Tag: catalyst conference

Scott Harrison, Charity:Water

October 7, 2010 / / 0 Comments

During Catalyst Conference, Scott Harrison, president and founder of Charity:Water, discussed why he chose water as a charity, and what he’s doing to bring clean drinking water to every person on the planet.

So why water?

  • 1,000,000,000 people don’t have access to clean water.
  • 40,000,000,000 hours are used each year by Africans seeking to obtain water.
  • 5,000 children die each day because they don’t have clean drinking water.

Water changes everything.

His idea was to reinvent charity, because so few people trust them.  He did this in 3 ways.

  1. 100% of the donations go directly to the cause.
  2. Prove where each dollar goes.  Every project is linked via GPS coordinates, and pictures are taken as proof at each site.
  3. Create a brand.

He built a campaign that encouraged people to give up their birthday in favor of supporting Charity:Water.  And it worked.

1,000,000 more people have clean water now.

But his goal is massive.  Over the next 10 years, he wants to provide access to clean drinking water to 100,000,000 people (which will cost $2 billion).

To join this movement, visit mycharitywater.org.

 

Chuck Swindoll, 50 years of ministry

October 14, 2009 / / 2 Comments

I didn’t grow up listening to Chuck Swindoll, or his Insight For Living.  Many people did, but I just didn’t, for whatever reason.  After hearing his talk at Catalyst 2009, I wish I had.  After receiving the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at Catalyst 2009, he shared with us what he had learned in his 50 years of ministry, and his goals for his next 50 years in ministry.  Needless to say, I took feverish notes.  I love to sit at the feet of leaders who have been faithful for so long.

10 Things Chuck Swindoll has Learned in 50 Years of Ministry

1. It’s lonely to lead

2. it’s dangerous to succeed.  Every successful person he’s known has had a time where he or she was crushed by God.  This is dangerous work.  It takes time, often includes failure, and is unbelievably difficult.

3. It’s hardest to lead at home.  “Nobody told me that in seminary.”

4. It’s essential to be real.  Phoniness is personified among leaders, and those you are leading see right through it.

5. It’s painful to obey. God will ask you to go to some places where it’s not your choice to go.

6. Brokenness and failure are necessary. He quoted Malcolm Muggeridge, former editor of Punch magazine, “If it were ever possible to eliminate affliction, life would be too trivial.”  The cross signifies this affliction, and draws us to Christ.  In the eyes of the world our failure was a complete failure, but it was completely essential.

7. my attitude is more important than my actions

8. integrity eclipses image. what you’re ding isn’t a show, and what you do behind the scenes that makes you who you are.

9. God’s way is always better than my way. Our problem is that we’re actually too capable, too skilled, and can pull things off in the flesh.  God’s going to have His way.

10. Christ-likeness begins and ends with humility.  ‘I am meek & lowly in heart.’ Matthew 11:29.

5 statements worth remembering during his next 50 yrs in ministry

1. Whatever you do, do more with others and less all alone.

2. Whenever you spend time with others, emphasize quality not quantity.

3. Wherever you go, do it the same as if you were among those who know you the best (it will help you keep from exaggerating).  Make sure those you love are in the audience, because it creates accountability, honesty, and humility

4. Whoever may respond, keep a level head.

5. However long you lead, keep dripping with gratitude and grace.

 

Did Rob Bell Offend You?

October 13, 2009 / / 24 Comments

If you’ve not heard of Rob Bell, you should get to know this guy.  Whether you’re on the same page with him theologically or not, he is a leader for our generation worth knowing about.  He thinks outside the box and helps others to do the same, especially through his wildly popular small group video series, Nooma.

I had the privilege of hearing Rob at Catalyst this past week. Did I agree with everything he said?  No.  But there was predominantly more that I did agree with than that I didn’t. (on a side note, thinking about criticism…don’t criticize somebody until you’ve read their books firsthand, or heard them speak for yourself…don’t just take another blogger/writer/pastor’s critique of the person…do the work yourself, then you can criticize)

I’ll spare you all of the notes from his sermon, but suffice it to say that Rob was on point.  His, “Is Bigger Better?” was exactly what pastors needed to hear.  Citing John 6:22-26, 60-71, Bell says, “Sometimes the crowd thins and the people leave.”  Jesus there corrected misconstrued ideas, and when he did, people deserted him.  They deserted Jesus, and we should know that some will desert us if we remain faithful to the Gospel message.  Bell told a story about how, just a few days before, he was talking with a pastor of a smaller church.  This pastor was lamenting his situation, and saying that he couldn’t wait until he made it big, and God blessed him with a bigger church, because then he would have a legitimate ministry.  His flock of 300 people wasn’t too big of a deal…he was waiting for his big break.  Bell then made this statement,

And I responded with, as the French say, “WTF?”

The audience gasped.  Some chuckled.  He had captivated everyone (though he hadn’t said the curse word…ok, if you don’t know what I mean, just take a stab at what cuss word starts with “F” and you’re probably right).  Rob had gotten away with referencing a highly charged, highly offensive cuss word while preaching to 12,000 pastors.  Bell couldn’t believe that this pastor did not view his current ministry as valid, or that those 300 people were somehow less important than the big crowds.

If there is ever a time to cuss, it’s right there.

No matter the size of your ministry, God has called you to those people!  Whether you’re leading a small group of 3, a church of 300, or speaking to 300,000, you are called to shepherd those in your flock.

What are you more offended by, the fact that Rob Bell used a reference to a cuss word, or the fact that the other pastor completely blew off his people, the role that God had called him to, and the ministry that He had equipped him for?

 

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