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What an incredible time we had last week as we hosted more than 3,000 church leaders for our 10th annual Creative Church Conference! Attendees traveled from as far as India, Australia and Nigeria, from nine countries and 48 U.S. states, to join us in Texas for an intense time of learning and sharing ideas. Once again, I had a blast talking with pastors from churches of all different sizes and denominations.
One of the highlights for me was the opportunity to learn from these amazing leaders, especially those who shared their insights with us from the stage. From Craig Groeschel and Mark Driscoll to Bishop T.D. Jakes and my dad, Dr. Ed Young, we experienced a true diversity in teaching styles and subjects that gave us a glimpse of the limitless ways God can work in our churches and use our unique gifts.
Some of my favorite moments of the conference came during the Q&A sessions after each talk, featuring a panel discussion with the speaker. The panelists were pastors and leaders from churches of various sizes and approaches who helped flesh out and apply the lessons learned. In addition to these panelists, we incorporated text message and email questions directly from the attendees in the audience. This format produced great follow-up as many different people were able to share ideas and struggles from their own ministries.
- Following a talk explaining that God most often uses insecure, risk-taking, pain-enduring idiots, Craig Groeschel was asked about his biggest idiot moment. Time and time again, he said, he's insulted God by dreaming too small.
- When asked about negative people in the church, Mark Driscoll made a perfect analogy by comparing them to referees — they like to wear their striped shirt, blow their whistle, and call fouls, but they never really play in the game. He said that they care about things that nobody else does, not even God.
- It was a great thrill to share C3 with my dad, Dr. Ed Young, after learning so much from his leadership example throughout my life. He nailed it in a talk about making Children's Ministry a high priority in the church. In a follow-up question about raising children, he remarked, "How do kids spell love? T-I-M-E."
- Bishop Jakes had eloquent answers for any questions posed to him, including one about how to cultivate diversity within the church. In addition to embracing diverse friendships across traditional boundaries, he said that your stage must lead the way in reflecting diversity, even if it's not present yet in your membership.
These discussions, along with all of the general sessions from C3 2007, will be included on a DVD set of the conference, currently available for pre-order online.
As you might know, my preferred method of learning is by asking questions, so these sessions really struck a chord with me. This experience reminded me yet again of the importance of being an incurable learner. If you're not learning, you're not leading. As church leaders, we should have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. We must take advantage of every opportunity we have to learn: what motivates the individuals we meet, what the successful leaders around us know, how people get to where they are in life. It all counts. If you love people, you'll want to find out more about them and the world in which they live.
In my travels, I've interacted with many young church leaders and I can always tell which ones are going to go far - they are the ones asking question, after question, after question of anyone they can. Ask questions of everyone, everywhere you go. Don't save it all for the so-called experts. I've gained countless new insights and ideas from bright young pastors who are deep in the trenches of front-line ministry, leading small churches in tucked-away corners of the country. Of course we can learn from the experience of those who've blazed the trails in front of us, but we can't underestimate the great potential of those in every arena of ministry and leadership.
The opportunity to interact and connect with other leaders is a big reason why we're so passionate about offering conferences throughout the nation. We'll be hosting Regional Creative Church Conferences in eight different cities this year, including our next one in St. Louis on March 26. I'm also adding some other speaking engagements to my calendar, because I get so fired up by interacting with all of you. I'll be in the Seattle, Washington area on March 6 & 7 for the Vision 2007 Leadership Conference and in Lakeland, Florida on March 15 for the National Leadership Forum. We update the calendar frequently, so be sure to check the speaking schedule page often!
And remember, never stop learning. Make it your goal this year to be an incurable learner.
