Catalyst Conference Highlights

Last week our team headed off to a Pastoral Leadership Conference in Kirkland, WA.  What a sight!  There were 19 adults and two newborns in our band of misfits and we had a great time!  I often say that leading our team is like chasing cats, so imagine an entire day surrounded by inspiring people talking about being better leaders…it was like a bunch of diabetics in a candy shop.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Unhealthy cultures are slow to adapt to change…We must be healthy because our church name is secretly North Creek Changes A LOT Church.
• Hire and recruit your values…our church will mold to the DNA of our team.  Whatever we want in our church, we should hire in our team.  Good lense as we hire people in the future.  P.S. Administrative people…we need you.  We are too creative for our own good and could use people who like to control cats.  Yeah, I know…
• Drop the term loyalty from your vocabulary.  TOTALLY agree.  We never use it.  If we have to ask you to be loyal, we don’t deserve your loyalty.  If you think we can push you to the next level in your relationship and faith, you’ll be glad to stick around.  If you don’t think that, why would we even want you to stay?
• Create and maintain a sustainable pace.  This sums up why we don’t have very many traditions.  This year we are doing a big musical Christmas Concert because Matt got a vision for it.  Next year we may or may not do it.  Why?  Because we don’t have to.  It’s not about doing things because we ALWAYS do them.  It’s about doing things because God has asked us to.
• You’re a sharp guy, so fix it.  That was a little tidbit from Craig Groeschel.  Bottom line: stop whining about your problems and solve them.  Troy Jones always told us a similar thing:  If you don’t solve your problems, you deserve your problems.  Haunted me my whole life…  It’s a good tip though.  Fix it.

I think overall I was reaffirmed in the fact that we have to stick to the plan that God gave us and continue to fight for our culture.  We’re not perfect leaders, we don’t have a perfect church, and we don’t have a perfect team, but we do know what God has told us to do.  There is no time to get discouraged, weary, or overwhelmed.  All we have time for is to continually point people to Jesus.

Thank you to our team for taking a day out of your life to devote to being better leaders!  We love you very much and are glad that you are partners with us on this journey.  Keep on keepin’ on!  We’re fighting for the greatest cause on the planet…