puts us at risk of losing our livelihoods. 

Why should we have courage?

We lose our fear. More likely today the fear is the loss of social isolation. Losing comforts and conveniences. Being worried about not being invited to thanksgiving vs being fearful for not being alive for thanksgiving. 

Fear goes away when we finally say we are a follower of Jesus and having courage. 

Courage serves others. Other people will be called to a greater courage themselves by your example. 

Jesus did this first. 

Peter and John were flogged and they were let go. They rejoiced because they were deemed worthy to suffer for Jesus. Jesus said the world will hate you because it hated me first but don’t worry, I’ve overcome the world. 

Stand and say, “YES, I’m a follower of Jesus.” 

Joan of Arc – a 17 year old going to battle. People ask, “Aren’t you afraid?” She replied, “I am not afraid for God is with me. I was born for this.”

Craig – Everyone wins when the leader get’s better. 

5 closing thoughts. 

1 Sometimes leaders go off script. The moment of authentic is more impactful than the prepared. 

2 Leaders never lead alone. Honored to stand by her while she was leading. 

3 Leaders invest in their own leadership. I didn’t think of myself as a leader until 20. Tell people they are leaders, regardless of their age. 

4 Leaders keep on leading. You don’t have to be on the platform to be a great leader. 

5 Leaders change the world. That’s what you do, that’s who you are. 

You are chosen, you are called, you are set apart, you are equipped.

When you walk in, light walks into the room. 

Your leadership matters.

Who are you, you’re a leader. 

Now go out and do what leaders do. Leader’s change the world. 

Register for #GLS24 by August 11 to receive the lowest rates of the season. Will you join us on August 8-9, 2024? https://tinyurl.com/3b86urr6

Note: I’ll be updating this post over the next 3 days with all my breakout and session notes. Check back in for live updates and follow along on social media with #D62023

—

All About Jesus: How to Keep the Gospel at the Center of Everything We Do – Matt Morgan

“When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ 

Leave the room with a greater awe of Jesus. 

We tell a story and create story lines based on what we see without any context. We create ideas to fit the context we draw from the picture and didn’t realize the pictures is part of a greater picture. Don’t tell disconnected Bible stories without the meta narrative. 

‘When we take the Bible as a series of isolated morality tales, we think about 6 books with hundreds, it not thousands, of stories contained within them. In actuality, there are not thousands of stories. There are not 66 stories. There aren’t even two stories with the Old and New Testament. There is one story and thatis the story of what God is doing – redemotive history.” Ed Stetzer

Keep Jesus the center of every story we tell. 

Why is it important to be Gospel-Centered?

20% of young adults will leave the church and never return. 

50% of young adults will leave the church for extended period of time but eventually return. 

2 in 10 walk away for good. 

We’ve failed to give kids a clear and consistent message of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. 

KidMin is often built on a list of do’s and StuMin built on a list of don’t’s. 

“We’ve been dispensing sood advice instead of good news. our chalenge is to proclaim the good newsolesus so clearly and consistentily that no kids of ous willever place him in a category with typica religious leaders.” Jack Klumpenhower from the book Show Them Jesus. 

We’ve failed to give kids a Gospel-Centered message of who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

Gospel-Centered Teaching

Not just squeezing Jesus into your Bible story but showing that Jesus is the greater hero. 

Teach the whole Bible.  

Every page points to Jesus. 

Does what we currently teach include a balance of Old and New Testament teaching?

How to Teach the Gospel from the New Testament?

Focus on the Person of Jesus Christ. Show who He is. Not for the goal of them being like Jesus but to be amazed by Jesus. Read the passage multiple times to see His character, interactions, and teachings. Older kids can pull this out on their own. 

Focus on the Work of Jesus Christ. See what Jesus did. We are drawn to the miracles of Jesus. This gives confidence in His greatest miracle, the resurrection. 

How to Teach the Gospel from the Old Testament

Focus on what God does. 

Focus on who God is. 

Focus on How Jesus fixes it. 

A Few Other Tips:

Familiarize Yourself with the Bigger Story 

Find Good Resources 

Don’t Disconnect the Old Testament from the New Testament. 

Distill the Gospel but Don’t Dilute it. 

Don’t leave out the Good News. Don’t remove sin and repentance for the kids who can’t fill in the gaps. Remind even preschoolers that Jesus is our Rescuer. Kids learn through progressive understanding. Ie. Legos being built brick my brick. Kids need a foundation truth that can be built upon later. 

Does how we currently teach give kids a clear and powerful message of the gospel?

Preach the Good News Constantly. 

Does how we currently teach kids an opportunity to hear the gospel message every time they show up? 

Various ways of connecting the dots to the Gospel and don’t just have the same lesson flow every week. Preach it every week for many reasons but the greatest reason is just that you need to hear it in your own heart. 

Gospel-Centered Classroom Management 

Give clear expectations. Classroom management needs to even be a picture of God’s grace. 

Focus on the heart. Actions are visible but values and beliefs are invisible. 

Correct with a Balance of Truth and Grace

Truth 

Did I provide an adequate explanation of how the rules were broken and why the consequences must be enforced?

Is this consequence fair?

Have I reminded the child of the promises of the gospel?

Grace

Is my goal to guild the child into better behavior or am I concerned for their heart?

Has my attitude toward this child given them a picture of a God who loves them?

Am I providing hope for this child?

A Word of Caution about Rewards

Creating a culture built on rewards for performance goes against the gospel message we are teaching

Rewards have diminishing returns

Rewards put other things as better than Jesus

Rewards focus on performance instead of the process

Rewards can create selt-righteous Kids

“It wouldn’t do to teach that God’s rewards in salvation come freely by grace, But like rewards in the church come by being good and l memorizing verses. Nor would it work to teach that God values with over superior churchy behavior, and then give prizes to kids who excel in churchy behavior I couldn’t say that Jesus is better than absolutely anything else, but reward what kids learned about him with a slip of paper redeemable for candy.” SHOW THEM JESUS

General Session 1

What portion of you is not all in? 

Lord, I want to give you my whole heart, mind, and body!

Learning and Teaching the Shema – Rabbi Jacob Rosenberg

All of scripture matters to how we teach our children. There’s a core value that makes us different and that’s called holiness. 

““These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy,” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When you were formed in your mothers womb you had a holy anointing and calling. 

“and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God wants to prolong your days and expand your capacity to serve Him. 

““Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hearing something is different than listening.

Not hear oh teachers but hear everyone. 

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Teaching how to claim God as your own. Help our children wrestle with God and find Him to be their God. Help them to fear and love the Lord. 

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Not submit to the Lord, but to love the Lord. This is priority. 

Love the Lord with all your Heart. The deep stuff. The inner parts. With everything. Your entire personhood. Your thoughts, emotions, and will. Love God with your heart.

Love the Lord with all your soul. The breathe of God. Love God so much that it comes out as an overflow as the air you breathe. Like if you didn’t love Him, you couldn’t even breathe. 

Love the Lord with all your strength. Your Might. Love Him with your more. Also a creation word. In creation His creation was VERY good. Tov. Love the Lord overflowing and then when you can’t give any more, give more. 

“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭6‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬

The Great Shama. The great listening. If we are listening, He will overflow from our lives. This love for God will overflow to our children. Everything you do. Am I loving God with everything? God wants congruence in the way we love Him. Why? Because we used to be slaves and He set us free. We were slaves to sin and he defeated death. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I’m not the same person I used to be. 

A community of believers, unified, all following the Lord and this will change the world. 

A community of people who are all in. A family much bigger than my family. 

The Family That Disciples – Adam Griffin

“So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away. Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!” Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.” So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NLT‬

Take on the mantle of responsibility. 

What if we apply that same passion and same listening to loving our neighbors? 

Think about the discipling the disciples behind our own front door. A family discipleship Sunday. How mom’s and dad’s can reach the mission within their own home. Take the mantle of responsibility. 

Home is where you give your best energy not the place you put your feet up and are off the clock. How many times has an accountability partner asked you how it’s going discipling your own kids?

Our children’s ministry is not a ministry of crayons and crackers, it’s a ministry to people who are desperately in need of saving.

How are you doing at handling over the mantle of leadership? 

Elisha burned the plow and followed Elijah. He was all in. He did not store the plow and plan to come back to it in the future.

The thing that’s taking the place that only God can fill, it needs to go. Burn the plow! 

Evaluate your life and see if anything good has become an idol. If so, burn that plow. 

A family that disciples, makes Jesus the thing they are all in with. 

Don’t sacrifice ministry for ministry sake. Is anything becoming more important than God? 

I can’t answer that call today. I’ve burned the plow on ministry being an idol. 

“Is anything good becoming an idol? Then burn the plow!” Adam Griffin 

Don’t give up your soul to keep your job. 

Framework: 

Modeling, how do yo live this out with your kids.

Time, how am I spending my time.

Moments, everyday life.

Milestones, big moments. 

Using the R.O.A.R. Method to Chew and Spit through Cultural Lies – Hillary Morgan Ferrer

“We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We are either taking our thoughts captive or philosophies are taking us captive. 

“A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

*We are in a culture war, and unfortunately, a lot of people are talking past each other. Why? Because neither side will recognize the good that their opponent is offering! The ROAR method is intended to identify a message and analyze its ideas with grace and truth. Doing this requires identifying the good intentions, separating them from the bad ideas, synthesizing a healthier approach, and strategically praying through the battle of ideas.” – Mama Bear Apologetics, 54

Part of our job as parents is to help develop our kids’ spiritual immune systems. Help kids think critically and discern for themselves. 

Teaching your kids the Chew and Spit Method. Help them identify right from almost right. 

Would you rather be…

Heard or understood and persuasive? 

Biblical Discernment: 

Philippians 1:9-10 – “It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.” 

Hebrews 5:14 – Solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

Offer Objective Discernment – See things accurately, separate the good from the bad, embrace the good, reject the bad. 

Overcoming Spiritual Fatigue – Marianne Howard

The dirtier the Waffle House the better the food.

Scattered, smothered, and covered…sounds like my condition in ministry. 

Are you? Scattered by a schedule that never stops? 

Are you? Smothered by expectations? 

Are you? Covered by shame?

For a long time, I believed the lie, that it was okay to burn out for Jesus. 

New York Times Article: Why Pastors are Burning Out? 

“If you are part of a church, there’s a good chance that your pastor is not all right…”

46% of pastors under the age of 45 say they are considering quitting full-time ministry

90% of pastors report working 55 to 70 hours a week, and 50% of them feel unable to meet the demands of the job.

74% of ministry leaders report being “extremely or highly stressed”

1,700 pastors leave the ministry each month, citing depression, burnout, or being overworked as the primary reasons.

100% of over 1,000 ministry leaders stated that have had a colleague who left the ministry because of burnout, church conflict, or moral failure.

Burnout doesn’t begin with working too hard, it begins with the heart. 

What is happening to us? 

The moment when a leader loses the motivation, hope, energy, joy, and focus required to fulfill their work, and these losses center upon the work itself.

“Don’t stare at me because I am dark— the sun has darkened my skin. My brothers were angry with me; they forced me to care for their vineyards, so I couldn’t care for myself—my own vineyard.” Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A Scripture about negligence. 

Tend to your soul. Fight for intimacy for your King. 

Impact of spiritual fatigue: 

Spiritual Malnourished, distracted, arrogant, discontent, self-sufficient, anxious. 

We are living on happy meals when Jesus has offered us a feast Spiritually. 

One of the greatest tragedies is that we miss God’s Kingdom assignment because we’re too busy building our own personal kingdoms

What does your family see? Rested or stressed. 

A burned-out leader reproduces burned-out people because we reproduce what we are. Learning to rest is one of the best investments a leader can make for generational discipleship.

Have an All In approach to rest.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NLT‬

Jesus is the giver of rest. He is the only One who can give you rest.

Rest is not the absence or work. Physical rest leads to spiritual rest and spiritual rest leads to physical rest. Rest declares our dependance on Jesus. 

How do we actually do this? How do we rest? 

First, Slow Down – God wants you to slow down to His pace. 

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬ // In context: Slow to to be able to know that He is God.

Examine your Habits: What are your habits? What does your schedule look like? What does your time and money go to? What does your day to day look like? 

When you missed time at the table, God’s posture is not “where were you” but “I missed you.”

Be attentive: Pay attention to what you pay attention to. What you think about you care about and what you care about you will chase. 

Practice Listening: Unplug the noice and plug into the presence of God. Silence the chirps and dings. Scripture needs to occupy more of our lives. What do you reach for first? Your phone or the word of God? 

Be Intentional: Be attentive with God, the giver of rest. You don’t recline into holiness and rest. Choose to get to the giver of rest. 

His rest silences anxiety. His rest diminishes autonomy. 

His rest destroys idolatry. His rest confirms your identity. 

Your job does not define you.

You are a son and daughter first.

New to Ministry: Getting Started – Byron Ragains

The good news is what God is going to do with you is incredible. 

“Learn the skill and the craft of ministry. Continue everyday to learn your craft, to read, and to ask question.” 

Where do I begin? Where do I start? 

Leave the conference with one thing or two max and begin to work on them. 

A team is more than one. What if you were to begin your team meeting or staff meeting declaring and testifying who God is.

Write down some of your pain points right now: 

How do you get unstuck? What do you prioritize right now?

Recruitment – a year from now we will be together again and you will have recruited more volunteers to be in your ministry. Never use the word recruitment or even think that word. From now on sub it with the word Invite. Recruitment is stressful. When was the last time someone recruited you invited you over to their house for a party? Recruitment makes you feel like you are being sold something. Invited people who join a flourishing team feel like they belong. 

Calling – Some are wondering why they said yes. When God calls you, He sees your imperfection and your story. Do you trust He can do something with this? Protect your calling. Remember when God called you. Write it down. Journal your calling. Journal days when you embrace your calling and God’s call on your life. When you have tough days, go to the journal and it will remind you that you are where you are supposed to be. 

People – You are in the people business. We are not in the program business. 

How many people are you really accountable for? How do you get around those people? Be present. Spend time with those who invest in you. Invest in those who invest in you. Buy a wall calendar and put names on it. Spend time with your people. It doesn’t have to be training and coaching. 

Vision – How many of you have a vision statement for you children’s ministry? Do you know it well enough to write it down? There’s something wrong with Jiffy Lube has a mission statement and you don’t have one for your ministry. Ask yourself is your mission statement actually true or just something on the wall. Sit down with your team and ask if you are missing the mark. Note: Whenever Lowe’s and Home Depot move into your neighborhoods be aware that people are coming. 

Gospel Centered – Keep the Gospel at the center of your ministry. Don’t do ministry like Baskin-Robbins where you are just going for the next cool flavor. It might be creative and fun but make sure it is built on the gospel. Change the narrative, the question parents ask is did you have fun today. What does God think when He hears this question. Begin to ask the question, “What did you learn about God today?” What if kids felt bad about missing church because they didn’t learn about God? Look at the curriculum you are using, your team meetings, the music you are singing, your environments, and your entire operation. If your curriculum doesn’t keep the gospel in the center then take it to the dumpster. David C Cook is gospel centered. 

Drink from the well – A rancher visits another country and notices what was missing was fences. Instead of building fences they build a vibrant well and the cattle stay close to the water. Are you close to the water? Are you looking for fences? Are you out all alone in the pasture? When we spend more time building the ministry than drinking from the well, we wander. The enemy distracts and takes us down. Spend time with Jesus drinking His word. What kind of water are you drinking? Is it man’s water or God’s? 

—

What’s On Your Church’s Radar? – Ron Hunter 

What are your priorities and what are your concerns?

What if you could take a sonogram of the church and detect the health of our church towards discipleship? 

Reginald Fessenden – the story of Regi plays out in our churches today. Our priorities in discipleship haven’t always been listened to. Sometimes we are clouded by other priorities and other priorities are on our minds. 

When you come to a conference it’s not about what the speaker says, it’s more important what the Lord says.

God has been warning us from the beginning of Scripture to the end of Scripture about our priorities of discipleship, and we’ve not always listened.

“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children.” Psalms‬ ‭78‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬

How you speak not only affects you but the children even yet to be born. 

Be intentional with every generation. 

Oral tradition. Tell stories of God’s greatness. 

Leadership:

Trait

Transformational

Adaptive

Servant

Biblical Servant

Fellowship

Autocratic 

Equipping Families for discipleship 

Mentor (one-on-one)

Small-group

*Generator

Global

*Relational

Corporate

The biggest epidemic the world has ever faced is parental complacency. 

Neh 8 – The pivot, the priest says, we can start now. 

A family aligned curriculum. Around the dinner table, the conversations comes more naturally. Everyday intentionality. 

Leaders, we must do what the priest did in Nehemiah chapter 8 and show parents how to disciple their children. 

Your job is not to do more ministry but to equip parents to do more ministry. 

“Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Father’s, Correct and Nurture

Father’s, if your kids always feel like they are performing around you then they may feel like they are only performing for their Heavenly Father.  

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭13‬-‭18‬ ‭NLT‬

Most of our armor is defensive. 

What’s on Your kid’s Radar?

What’s on Your Church’s Radar?

Do Your Parents in Your Church Equip Their Kids with Radar?

Our pastors are the most prepared but our parents are the most under-prepared. 

If you want your children to value something, make sure it’s something that you value too. 

EveryDay Foundations

Awaken to the Wilderness War – Brian Haynes

Why do we suffer difficulty, wounds, chaos, and calamity? 

Life is not as it should be. It’s just not. 

Everything between Genesis 3 and Revelation 21, is a desert. It’s a wilderness. 

Minbar – desert you can survive. 

T’siyah – desert you can survive if you have help. 

Yashiymown – desert you can’t survive. 

“Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭35‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭106‬:‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

There are times in life where we can survive, or we can survive with help, and other times where it will take a miracle for us to survive. 

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT‬

You may think you are just a parent, or just a pastor but the reality is you are more then that as you are shepherding people in real spiritual warfare that effects them spiritually, mentally, and emotionally while also going through the same thing yourself. 

“Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord— rejoice in his presence!” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭68‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Our great king is living water. Do you know what you need most in the desert? Water from the rock. 

Jesus is a cup of cold water every day no matter how deep the desert. 

He is the Good Shepherd. Do you know what happens when you find shade in the desert. Refreshment. The Lord is your shade in the desert. He is out wind. He is our light. He is our path. 

Jesus wants us to know there is a way through the wilderness. There is victory through the wilderness. 

God is the same in all the seasons we walk through. The only difference is we are different and cry out different in the wilderness. 

Communicating Vision for Children’s Ministry With Senior Leadership – Michayla White 

Explore common priorities of Senior Leaders

Discuss keys for asking for what you need,

Provide a framework for developing clear presentations.

Identify which groups you need for support and collaboration.

Foundational principle is alignment. Motivated by love. John 13:35. It’s not about getting what you want, but about the mission moving forward. 

Defined: Alignment is – according to the Oxford dictionary – what happens when something is in correct or appropriate relative positions. It is also a position of agreement and alliance.

Working together. Not in conflict. 

The elephant in the room: alignment might feel impossible based on your experience in your church environment. Suspend the voice in your head and be open handed. 

Grab the elephant and say it. Call it out. 

Common priorities of senior leadership (what keeps you up at night). Understand their priorities. 

Preaching and Services. Sunday is always coming. Both the message and the service. Every yes in the week is a no to developing the message. No matter how gifted most leaders crave time to steward their preparation. 

Growth of the Body. The pressure of the phrase healthy things grow. Many think on attendance and maturity. Who is there and who is not there. Reflecting the community. 

Stability of the church. Every church has its own story. Finances and team. Money is everyone’s least favorite thing to talk about and for many it’s an overwhelming priority. The team is the stability force of the church. How long the team will be there. What their next step is. Who will fill their place. The tenure of ministry. Most positions feel like a revolving door. 

Care for the community. They might ask hard questions because wanting to measure impact with limited resources. What does our community need right now.

Framework for communicating vision. 

What is your pastors style? What matters for him as a leader. 

Imagine you got an email Monday and your lead pastor is asking you to come share your vision for the ministry. 

Remember the goal of: Greater alignment for the purpose of momentum. 

Key Question 1 – What do you want your senior leader to feel when the meeting is over? 

Key Question 2 – What do you want your senior leader to know when the meeting is over?

Key Question 3 – What do you want your senior leader to do when the meeting is over?

Key Question 4 – What do you want your senior leader to remember when the meeting is over?

What lingering thought do you want rolling around in your leaders mind? 

Key Framework:

Introduction (Feel) A hook, question, or unexpected. Start with something of value. 

Body (Know) Don’t feel like you need to prove the point more then you actually have to. Sharing too much data leads to overload. Communicate vision through story. Stories are data with a soul. Most leaders want to be moved not just talked at. 

•   What (problem)
•   So What (solution)
•   Now What (benefis)

Conclusion (Do/Remember) 

If there’s no call of action you are looking for, maybe the action is just connection or community. 

How to ask for what you need. 

Resonance. Honor their time. Help your leader hear the things that matter to them. Use phrases like, “As I’ve heard you share about.” Show your alignment. 

Clarity. Focus on what’s possible, not just the process. The greatest piece you can offer is the vision. Don’t expand on the whole process but paint the picture of where you’re going. 

Options and compromise. Be open. Not passive aggressive or absolutes in language. Open hands and open arms. Pay attention to your thinking face. A resting face can misrepresent and unintentionally communicate poorly. Ask friends to help you with this. 

Areas of Support and Collaboration: 

Leaders with influence. Whose voices carry weight in conversation?

Members with expertise. Network within your own church. Collaboration. 

Community partnerships with impact. Build partnerships with local groups.

Remember to pray first. Pray for them, for their vision, for alignment, and for words to say.

Progressive Christianity: A Biblical Response to a Growing Movement – Alisa Childers

The Bible, The Cross, and The Gospel. Our beliefs should mirror Jesus’ beliefs on these subjects. 

Christians say, God’s word, authoritative, inspired by God, breathed out. 

A book about God vs a book God breathed. These are different views. 

Jesus referred to the Bible as the Word of God. 

“Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ ””‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus modeled to us the authority of the Scriptures by using the words…”It is written….” 

Sin – See Isaiah 53

Did Jesus think He’s that guy? If yes then His death is substitutionary. 

“For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’ Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭37‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus said, “Behold the Lamb of God. 

John 10:18 – He was willing to lay down His life.

The argument for Cosmic Child Abuse doesn’t work if you understand the Trinity. 

“Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.””‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Convincing people they are sinners is the hardest part of evangelism. The biggest obstacle to evangelism is telling people they are sinners. 

How? Teach your kids the real thing…because then when the counterfeit comes…they will spot something off.

You Feed Them – Chrystal Evans Hurst

There is no guarantee but our job is to plant seeds and let God worry about how it gets watered.

Do you see problems or solutions in the waiting? 

When we give God problems and He gives us solutions, we start listing all the things we don’t have, as if His solution ever started with what we have.

The solution lies in our obedience. Your one job is to do what God asks you to do. 

At a time when Jesus wanted solitude and rest, He still served. 

If you’re walking with the Lord and you have been watching His Word, when you run into a problem you have to assume you have what it takes or He will provide what it takes. 

Challenges aren’t just there to pray about. It’s an opportunity to see God’s glory in a new way.

What if the place you were wishing away, is exactly the place where God is wanting you to grow?

“And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Are you willing to engage in the middle of the problem to see God bring the solution? 

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬

He doesn’t expect you to have all the answers. He knows you are a little undone and need to rely on Him. You are His masterpiece. 

—

Leading in Seasons of Change – Jim Wideman 

The thing about change is you can either fight it or you can learn to be flexible with it. 

Nothing stays the same except the fact that change is always present! 

Change is like Tarzan swinging on the next vine. We are called to swing out on a few vines but God seldom shows up early. We must learn to trust Him. 

1. Change and how we navigate it, is one of the most important keys to following God

• When you follow God you have to be open and willing to change
• Most people maturely fight change. Change builds a platform (Tarzan)

1. I have not always welcomed change in my personal life nor have I in my
   professional life
2. Not all change is improvement. But without change there can be no improvement

• There is no growth without change. 

We have to learn to change in order to reach the next generation. 

Book: The new diversity. 

• Learn to change with change or you will get changed!

C. Change is a part of living. 

Being on staff means we are needing to learn to flow with change. The oldest two generations are not the majority in the workforce. We can change or be left out. 

1. Charles Exley, CEO of NCR (National Cash Register) Corporation said, “I’ve been in business thirty-six years. l’ve learned a lot and most of it doesn’t apply anymore.”

• My goals have changed
• My family has changed
• My role as a leader has changed
• My ministry has changed
• I am constantly changing how I look at life
• As I change so will all the above

2. Choose to be flexible

• Nothing in life goes the way you think
• When you’re not flexible, you miss out on what God has for you
• Leaders resist change as much as followers do

1. The result: Unchanged leaders equals unchanged organizations. 

Sometimes people are waiting on you to model the change before they accept it themselves. 

2. People also need an example of choosing to be flexible and how to accept changes

D. If you want to continue leading, you must continue changing. 

1. I’m not the same style children’s minister I was five years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago, thirty years ago (yikes!)
2. ”Don’t make the same mistake twice, make a different one every time!” – Jim’s mom. 

LET’S DO A LITTLE EXERCISE

Some people will instantly reject change. 

Unmanaged change instantly reverts back to the original. 

Some people get creative in change. 

As changes become more normalized the team begins to get in a good rhythm. It can even become fun. 

If a change is unreasonable then people give up or fight it. 

3. Why people resist change

• The change isn’t self-initiated (Someone else’s idea
• Routine is disrupted (We are creatures of habit and we are selfish by nature
• Change creates fear of the unknown
  (Many people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions)

1. The purpose of the change is unclear (God leads in steps you don’t always know Z) The steps of the righteous are ordered into the Lord. 

• Change creates fear of failure (What if we lose? What if you win?)
• People are too satisfied with the way things are. 

1. Too many people and organizations choose to die rather than choose to change.
2. Same actions bring same results

• Change requires additional commitment (Whatever it takes) 
• All In = whatever it takes. 
• Tradition resists change
• Pride resists change (and goes before the fall). 
• Our want to and excitement can change (It’s your job to keep yourself stirred up and refreshed) – Marianne’s new Rest Book. David was a man after Gods own heart. He knew how to encourage himself in the Lord. 
• When everyone is mad, count the everybody’s because it’s probably the same 3 old ladies who have not been happy in decades. 

4. Creating an atmosphere that encourages change. 

• People don’t just resist change; they resist “being changed”. The best thing you can do is model whatever God wants for your life. 
• Desire whatever God wants for your life, even if it means to change everything about your life! (This is something you have to continually model.) What God wants for me is better than even I want for me! 

10 ways to encourage and flow with change

1. Seek God for His plan and purpose, now. Thus saith the Lord works every time. 
2. Evaluate constantly. Know what a first down is. What is a touchdown. How do you get a two point conversion? 
3. Make personal changes before asking others to change. I’ll never ask you to do anything I’m not willing to do. The bad news is that I’m willing to do just about anything. (Throwing a good party?)
4. Good leaders understand the history of the organization

• It’s important to know what’s happened in the past before making changes for the future
• What has worked? Is it still working?
• Learn the thinking of the house

1. How are others doing what you are doing? (Network) Is there a better way to do what you are doing? Never quit networking. 
2. Brainstorm and seek the opinion and advice of trusted allies. Find people who will let you call them. Ask how would you handle this? 
3. Develop a game plan that will assist change
4. Explain the change to others, why you need it, and communicate the plan. Don’t give your team leadership whiplash. 
5. Talk up the benefits. “The main reason young people let me buy them coffee is because I buy them coffee. The second reason is asking them questions and talking about apps.” 
6. Remember there are people counting on you in the future to make the needed changes. The changes you are making today make your next changes possible.

5. Are you willing to make the changes needed to cause you to go to your next level? 

• Don’t run away from change- start with yourself!
• What are you afraid to change? Be honest. Identify the sacred cows. This is the first step. 
• Get some help, don’t do it alone – every top level athlete has a coach. 
• As people see you make changes to yourself they will come on board with changes in the ministry and embrace the change you model

My 3 things to change. 

1 Learn best practices for throwing a good party with the staff. 

2 David encouraged himself in the Lord. Study this for myself and create a rhythm. 

3 Read the book: The new diversity to determine how I need to change in leading our oldest and youngest staff members. 

—-

Redeeming Rest – A Roadmap Through Burnout with Marianne Howard

Remember we are Moving through the valley. 

What and where has been your favorite spot?

What made it your favorite?

How do you rest physically? 

How do you spend your days off? 

How do you rest spiritually? 

If you could define ministry burnout, what would it be? 

Burning out can be defined as losing the motivation, energy, hope, joy, and focus required to fulfill your work, and these losses center on the work itself.

The feeling of I don’t event want to walk into the office today. In teams and pressure our default is control or escape. Control in the kingdom is a complete myth. Escape is avoidance where you try not to make a decision. 

If you could define spiritual fatigue, what would it be? Spiritual fatigue is a condition of the heart where a person is spiritually dry and emotionally empty.

A place of wandering aimlessly getting nowhere

A place of hunger and thirst – no provisions

A place of isolation – no companionship or support

A place of sorrow and defeat – no joy or victory

A place of pressure – no peace

A place of hopelessness – feel stuck

What are the effects?

The burden of busyness. We think hard work signifies our value. Generationally divided by those 35+. 

The prison of people pleasing. We have difficulty saying no even at the expense of our soul. You have to learn to say no to the good things and yes to the God things. Wait, pray, ask. Your default should not be yes. Sometimes your no moves you out of the way for someone else. Arrogance and pride in people pleasing. 

The impact of identity. We assign to ourselves identity. We get identity vertically or shop for it horizontally. You are not your job. You are a son or daughter of God first. 

The seduction of self-sufficiency. We pay more attention to the outcome rather than the process. 

Roadmap through burnout: A personal heart evaluation. 

My flesh and heart may fail, BUT GOD… 

Time with God needs to be relational not transactional. Slow and savor. Unhurried. 

What stirs your affection for Christ? 

Do you need clean to rest or rest to clean? 

Rested body. Bible. Focus turned on. 

“And this, so that I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did];” Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Disciplines for Intimacy with Christ: 

The discipline of Silence

Abstaining from speaking. Silencing noise. Listening and being quiet. Silence sensitizes us; It helps us focus on what matters.

The discipline of Solitude

To be alone and turn away from human interaction and external distractions with the purpose of refining the soul.

The discipline of Stillness

Stop, cease, and desist, makes room for listening, gives us the freedom to observe, opens us to peace, and invites us to know our limitedness and god’s vastness,

The discipline of Surrender

To cease resistance and submit, let go and trust, releasing control.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When the Lord is your shepherd, you will not want. 

Supply

Rest

Refreshment

Healing

Guidance

Purpose

Confidence

Assurance

Faithfulness

Comfort

Abundance

Security

““Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬ // Nothing, meaning nothing! 

Don’t settle for the happy meal, feast. 

Restore the joy of my salvation!

—

I’d love to see you at next years conference! If you’d like to learn more about Everyday Foundations and be entered to win 2 to D6 2024  including travel expenses, click here: 

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Where does vision come from? 

A good idea is more than something that makes people feel good. Vision motivates, inspires, and drives people to action. 

Antoni Gaudi – Basilica de la Sagrada Familia – the longest building project. In 1926 when Antoni died the project was about a quarter finished. 

Gaudi had complete faith that the church would be finished. “I will grow old, but others will come after me,” he said. “What must always be conserved is the spirit of the work, but its life has to depend on the generations it is handed down to and with whom it lives and is incarnated.”

You don’t have to the the one with the original vision to do something great for God. 

Leadership is about the ability to pass on a vision, and the legacy of leadership is having others who will take on the vision at the same level of passion and commitment as the original visionary. 

Generation after generation can catch the vision and make it their own. Carry the baton. 

A vision can start with one but must be caught by many. Each contributes in their own unique way. 

The difference between a legacy leader who accepts the baton. How does one view the vision. A worker of the vision or a steward of the vision? Believe in a God given vision you are now to steward. Be a guardian of the vision. 

“God is able to do much more than we ask or think through His power working in us. May we see His shining-greatness in the church. May all people in all time honor Christ Jesus. Let it be so.” Ephesians 3:20-21 (NLV)

Serve More Pastors. Provide hope and help. Personally and pastorally. Fire reignited. 

Equip More Churches. The local church is the hope of the world. The love and light of Christ to shine. 

MLK Jr. “Therefore, I conclude that the church, in its present state, is not the hope of the world. I believe that nothing has so persistently and effectively blocked the way of salvation as the church. On the other hand, the church can be the hope of the world, but only when it returns to Christ.”

Bring the church back to the center of the human race by bringing Christ back to the center of the church. 

Inspire More Leaders. Touch and transform hearts. In all places God has called us. 

— 

Paula Faris 

If you have been looking for your people, they’re right here at the Global Leadership Network. 

Tom De Vries 

Leadership requires more than experience; it requires intention and direction.

Leadership is not a title or position…it’s a life long pursuit. 

Grant the gift of respect and humility. If we are humble, we can learn from everyone. 

Craig Groeschel 

Everyone wins when the leader gets better. 

You have good intentions and standards for yourself but embarrassingly inconsistent. 

As James Clear says we have the same goals dreams and hopes but incredibly different outcomes. 

They are not lucky, they are consistently doing the right things. 

Sometimes we’ll look at leaders who are getting it done, have great results, growing in revenue — we think they’re lucky. They’re not lucky, they’re consistent. 

Successful leaders do consistently what other leaders do occasionally.

Reasons we are inconsistency 

Too focused on what you want to do. 

You’ve been trying for too long. 

Stop trying to lead. 

You do what you do because of what you think of you. 

What type of a person am I?

What type of a situation is this?

What does a person like me do in a situation like this? 

The biggest force that shapes your leadership is your identity. Change what you do by changing what you think about you. 

What kind of leader do you want to be? Start with who goals not what goals. Who do I want to become? 

Be a leader who empowers people to reach their potential. Not I want to preach better sermons instead it’s I want to be a spiritual leader who inspires others. 

First response should be, “I’m a leader”

I’m a leader not because of my title but because of my integrity. 

Imposter Syndrome. Who are you? 

Leadership is influence. You are a leader. 

*Create your leadership identity statement. 

I am a compassionate leader who deeply love people. 

I am an empowering leader who brings out the best in others. 

I am a disciplined leader who priorities the day. 

Who are you? 

I am a Spirit empowered leader who boldly leads others to find life in Christ. 

I’m trying…

Stop trying and start training. 

Stop trying to lead and start training to lead. 

Training produces results. 

When you’re trying you give yourself permission to fail. An attempt with minimal commitment.  

Training is whole-hearted commitment to achieve a specific result.

It’s not about your feelings but your commitment. 

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Greek word for training. Agony. Strain every nerve towards the goal. 

You are fighting for something that matters. Trying apart from training is unimaginable. Purpose in every step. Disciple yourself like an athlete. Who before do. 

When you see yourself as a leader you come in with a plan. People should feel the purpose. You are so much of who you are they feel the purpose when you walk in the room. 

2020, the time after difficult got harder. Trying not to fail and leading afraid with a defensive posture. Surrendered leadership identity. 

Who do you want to become as a leader? 

How are you going to train to become that type of leader? 

I am a leader called by God who walks in obedient faith.

Heather R Younger 

How does it feel when someone listens to you? How does it feel to be heard? Heard, valued, seen, cared for…

We all want to be heard. We want our work to matter. We care for our employees because of who they are not just what they do for us. 

Presence is the best present we can give to others.

Create a world where everyone has a voice and everyone can be heard. 

What do people actually need? Not what do they think they need?

The cycle of active listening. 

Seek to Understand – Think about if you are going to give something to them or get something from them. 

Paraphrase don’t just parrot. 

Decoding – you want to act on their behalf but we do a disservice to others when we fail to pause and reflect on what they said. 

Impact a sense of importance with the other person. 

Closing the Loop – Be the person who goes back to them, share what you reflected on, share your action steps and let them know their voice was heard. Share feedback where you let people know the chances. We heard you and made this change. This is where listening is made complete. 

Data isn’t just numbers. Data can be a conversation with one person. 

It’s not about yesterday it’s about today going forward. 

When we think about decoding we make things more magnetic. People leave when they don’t feel heard. 

The power to listen can really change how people feel about their value. Be others focused. When you really listen it will be the best gift you give. 

https://heatheryounger.com/qrcode-cycleoflistening/

Todd Henry 

Man search for Meaning. We are each questioned by life and we must prepare a response. 

Bravery is choosing to do the right thing in the face of pain. 

We must confront uncertainty with bravery. 

Permission vs optimism. 

Agency vs powerlessness. 

Speak agency into the people you lead. 

Be mindful of the precipices. 

The bravery to act. By the time they engaged in the bravery it was just the next logical step. Bravery is in the everyday interactions with people. Have the difficult conversation. Introduce the idea in the meeting. 

Would you walk a ten foot plank? If you can do it on the ground you can do it in the air. 

Are you elevating artificial consequences of failure? 

Bravery to let go. Think monkey bars. You have to let go or else you get stuck. The thing you are afraid of will actually happen if you struggle to let go. Don’t be so comfortable with how things are that you fail to let go. 

Learn a new skill. 

Copying. Try what others do. 

Innovating. New style. Dangerous because you want to hold onto the old thing. 

Crisis. When you realize you’ve stopped growing. Am I willing to start over again? To learn new skills and apply them in my context. 

Do you have people in your life who will speak truth to you before you realize you need people in your life who will speak this truth. 

Bravery to wait. Bravery is not bravado. Plant both your feet even if it feels crazy. Grow deep roots that bear fruit in decades regardless of what everyone else says. 

Dan Owolabi

“You’re gaining weight.” A compliment in one culture taken as a criticism in another. 

With diversity you gain differences. Diversity can be hard. It’s hard work so how do you do it? 

The worst leaders recognize it’s hard and get bitter. The best leaders are cultural intelligent leaders. The ability to understand another culture without losing your convictions. The don’t get weird, they engage. 

Walt Whitman says, “Be curious, not judgmental.” 

We are all learning in real time. You don’t have to be ashamed. In fact you are making progress.  

The reality is cultural intelligent leaders will win the future. They can work with people who are different than themselves. Diversity. It’s not easy but it’s worth it. 

Robert Morris 

Take The Day Off – why is this the hardest Leadership principle for leaders to do? 

Whatever industry you’re in, you’re a leader. 

You trained for something but somehow you got too good. 

Take the day off. From the original top 10 list. The top 10 principles to enjoy your life and for a healthy society. And really they are not too hard to do. 

Flee youthful lust. It really is a youthful desire. It is repulsive to be intimate with anyone other than my wife. 

There is one do. It has nothing to do with church. Ex 20:8 set apart one day a week. You have 6 days for ordinary work. The 7th day is rest. No one may do any work. This includes you. Your employees. Even your dog. 

He got an idea because he allowed his mind to rest one day a week. 

You’re not having a mental breakdown, you’re just tired. Maybe this might be one of the most important things you hear today, take the day off. 

Cynt Marshall 

Going “All In”

Does what is happening in the world wear you down? Yes. Aware of it and run towards it because I’m a leader. 

Intent

Insight

Integrity

Inspiration 

Inclusion 

In order to be effective leader:

Listen to the people. Listen for even what they are not saying. 

Learn from the people. 

Love the people. Not as employees but as people; including their baggage and dreams. 

Tell me your life story. 

Where do you see yourself in five years. 

Provide a vision. 

LEADING WITH INTENT AND INTEGRITY – VALUES

CHARACTER

#AlwaysDoTheRightThing

RESPECT

#BeNice2People

AUTHENTICITY

#DoYou

FAIRNESS

#EquityMatters

TEAMWORK

#AintNoMountainHighEnough

SAFETY

#NotAccidentalButintentional

There is a difference between doing things right and doing the right things. 

Tell the truth. Even when the most authoritative people in your life give permission to lie. As leaders character matters. 

Inclusion is behavior that promotes and sustains a culture that understands, welcomes and caters to our differences. 

Inclusions is the recipe for success.

Inclusion insists on participation. 

Inclusion makes the numbers count. 

Diversity is being invited to the party. 

Inclusion is being asked to dance. 

Help you feel comfortable and invite you to participate. You can’t assume people know what’s going on. 

Just because you are right, does not mean I am wrong. You just haven’t seen life from my side. 

What inspires you? Inspiration is about people. As a leader you not only have to inspire others, you have to be inspired yourself. 

More Notes Coming as we continue today and tomorrow!