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.