A Movement vs. A Location

If you as a ministry leader, whether paid or volunteer, are equipping people to carry out God's plan only through the local church, you are not equipping them properly. Instead, we should focus on equipping them to fulfill God's plan through their lives which are connected & invested in the local church but not limited to use only inside the church. The local church is God's plan, but as leaders we cannot afford to equip believers to only leverage their gifts & influence only within the church setting. We have to equip people, model for people, & challenge people to take the mission of God outside the walls of the local church's gathering place.

"The Church Is A Movement Of God's People Not The Location Of A Building."

The church was not designed to gather together in a building, sing their songs, listen to their messages, do their programs, & then go home. Instead, it was designed & called to go outside & reach those who are "far off" to borrow Peter's terminology in Acts 2. The only reason you & I are now "insiders" in the church is because somebody decided to do something to reach out to you with the Gospel. When we forget that, we begin to forget our mission too. We can't afford to do that, & the world can't either.

How are you equipping those you lead to accomplish God's plan with their lives rather than just through the local church & it's programs? How are you modelling this priority in your leadership? Where are you investing in advancing God's Kingdom in a setting that is outside the walls of your building?

Preach Better Sermons Live Takeaways

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Preach Better Sermons Live event produced by the good people at The Rocket Company. This one day conference brought together both ministry leaders & business leaders to help them sharpen their communication skills in order to best communicate their messages. My personal conviction is that since the church has been entrusted with the best message in history we should do the best job possible communicating it. With that in mind, here are some of my biggest takeaways:

1) "Connection Not Information Is The Difference Between A Message That Soars & A Message That Falls Flat." -Jeff Henderson

2) "Great Preaching Over A Consistent Period Of Time Requires Me To Be A Follower Of Jesus First & A Preacher Of Jesus Second." -Jeff Henderson

3) The Wrong Approach With The Right Idea Undermines Your Message." -Andy Stanley

4) Andy Stanley's Five Guidelines To Preaching To The Unchurched
You'll have to buy Andy's new book to get those.

5) "This Generation Wants To Follow Jesus, Serve, & Change The World, Now If Possible. They Just Need Someone To Lead Them With Authenticity & Vision." -Louie Giglio

There's way more I could share, but I won't. If you missed the event in Atlanta, The Rocket Company will be bringing this event to different venues around the U.S. So check out the Preach Better Sermons Live website for details. A huge thanks to Casey Graham, the speakers, & the staff & volunteers who made this conference happen.