This mini-series is a summary of my notes from the Exponential East 2016 Main Sessions.
Tension of Motives
Speakers: Dave Dummitt, Ryan Kwon, Andy Hawthorne
In this session, we’ll turn our attention from assessing our current reality to the specific tensions of multiplication that leaders face.” Exponential East 2016 Main Session 2
Focus on Here or There?
If God is calling you, he’s probably calling others.” Dave Dummitt
Start here with your there in mind. Get assessed by your tribe or denomination. Do a leadership residency and learn everything you can about church planting.
If you focus on ‘there’, ‘here’ will take care of it self.” Dave Dummitt
You have to me open-handed with your people and your resources if you’re a mother or sending congregation. Many churches can tell their stories of sending money & people to start new churches only to end up with enough money at people in their own congregation afterwards. Some have even seen growth.
Nobody should plant a church. We should only be planting church planting churches, so already have in mind how you’re going to participate in planting the next church even as your start your own.
Go For the Family Win
Seven years ago Ryan Kwon was sitting in the balcony at Exponential answering the call to plant a church. When he saw all the planters committing their lives to plant churches, he thought to himself, “We’re going to win!”
At some point it got real and he could see the unspoken tension of the competition between churches and church plants. He thought to himself, “We’re going to lose!”
We have to get past our Western individualism and back to a Biblical orientation toward family.
Learn to fight not only for your first name, but for your last name.” Ryan Kwon
Examine your motives and go for the church win. Be more concerned about the ‘capital C’ Church than your local congregation.
Maybe we have vastly underestimated our shadow mission of building our own kingdoms…” Ryan Kwon
The Kind of Disciples Needed
The Apostle Paul offers us three analogies:
- A soldier willing to suffer
- An athlete who plays by the rules
- A farmer who works hard