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“Exponential Conference” Live Blog (Day 1)

Well sort of a live blog… I’m going to attempt to post insights I gather from the conference below. I’m not completely sure if this will work so hang with me.

11:24AM – heading out from hotel.  Looking forward to the day and all the the Lord is going to teach us.  Marylin Walker just arrived and we got our entire crew together now!  A couple of websites to take note of on the conference and on Exponential in general:

http://www.exponential.org

http://www.exponentialconference.org

8:54PM – Well the whole “live blog” thing really didn’t work very well.  Couldn’t figure out how to update blog effectively via iphone.  If you have any ideas please pass them along.  Meanwhile, let me recap some of my notes from the day….

Main Session 1:

“All our ecclesiological eggs are in one basket”

“Apostolic and Missional same word in Greek and Hebrew”

“It takes courage to look at something like you have never seen it before”

“The Church is a movement.  Jesus designed us to be that.”

“Fundamental Job of a leader = define reality. Leadership either binds people or frees them.”

“The answer for the church in the present are not in the immediate past (where we normally look).  If so we would have found it.  We need to imagine. ”

A Personal Note:  If you ever hear me say “my church” or “our church” then you have permission to come and punch me in the face.  There is something about hearing people say this that makes me cringe.

Francis Chan:

“Can I just make disciples?  Is that allowed?”

“In China i told them about how in the west we have these church buildings and how we go to services each week that last an hour or so.  I told them how if we don’t like the music or the message then we can go to different buildings and services… they all broke out into laughter.  They thought i was the funniest guy they had ever seen” (not word for word quote but it’s basically the same thing).

(speaking about traditional church) “To have people come into a room with no intention of being a disciple maker makes no sense!”

(speaking about the early days of his faith) “I wasn’t more mature then, but I was more pure.”

“The Lord will use you if you are willing to be lonely and misunderstood.”

(speaking about movements) “if someone is crippled from birth is healed then the movement just happened.”

Workshop 1: Neil Cole: Journeys to Significance Workshop

Take-a-way – Paul’s fourth missionary journey was the most successful and he spent his time on this journey in house arrest.  It was successful because of all those he sent.  He saw it as a success and embraced it as such.

Download notes from entire lecture here

The lecture was supposed to be based on the book which is why i went to the workshop.  However, I was disappointed that it had nothing to do with the book…

 

Workshop 2 – Panel Discussion on Starting a Movement

“We need to be asking WIGTAKE (Whats It Going To Take)… to reach the entire city–not start a church”

“What would it look like in Austin, TX if nobody got the credit?” – felicity dale

Abolish the layity?  Abolish the clergy?

“Ephesians 4:11 – Leaders are to equip others–not manage everything ourselves.  If we manage, we can’t lead.  We need freedom for pastors to again become leaders in the church and outside the church.”

Felicity Dale:  In the reformation, God put the Bible into the hands of ordinary people and look what has happened.  Now what God is doing is putting the church back into the hands of ordinary people.”

Felicity Dale referencing Wolfgang Simpson’s illustration of “Death Valley” – there is a death process that needs to take place for those leaving the “legacy church.”  We think there is a bridge from “b” to “p” but there is not.  We must let many things first die: good worship music, the sermon, children’s ministry, etc.

(click image to read an article on “detoxing” from the traditional church)

(Illustration shared about a person in a house church)  -“Now that I’ve been in your house church for a year, God has given me a vision to start 75 house churches in the next year.” What happened? It took the three years to do it…

A healthy church in the US is one that is busy all the time–Christians are busy spending time with other Christians that is…

Patterson:  Just do what Jesus did in the New Testament and nothing else!  Must build movement/church around new believers

 

Dinner

We had a great dinner with Felicity Dale.  We discussed the illustration above in more detail.  She really reminded me of the importance of taking “church” to the lost and not the other way around.  She shared a great story about how they helped a new convert to start a church organically with her friends.  It was a great reminder to me and our group of how God can work when we take advantages of the resources in the field–not thinking that we need to bring everyone to where we are.  My only regret is that I didn’t get a picture of us all.  It was a very encouraging for us all.

 

 

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3 thoughts on ““Exponential Conference” Live Blog (Day 1)”

  1. Sorry bro, but the workshop I did, called Journeys to Significance was ALL from the book of the same name (though due to time restraints I couldn’t possibly teach everything in the book). Perhaps you read one of my other books and thought I’d be speaking about that subject.

    Thanks for coming to my workshop anyway!

    Pressing on,

    Neil Cole

    1. Neil… sorry man. That was actually a bad joke… much is the same way this is. If you look at the link connected to “the book” you see what i mean. 🙂 Loved the workshop and loved getting a chance to meet you briefly. Thanks for being such an encouragement to all of us here in Kentucky!

      Actual link to by the book “Journeys to Significance” by Neil Cole

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