#li2012

One-liners from #li2012

I went back to school last week.  Or should I say - I got schooled. 

I'd heard of the Church of the Resurrection Leadership Institute, but it wasn't until this year that I really felt the need for a real continuing education experience.  I'm very grateful that my church gave me the resources to make the trek from Dallas to Leawood, KS.  My mind is still reeling in mighty ways from the week, and I've found myself regurgitating random tidbits into conversations.  I've already posted once on the week, but I thought here I'd just share some of my favorite quotes from the institute.  The institute is broken up by workshops, general sessions, and a keynote session.  It was a wicked lot of info.

My apologies to Revs. Hamilton and Acevedo if I didn't write down your stuff exactly right, but you both talk pretty fast. 


"Leadership starts with a radical commitment to Jesus Christ."  Rev. Adam Hamilton

On how they plan at Resurrection ... "We need to think of everything we do from the perspective of fishing for people."  Rev. Hamilton

On evangelism and hospitality ... "Are you intentionally reaching out to people and then are you following up?"  Rev. Hamilton.

On criticism of leaders, reminding us of when Jesus' family and friends tried to throw him off of a cliff ... "Sometimes everything you said and did was good ... and still people won't like it ... Moses, Paul, and Jesus were all criticized, why do you think you won't be?"  Rev. Hamilton

On contemporary worship ... "We've got to get it into our heads that this is what's happening ... God chose this generation to bring is this new thing ... and its tough."  Lance Winkler, Workshop: The Future of Contemporary Worship

On intentional evangelism ..."Who are you inviting?" Rev. Scott Chrostek, Workshop: Creating a Culture of Invitation

"If Jesus needed to step away and pray, how much do we need to?" - Rev. Hamilton

"If you're supposed to make disciples, you should probably know what one looks like."  Rev. Hamilton

"Leading a church is dangerous work."  Rev. Jorge Acevedo, Lead Pastor, Grace Church in Southwest Florida, Keynote Session

On who Grace Church seeks, their prayer ... "Lord, can you send the people to us that nobody else wants and no one else sees."  Rev. Acevedo

"Vital congregations create an incubator for the Holy Spirit to work on people."  Rev. Acevedo

"Exegete the community."  Rev. Acevedo

On preaching your story ... "Are you telling your story for God's glory, or yours?"  Rev. Acevedo

"Have you created a safe place for dangerous truth?"  Jim Lucas, Workshop:  Ten Timeless Prinicples for Next Generation Leadership

"It's never the wrong time to do the right thing."  Jim Lucas

"Jesus has friends in low places."  Rev. Hamilton

On loving your neighbors ... "Who are the lepers in your community?  Ask yourself:  what will happen to me if I help?  Or [more importantly] what will happen to them if I don't do anything?"  Rev. Hamilton

On being indispensable in your community ... "Do non religious people see you as important in the community by the work that you do?"  Rev. Hamilton

"If we have this many people here, we ought to be able to change the world."  Rev. Hamilton


There's so much more.  Just the tip of the iceberg here.  But I got a couple of little (maybe big) ideas to implement and share.  I feel energized.



#li2012 Benediction

As I write this out my wife and I are sitting in the Southwest Terminal of the KCI airport, decompressing from a long but wonderful continuing ed experience at the Church of the Resurrection Leadership Institute.

While there will be much to break down in future posts, I thought it would be great today just to leave you with the simple benediction that Rev. Adam Hamilton closed worship with at the final session.  There will be more to come, but for now, here's this:
Lord, I offer my life to you.
Help me to walk in your way.
Make me the person you want me to be.
Lead me in your path that I might lead your people.
In your name, Amen.