My Experience With Unleash
On March 10th I got to experience my first leadership conference since attending a youth leadership conference at Willow Creek in 2004. The conference was named Unleash and it was hosted by the Newspring Church in Anderson, South Carolina.
As I pulled into the parking lot, I was greeted by dozens of attendants directing traffic in the parking lot. They were extremely cheerful, and made me feel welcome. When I got out of my car, I was greeted by 3 attendants who were happy to see my Indiana license plate. They were ecstatic that I traveled all the way from Elkhart, Indiana for their little conference. My walk from the car to the front entrance was about 100 yards. Along the way, I was greeted by at least 12 more volunteers who welcomed me to their little conference. In all there were 600 volunteers helping out to put this conference together. Let's just say that I was overwhelmed by the cheerful greeters. Another pastor told me that this is how the parking lot is ran every weekend.
After I went inside and took a seat in the auditorium. Volunteers were walking up and down the aisles carrying trays and baskets offering free fruit and snack bars along with 8 ounce bottles of sodas and coffee. It was a scene similiar to being at an sports arena. There were also several volunteers walking around with trash bags offering to take our trash.
The Leadership Conference began with passionate worship through song and prayer. (I will write a blog another time about my questions whether or not I can live up to the lyrics that I sing.) Let me start off by saying not one book was advertised. There were no curriculum pushes. There was no bragging of "look what we have done." Perry Noble, the Pastor of this fine church started off by announcing, "We dont know what we are doing. We dont really know how we got here. But we will share with you everything that we know."
There were two breakout sessions. There were so many too choose from, but I chose two areas that I feel that are great needs for Meadowood. The first breakout session focused on discipleship and small groups, and then the second session focused on a positive volunteer culture. They held back no information and gave us a bunch a free curriculum from their website.
After the first breakout session we had lunch, and they served us Chik Fil A for lunch!
As the second breakout breakout session began, Newspring recognized that many had arrived in the morning while it was still raining and they offered dry sox to anyone who had soaked feet. Excellent.
The final main session was powerful as they had all of pastors stand and people cheered for us. They asked the leaders who came with their pastor to lay hands on them and pray for them. I group of teens saw that I was by myself and put their arms around me and prayed for me.
The conference finished and Sherry Moorhead the Central Volunteer Director became the friend that I asked God for. It began with me shaking her hand and thanking her for her church hosting this wonderful conference. She wouldnt let go of my hand as she asked me my name and wanted to hear about my ministry. She told me that when I needed to talk, or needed prayer, or needed resources I could call her anytime.
Allow me to vent for just a moment on this particular issue. Since my arrival in the Michiana region, I have really struggled to get time with any leader from a larger church. I just want to hook up with people who are doing a better job so that I can catch something that they have and do a better job of building a Kingdom. I would send out many e-mails requesting just an hour with anyone in leadership with one of these churches. Only Granger Community Church has responded. I have had a meeting with Tim Rowland from River Oaks and Jim Brown from Grace Community Church in Goshen before I started working a full time job. But due to locations and schedules, a relationship with both of these churches have not devoloped. On Monday, I sent an e-mail to Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina asking if anyone from Elevation was going to Unleash. Within an hour, Shel responded with an e-mail and her direct phone number. And then to receive an offer of friendship from Sherry was huge.
Back to Unleash, after my visit with Sherry, I walked to my car and volunteers were lined up throughout the walkway and parking lot thanking me for coming out, and wishing me well with my ministry.
Going to Unleash was such a positive experience for me in sooooooooo many ways. I will budget and prepare to come back. I will bring more people with me. The culture was fantastic and the teaching was practical.
As I pulled into the parking lot, I was greeted by dozens of attendants directing traffic in the parking lot. They were extremely cheerful, and made me feel welcome. When I got out of my car, I was greeted by 3 attendants who were happy to see my Indiana license plate. They were ecstatic that I traveled all the way from Elkhart, Indiana for their little conference. My walk from the car to the front entrance was about 100 yards. Along the way, I was greeted by at least 12 more volunteers who welcomed me to their little conference. In all there were 600 volunteers helping out to put this conference together. Let's just say that I was overwhelmed by the cheerful greeters. Another pastor told me that this is how the parking lot is ran every weekend.
After I went inside and took a seat in the auditorium. Volunteers were walking up and down the aisles carrying trays and baskets offering free fruit and snack bars along with 8 ounce bottles of sodas and coffee. It was a scene similiar to being at an sports arena. There were also several volunteers walking around with trash bags offering to take our trash.
The Leadership Conference began with passionate worship through song and prayer. (I will write a blog another time about my questions whether or not I can live up to the lyrics that I sing.) Let me start off by saying not one book was advertised. There were no curriculum pushes. There was no bragging of "look what we have done." Perry Noble, the Pastor of this fine church started off by announcing, "We dont know what we are doing. We dont really know how we got here. But we will share with you everything that we know."
There were two breakout sessions. There were so many too choose from, but I chose two areas that I feel that are great needs for Meadowood. The first breakout session focused on discipleship and small groups, and then the second session focused on a positive volunteer culture. They held back no information and gave us a bunch a free curriculum from their website.
After the first breakout session we had lunch, and they served us Chik Fil A for lunch!
As the second breakout breakout session began, Newspring recognized that many had arrived in the morning while it was still raining and they offered dry sox to anyone who had soaked feet. Excellent.
The final main session was powerful as they had all of pastors stand and people cheered for us. They asked the leaders who came with their pastor to lay hands on them and pray for them. I group of teens saw that I was by myself and put their arms around me and prayed for me.
The conference finished and Sherry Moorhead the Central Volunteer Director became the friend that I asked God for. It began with me shaking her hand and thanking her for her church hosting this wonderful conference. She wouldnt let go of my hand as she asked me my name and wanted to hear about my ministry. She told me that when I needed to talk, or needed prayer, or needed resources I could call her anytime.
Allow me to vent for just a moment on this particular issue. Since my arrival in the Michiana region, I have really struggled to get time with any leader from a larger church. I just want to hook up with people who are doing a better job so that I can catch something that they have and do a better job of building a Kingdom. I would send out many e-mails requesting just an hour with anyone in leadership with one of these churches. Only Granger Community Church has responded. I have had a meeting with Tim Rowland from River Oaks and Jim Brown from Grace Community Church in Goshen before I started working a full time job. But due to locations and schedules, a relationship with both of these churches have not devoloped. On Monday, I sent an e-mail to Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina asking if anyone from Elevation was going to Unleash. Within an hour, Shel responded with an e-mail and her direct phone number. And then to receive an offer of friendship from Sherry was huge.
Back to Unleash, after my visit with Sherry, I walked to my car and volunteers were lined up throughout the walkway and parking lot thanking me for coming out, and wishing me well with my ministry.
Going to Unleash was such a positive experience for me in sooooooooo many ways. I will budget and prepare to come back. I will bring more people with me. The culture was fantastic and the teaching was practical.
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