Tag: Reggie Joiner

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The 2008 Orange Conference Final Thoughts

The 2008 Orange Conference Rocked!

I posted highlights from each of the main sessions on my blog: (Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) it was the first time I blogged anything live, it was challenging keeping up with the likes of Louie Giglio and Francis Chan, because while you type they can throw out like 3 huge thoughts that are essential to their talk.

Modeling Leadership: The over all message that I heard throughout the conference was that our children and students need adult leaders to model being the kind of church they are to be when they take on the roles of the adult leaders in the future. – The big issue I see here is the need for adult education, because if you are awake and a leader in the church, you may have heard by now that the church is in decline, that’s because our adults are modeling a church they were shown, and its disconnecting with this generation.

Being Versus Doing: I think Louie Giglio ended the conference with a great message. He opened by asking the crowd, “What if we decided to just BE the church?” He did a great talk about how the church cannot make relevancy its “golden calf,” but his fear is, that the contemporary church has already done so, and that the modern church will make social justice their “golden calf.”

I think the best point was that we should choose to be a transcendent church, being the church of Jesus Christ as our goal, versus trying to always be relevant. The problem with relevance is that you will always be a step behind, because the person who is setting the pace for “relevancy” is always going to be a step ahead, but with the church, we have Jesus and He was before us, He is with us, and He will be after us. It doesn’t matter what happens with culture ahead of us, because Jesus will be there.

Breakouts: Were good minus 1. I did not care too much for the UNEDITED: reThinking Student Ministry. Then again I have been to some of the top notch student ministry conferences in the country and I get to hang out with the absolute best youth pastors in the country and Doug Fields once a year, so I may be a little spoiled? In this breakout it felt like the session never gained traction!

Breakouts “Engaging Parents of Teens” with Chap Clark, “Mobilizing the Next Generation” with Stuart Hall, and “College Prep: Protecting our Investment in Kids” with Chuck Bomar was absolutely awesome. I am going to have to email these speakers to get their notes as I could not keep up. Every single session was top notch. Continue reading “The 2008 Orange Conference Final Thoughts”

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2008 Orange Conference Session 4

The 2008 Orange Conference

Session 4

Reggie Joiner and Andy Stanley

  • Tensions – There is a lot of similarities in the life of believers and non-believers. Christians are of the mindset that we have a lot of differences in our lives, but on everyday levels we all face the same stuff.
  • If you create irresistible environments, people will come.
  • When you capture “the tension” you have everyone’s attention.
  • Churches have to define what spiritual growth is. – Ask yourself, how did you grow spiritually?
  • 5 Elements of Spiritual Growth Identified by North Point:
    1. Practical Teaching
    2. Providential Relationships
    3. Private Disciplines
    4. Pivotal Circumstances
    5. Personal Ministry
  • Small Groups are Pivotal to living out these 5 Elements.
  • Do what God calls us to do without criticizing other models and other churches. That is not the way to get traction for your ministry.
  • Jesus, “Who do people say that I am?” – “Who do you think that I am?” – Peter responded that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” – Jesus said that he was going to build his church on that…
  • Compassion, Missions, Social Justice, Etc…are all great, but at the core of all these movements, and what we do to answer those issues have to come back to Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Evangelism cannot be removed! – The hope of the world is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • Choosing to Cheat: Your only Unique role is a Father/Mother and Spouse. Your church work was probably being done before you got there and will be done by someone else at some point. Don’t trade what is unique to you for something that is common and average.
  • If our marriages are in trouble then we become a part of the problem in our culture and society.
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2008 Orange Conference Session 1

The 2008 Orange Conference

Opening video…Wow!!! Makes you proud to be a part of the “Church”

Steve Fee – Loved the new song!

Sue Miller

  • After last year’s conference she was challenged in a new way, she was told she had cancer.
  • After arguing with God, she was compelled that God asked her, “Who’s driving?”
  • Challenge to ask God to show us what investment/impact we’ve made.
  • God started to reveal to her how he had used her. – God told her she did exactly what He told her to do.
  • Challenge to realize that you do not need a cancer diagnosis to give your all to God.
  • A note to volunteers…Sue usually hears people say things like, “I just hold babies” “I just lead a small group” “I just greet people”
  • Don’t ever say I just anymore.
  • You get to be Jesus with Skin on to people who are walking through the doors of the church, who needs someone to hug them, to relate to them.
  • This is a very important responsibility!

Reggie Joyner – “Uncensored” Reaching a Prodigal Generation

  • There is one thing that is important in our ministries.
  • Its not truth or message – It’s not family – It’s not leadership.
  • Without this one thing, you do not have a basis for genuine community.
  • Going through a paraphrase of the Prodigal Son
  • This is definitely the Message version of the Prodigal son!
  • Only two people were unhappy about the younger son returning, Older and the fatted calf.
  • What if the older brother got to the prodigal son before the loving father? How would the story be different?
  • Reggie grew up in an “older brother” church! (Me Too!) – This produced a mindset that it took time to unravel.
  • Luke 15:1-2 – “But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” – Jesus hears them and tells them 3 stories; the final story was the Prodigal. He showed them 2 different perspectives to the Prodigal.
  • There are 2 different approaches to sinners: 1. The Pharisee way (The older brother) or 2. Jesus’ way (The loving father)
  • Challenge: Treat every prodigal in the way a loving father would treat his own son! Continue reading “2008 Orange Conference Session 1”