Catalyst 08 – Day 3 – In over my head

Today was another great day at Catalyst.  Andy Stanly closed with some great stuff, met with a few guys from Community, and an African Choir made everyone sob.

It’s kind of like summer camp.  You want to go back home and see your friends and family but at the same time you want to stay…because it’s awesome.  That’s how Catalyst is. Along with the above I was also pleasantly surprised by both Dave Ramsey and Franklin Graham.  Dave brought the smack down as he talked about the 5 enemies of unity – which are:

-    Poor communication
-    Gossip
-    Unresolved disagreements
-    Lack of shared purpose
-    Sanctioned incompetence

It really struck a chord with many people because although they all seem like no duh concepts, you quickly realize how in your organization those things exist.

Franklin Graham reminded us of how powerful the Gospel actually is.  I say reminded because I am pretty sure in the midst of contextualization many of us have lost the simple, profound, and amazing truth of the Gospel and how the Holy Spirit works through it. His time was also a spotlight on his dad – a man whom many know but cannot fully grasp the influence he has had in his life.

Before Andy Stanley got up to close the conference – Matt Chandler brought the thunder.  Seriously Catalyst planners, you should have given that guy more time. I listen to a lot of communicators and I am hard pressed to think of anyone else that could have said what he said in the manner in which he did it and it have the impact that it did.

Finally Andy brought us to a close with several different leadership quotes that have deeply challenged him.

-     “To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things no one else is doing.” – Craig Groeschel

-    “The next generation product almost never comes from the previous generation”. – Focus, Al Reis

-    “What do I believe is impossible to do in my field…but if it could be done would fundamentally change my business”? – Future Edge/The Paradigm Book, Joel Barker

-    “If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what would he do?  Why shouldn’t we walk out the door, come back in, and do it ourselves?”  – Only the Paranoid Survive, Andy Grove

-    “When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near.”  – Michael Hammer

All in all my Catalyst experience was better then the prior year.  It might have been the car accident setting the tone of brokenness for the rest of the week or it could have simply been that after the past 7 months I’m just a different person.  Stretched, challenged, beat down, uplifted, forced to swim in a hurricane, and just generally reshaped…which I believe isn’t a bad thing.  I have learned more about leadership in the past 7 months then in my entire life.  I have made plenty of mistakes, have had a few failures…but I never stopped.  I never stopped, because I think being in over your head is the best place to be.

Stay tuned tomorrow for my final Catalyst recap.  Catalyst 08 – Day 4 – The Dwarf House.

Catalyst 08 – Day 2 – The meaning in the silence

Below you will find my journal entry from October 9th

October 9th
Today was the first day of Catalyst and quite honestly I don’t know where to begin.  It makes me sad when I hear people say that didn’t gain anything because they have heard it all before.  That’s like saying why read scripture, I’ve read it all before…but I digress.  I had some expectations in coming here.  Expectations of challenge, clarity, and impact, now at the end of day one I can say all of the expectations are being met.

Andy Stanley began the morning and focused on the moral authority that we must keep.  It was reminiscent to when Ken Idlemen spoke to me several years ago.  He focused on Family, Forgiveness, and Finances.  Shortly after that I ran into Vince and caught up with his plans for the Vegas plant.  Then I finally got a chance to meet up with Hank from Reunion in Boston.  it was great to hear the stories of what God is doing across the country.

Steven Furtick spoke next and he had two great lines…a crack smoking lesbian…and his point…In the middle of the promise and the payoff is the hard reality of the process and it is in that process that you need to believe in the vision God has given you even when there is nothing to see.  His point really struck a chord with me as up until 3 months ago I have pushed the vision God has given Leanne and I to the wayside. I honestly felt ashamed because I ignored it and then got consumed with all of the challenges that the past 7 months have carried.

As Craig Grochel talked about “It” I was overcome with the realities that I may have never had it or am in the process of losing it.  Break me, ruin me, heal me, and stretch me.  As I prayed at the end of his message I noticed that God was ding something inside of me and that His vision for Leanne and I is still alive.  I don’t want it for me I want it for the kingdom.  Holy boldness and humble confidence with wisdom and the eyes and heart of God in all aspects of life.  As I began to cry God began to come over me and He stretch the vision He had impressed upon me so many years ago.  I have no doubt He will use us in ways that will leave a lasting legacy, not for us but for the kingdom of God.

When they began to play God of this City, I was done.  I couldn’t do anything but cry and rest in who God is and His greatness and the plans he has prepared for us.  The future is clear and it is beginning now.

God -  Break me, ruin me, heal me, stretch me, unite us, help us, holy boldness, humble confidence, big dreams, impossible vision, and use us to ignite and fan.  You are God and I am not worthy…I am only clay in the masters hand…. use me to lead, unleash your spirit through me, let me influence influencers and care for all.  May glory be given to you in the highest, creator of the universe, Abba, forever and ever,  you are I am and I thank you.  Amen.

Catalyst 08 – Day 1 – At least no one was hurt

So there we were, 6 guys in a mini van rolling through downtown Atlanta – anxiously wanting to get to ourhotel, hit up a Waffle House, and get some good rest before the first day of Catalyst – all I heard was ‘WHOAH” and as I looked up from the directions in my shotgun position I had just enough time to say, “oh crap”!

We hit at about 65mph the truck in front of us swung a round and it’s tailgate was locked with my door then it got hit by another car, and then we got hit by another car, and then we all hit two other cars.  6 cars in total at 3:45 on a 

rainy Wednesday on I75 North in the middle of downtown Atlanta.  We only took up 3 lanes of traffic initially, until they stopped all lanes of traffic…twice…so as to move the cars to the other side of the freeway.  I was grateful it happened under an overpass because not ten minutes after the accident it began to pour.

Two “interesting” tow a truck rides later, we rented another car and off we went.  What should have taken 45 minutes turned into 7 hours.  It shook us up a bit, but at least no one was hurt…in fact all the other drivers (save for one who refused to make eye contact with anyone) were quite pleasent and showed us some Southern hospitality going as far as informing of us of some concerts in town that we might want to check out.

My biggest fear was that the accident would overshadow the conference…it did not, if anything it got us focused on God real quick…

Stay tuned for tomorrow…Catalyst 08 – Day 2 – The meaning in the silence.