The FC ladies on the retreat

The ladies of Fellowship just came back from a weekend retreat, and I’m really excited to hear their stories of spiritual renewal and relationship building.  The above picture was taken by Katie Ferguson.

But before we go any farther with the stories, I want to offer a challenge to those who went and to those who go through similar weekend, week long, or summer long retreats or conferences:  DON’T SETTLE FOR REPLICATION!

What’s replication?  Replication is the attempt to recreate an experience you had this year next year, and expecting the same results.  It usually starts off during the original experience.  Someone innocently says, “We should do this (exact thing) again next year?”  and replication ensues.  Without thought (many times) to the fact that the experience struck such a chord the first time because of its newness, we mistakenly believe that we can once again orchestrate a successful experience by recreating the same circumstances.

Each year for the last 5 years I’ve gone to the Catalyst Conference, a highly innovative “retreat” with some of the greatest speakers, musicians, and creative personalities you could ever imagine, and each year I walk away with something fresh and new.  This year I can’t go, and I’m almost happy about it.  The reason:  It gives me a bit more time to understand the impact it has had on me in the last 5 years.  And then, maybe I should think about a new venue for creativity (like Story).

This principle has torn down organizations, churches, denominations, and groups of all kinds because they have mistakenly hung on to “the way it happened” rather than the change that took place in the first place.  “How it happens” is important as the experience is taking place, but the “change that happened” is the matter that’s important after the fact. Don’t expect God to work through particular circumstances, just know that if you allow Him to rock the boat…

You will get wet.

Hola!  I hope you’re having an amazing Columbus Day.  You can read why we celebrate this explorer/adventurer here.

I have recently returned from the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta and here was my schedule for the weekend:

Friday, 5:30 pm – Catalyst Conference ends.  Begin drive home of 1100 miles.
Saturday, 12:00 pm – Arrive home from long drive with Steve, Al, Billy, and Steve Bramlett.
Saturday, 1:00 pm – After unpacking and chatting with Carie for a bit, I began preparing for a 6:00 pm wedding I was officiating.
Saturday, 2:00 pm – Began searching for my message for Sunday morning @ Fellowship.  It was nowhere to be found on my computer.  So I wrote down a few thoughts I had and prayed a lot.
Saturday, 4:00 pm – began to prepare for the wedding (ironing clothes, polishing shoes, etc…)
Saturday, 4:30 pm – Nap time.
Saturday, 5:15 pm – wake up and finish dressing.
Saturday, 5:20 pm – drive to the wedding.
Saturday, 6:00 pm – Wedding time!
Saturday, 10:00 pm – Leaving the wedding reception.
Saturday, 10:30 pm – Sweet sleep.  I was about to drop.
Sunday, 4:14 am – Wakie, wakie, eggs and bacie!  And immediately begin preparing for Sunday morning @ Fellowship.
Sunday, 10:30 am – Sunday Morning @ Fellowship!
Sunday, 1:30 pm – Drive to Malta, NY to celebrate Tina’s Birthday
Sunday, 4:30 pm – Party with Carie, Jessica, Tom, Tina, Ray, Joanna, Steve, Amy, and several others.
Sunday, 8:00 pm – Watched The Patriots get their world rocked.
Sunday, 12:00 am – Finally get to go to bed!

It’s been such a crazy last several days.  I love it!  And today is relax day, enjoying my wife and a few friends in New York!  Tomorrow I have a great idea I’ll be blogging about. At least to me it’s a great idea.  You can judge for yourself.

What are you doing to celebrate Christipher?

One year ago today I started blogging.

I wrote of my trip to the Catalyst Conference ’07 (which at the time was my 4th) with my cousin Tim, and how Rick Warren brought it to 12,000 pastor-leaders.

Today I’m back in Atlanta at the Catalyst Conference enjoying my team and some old friends, and ready to be influenced by some of the greatest Leaders of our generation:  Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Andy Stanley, Seth Godin, William F. Young, Craig Groeschel, Jim Collins, and Steven Furtick are just a few of the names that have already impacted me significantly through books, blogs, and messages I’ve heard and read.

You can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or this blog (blog posts in the evenings this week).  I’ll share what I’ve learned, who I’ve heard, and who I’ve connected with as I keep an account of what’s happening here in Hotlanta.

Tonight at 7PM, we’ll be hosting another live broadcast of what we’ve learned on FCTV.  We tried this last night, and it went well.  People connected with us by texts and with each other by the chat mode on FCTV.  Latest reports have people tuning in last night from Massachusetts, Virginia, Germany, New York, and of course, Atlanta.  So check it out tonight, October 9th, at 7 pm.  (This time may be changed if we do not get out of the conference in time, but I will offer prompt notice on twitter and facebook if this occurs.)

Hows your week going?

Catalyst ’06 with Jeff and my southern family, Dave, DD, and Ridgeway!

This week the team at Fellowship Church is taking a road trip to Hotlanta to attend the Catalyst Conference.  I’m really looking forward to spending time with them and praying and talking about the future of our church, along with hearing from some of the best leaders in America.
I’ll be blogging and twittering throughout the event, and even plan on sharing some live stuff from our trip and hotel meeting room on Mogulus.

We leave soon.  Are you excited?

I have news!  Catalystspace.com just featured an email I wrote for them on ministry in New England.

You can check it out here.

I’ll be at the Catalyst Conference in October!  Love to see you there in the ATL.