There is no more ‘old normal’.

‘Storms’ allow for greatness to emerge. Rough weather draws out strength that calm seas never will.

You have to ask yourself, “Is the local church still the hope of the world?” Remember the beauty, power and potential of the church.

We must live out the 1st century dream [the early Christians] in the 21st century.

Leaders must make choices that make sure the church is still being the church. You can bring people closer to Christ when you focus on the church being the church.

Advocate for the powerless and hold the powerful accountable.

No one is coming to church looking for a mild dose of God these days.

Most pastors would rather work with souls than spreadsheets.

Healthy cash reserves give church leaders time in a crisis.

People will still give generously when they believe in a vision, even in a crisis.

We want to see God’s work done in OUR DAY.

God’s great work is done through people who are completely yielded to him.

Have an adequate replenishment strategy for the things you are pouring out in ministry. In crisis situations, the best thing you can bring to the table is a “filled up bucket”.

What do your followers and colleagues see when they look at you?

Quoted Bible Verses:
Luke 14
Romans 8:6
Romans 12:8

Recommended Reading:
Jim Collins- How the Mighty Have Fallen

ALL the speakers were amazing, but in my fury to write notes, I realized what I was mostly writing were quotable quotes, and other interesting tidbits. Not the whole message. But, I did make sure to keep things in context (I think!) : ). Most of, if not all, the speakers were Christian, and they came from a variety of backgrounds. Some were pastors, others were entrepreneurs, and still others were business leaders. It was amazing to see all these educated, accomplished people coming together to talk about leadership and the impact of the church. Good stuff.

Here was the lineup of speakers Day 1:

• Bill Hybles- Founder & Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church

• Roundtable with Bill Hybles, Henry Cloud (Clinical Psychologist, Author & Business Consultant), Patrick Lencioni (Founder & President, The Table Group), Carly Fiorina (Former CEO of Hewlett Packard) & David Ireland (Senior Pastor, Christ Church)

• Gary Hamel- Director, Management Innovation Lab

• Tim Keller- Author & Senior Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church

• Jessica Jackley- Co-Founder of Kiva.org

• Harvey Carey- Senior Pastor, Citadel of Faith Covenant Church

For the sake of SPACE, I am putting each speaker on their own post : ). For some there are a lot, for others, just a few. Enjoy!