What We're Learning

The Wisconsin Wesleyan District Conference was held last week.  An annual tradition of the conference is the "two minute drill", when pastors give a brief report from their congregation.  This year, we were instructed to try to make it snappy -- less than two minutes.  Any pastors who wax eloquent and go beyond the allotted time, are unceremoniously shut down -- sort of like the Gong Show.

How can one possibly capture a full year's worth of congregational happenings in less than two minutes?  It's quite a daunting task to figure out what to say.

This year, I just shared a few "one-liners" -- tweets -- of what we've been learning in Hayward over the past year.  I'm pretty sure most of them just flew over the heads of the puzzled delegates -- but a few landed -- and some folks asked if I could post them here:

1.  There is a direct connection between emotional healing and spiritual growth.

2.  As a church grows, the sense of congregation (belonging) shrinks unless you are intentional about it.

3.  Shared leadership is powerful and sweet when you're making music in the same key.

4.  Relationships are like guitars.  You must keep tuning them if you don't want to go sharp or flat.

5.  You can make progress and you can make excuses -- but you can't make them both simultaneously.

6.  Organic tomatoes are better than greenhouse tomatoes (same with discipleship.)

7.  Preaching in community is powerful.  It blesses the congregation, and is refreshing for the preacher.  They need to hear more than one voice.

8.  Discipleship is not a program.  It is a life.

9.  Men are willing to meet at 6:00 a.m. if it's worthwhile.

10.  Dead skunks won't smell better if you shove them under the bed.

11.  Children need to see their parents worship.

12.  Training multiplies ministry ownership and effectiveness.

13.  Multiplication is higher math than addition.

14.  The Gospel is enough.