Eric Geiger’s discussion of what church leaders must do to avoid the natural drift of growing and complex ministries. Eric encouraged pastors to take a serious look at all the processes and ministries of their churches to determine what things help accomplish the mission of the church and what things, although good, might distract and drag the ministry into drift.

Do you love life? Do you love people?Do you love God? These questions and others highlighted the session with Chris Hodges. As pastor of Church of the Highlands, Chris challenges the audience to allow God to transform our hearts before we dare ask him to transform our ministries.

“In a diverse and cynical society, people will not accept the Gospel when it is preached from segregated pews.” In this session, Mark DeYmaz discusses the influence our churches should have on our culture. For too long church bodies have been divided by race, social status, and economic issues. This is not what Christ meant his church to be. Christ wanted a unified church made up of unified people.

Through the story of his own ups and downs in ministry, Greg shares how to turn discouragement on it’s head and refocus on the plan God has for you and your ministry. Only through placing all confidence in God and his power can your worst day, become your best day.

Jonathan Falwell encourages attendees to not let the vision become the victim. So many times in the business of our ministries, it is easy to forget our original calling and vision. In this session, Jonathan Falwell encourages those in attendance to push away the distractions that will pull us away and to spend our energy on the things that matter most. God has called us to be good stewards of our vision, not to neglect it.

Kerry Shook’s session examining the life of the church based on his book “Thirty Days To Live”. Reminding those present that this life should not be our focus, Kerry shared his testimony of how God used illness to awaken him and his family to this great truth. Eternity is the focus. Jesus is our focus. Nothing else matters.

Based on some of the principles in his book “Crazy Love”, Francis Chan discussed what the Bible actually requires for the Christian life and ministry. Focusing in on the love of God, Francis challenged the audience to reconsider some of the “givens” of why we do what we do. He also focused on the importance of loving the Word of God. What he has to say may surprise you. Be prepared to really listen.

“Sin will grow, then define you and then, destroy you.” In this session of innovatechurch Ed Stetzer makes the case for the importance of personal holiness. Focusing not on the “typical” sins, Ed gets to the heart of the “small” sins most of us deal with on a daily basis. Refusing to deal with these issues and allowing them to get a stronger foothold in our hearts and lives will eventually destroy us. God hates sin and we are unwilling to confess it or, if we try to hide it, God will bring it out in the open. God cares more about our character than our comfort.

Raised in the Catholic faith, married at a very young age, broke, discouraged, and with a very sick wife, Billy tells the story of how he was won to Christ by an athiest. He shares with us how to stay engaged and zealous about the ministry God gives us.

picWho owns your vision? Who owns your success? Who helps you control you ambition, motives and ego. Who owns your reputation? Lance Witt poses these questions and more as they relate to the success and health of the leader. Taking an honest look at these questions can help evaluate the health of a leader.