What a way to close the Exponential Conference with Rick Warren. I have always respected Rick but that has grown over the years. There is such a genuine love and authenticity to his faith and the way he communicates, especially with leaders and pastors. His message could best be titled “Life-lessons for Longevity.”
Some points he shared:
- Never stop growing personally. Growing churches require growing pastors. You can’t delegate your faith and personal growth.
- Pay attention to your family. Obey the sabbath. Build your family before you build the church.
- Develop a Kingdom mindset. Be about God’s agenda not your personal agenda.
- Focus on building people, not the church.
What a great closing blessing and prayer. Rick had us read the Saddleback 25th Anniversary Declaration which you can read here.
I really sensed God confirming my call to church planting. I crossed the line in my heart and in my Spirit. No turning back. I am moving ahead in the purposes and call of God.
Hey Pastor Dan,
I am really stoked about this passion to reproduce churches. With just only one night with Rick Warren at the pastors meeting (part of Exponential) last wednesday night… I am excited to see new churches with a new mindset springing up all over North America and the world. When he started to share his testimony of when he started Saddleback…he was only 25 yrs old.
….I strongly believe the new churches in America that will rock this nation will be lead by leaders and reproduced by more leaders 35 and under!
The gap of the generations will close! The young and the old will work together because they will be more concerned about building and maturing people, then building a crowd, a personality or just a nice weekened experience.
Things that I learned from Rick that night!
- Healthy churches = Reproducing churches
- Healthy churches is not about building crowds.
- Heathly churches are not about the weekend, it’s about growing people to spiritual maturity. It’s finding and developing that process. The weekend is the funnel…the maturing is the process (It has to be intentional).
- A growing pastor = a growing congregation that can self feed themselves and reproduce.
Between Church Shift rocking my world and what God did during my afternoon and evening with Rick Warren…(which I have more to tell you about), God has been speaking two things very strongly ever since October when we were at Catalyst… These two things keep getting louder in my Spirit!
1. Run after this Kingdom Mindset that is missionally focused to effect culture..a mindset built on My prinicples to mature people, churches and then how to reproduce them.
2. Be even more intentional who you spiritually allign yourself with…. pastors, church leaders, and business/marketplace leaders that share this same passion and are strengthening this mindset. And, then dis-align yourself with leaders who don’t.
Church and Ministry is Changing! So Am I! And, those that don’t will get left behind!
It’s already happening!