Well... got to the ATL safely yesterday. One of my favorite restaurants anywhere is Daddy D'z BBQ Joynt in downtown Atlanta. If you are ever here you have got to get by there. The 4 bone plate with red beans and rice and fired okra can't be beat. The only problem..... I usually hurt myself before I leave and wind up miserable the rest of the day. I'm still hurtin' this morning. I don't even feel like eating breakfast. But for a once or twice a year visit to Daddy D'z.... it's worth it.
So the conference itself doesn't start till tomorrow. Today we'll be heading up to the Gwinnett Center to attend some labs (specialized, smaller venue discussions) with some key leadership figures from around the country. I like the labs because you get some good q&a time that you don't ever get in the main sessions.
Yesterday... we had some good staff time. I love sitting and talking with the guys I work with, trying to figure out what needs to be done to bring our body at Firewheel to the next level of spiritual growth and leadership. There is just so much to be done to reach the community that we live in daily. As a growing, mid-sized, church we have to make sure that we are constantly working to move ourselves, and our people to the next level and not get comfortable with where we are at in any part of the ministry.
I look at the incredible group of volunteers that I have in the student ministry and want to make sure that I am giving them every opportunity to follow God's call on their lives. If that means challenging them to raise their game, or moving people to different seats on the bus, raising my game, whatever...... we've got to do it. There are so many moving parts to ministry. What is it that needs to be done to make us move and not get complacent and comfortable? That's the question that I am constantly asking myself.
It's so easy to get comfortable. When things are familiar. When things are routine..... we can operate without even thinking about it sometimes. I remember when I was leading worship at camps and stuff week-in and week-out, it got real easy to just go through the motions sometimes. I would have to remove myself from things at times and really get my heart and mind focused on what we were there to do, because the music came easy.... it could've been easy to just wing it at times.
I don't want us to be "wingin' it." That's not the way to disciple and grow leaders in the church. One of my goals would be to train a team of leaders to do what I do. A team that is actively pursuing relationships with students and parents outside of the walls of Firewheel Church. One of the many things I learned about ministry when leading worship for so many different things is that about 90% of our ministry was always done off of the stage. It was about the relationships that were made at times off of the stage.
Well.... if the church building is our "stage." For each of us involved... it's about the relationships that are made off of the stage that will draw kids and parents into a closer relationship with Jesus. We've got to do whatever possible and whatever needed to lead students into a growing relationship with Jesus. What needs to be tweeked? What needs to be changed? What needs to be better? Hmmmmmm.... I'm sure I'll hear some insights this week while I'm here.
I always enjoy the time with the guys in this setting. We have a lot of fun. I like it when we challenge each other and talk ministry. Good week ahead.....
Stay tuned for pics, funny stories, updates, etc....... sure there will be plenty of that.....
I'm out.
No comments:
Post a Comment