Incredible Summit!

I had the privilege of attending the Willow Creek Leadership Summit simulcast at Stephens Creek Community Church in Augusta, GA on August 9-11 with five of my team members: Linda Neighbor, Dianne Paul, Frances Reynolds, Brandee Green and Melisa Bryant. I knew it was going to be good, but I had no idea how powerful the speakers and the relevancy of their topics would be.
Bill Hybels truly affirmed our vision-seeking process and added some ideas that we had never considered. We are right on track with our plans for this year and I believe we will see it all come together in our retreat in October. They constantly challenged us about the plight of the poor and AIDS victims around the world and called us as a church to take these problems head on. God really tugged at our hearts about women and children around the world. Stephen Porter, strategy guru, encouraged us to view our efforts at "doing good" in our communities with critical eyes. How well are we doing? What mission does a community organization have? What are their goals? It really gave me some benchmarks to evaluate our involvement with local organizations. We need to be effective with every dollar and minute expended! Marcus Buckingham called us to determine our strengths and develop them, not just try to build up our weaknesses. He was one of the most powerful and entertaining speakers. Richard Curtis, well-known film maker, was interviewed and showed how he is using film to raise poverty awareness. What he is capturing on film is haunting. There was so much more, and you can take a look at:

http://wall.willowcreek.com/leaders/#

I have committed that I will be sure that the auditorium at Stephens Creek is much fuller next year, if I have anything to do about it. It is a not-miss opportunity for leaders in the church world and the business world.