Greg Atkinson

This past month I celebrated 15 years in ministry. I started in February of 1994. I started thinking about what I’ve learned over the years, serving churches of various sizes and types and speaking to and meeting with countless Church leaders across the country. The following are some thoughts that I had while reflecting on the plane last week. These are in no particular order and I’m sure I’m leaving something out. I may add more later. Here goes:

• God uses weak people.
• God uses broken people. God will break you eventually. It seems that “brokeness” is an on-going thing.
• God uses us despite ourself.
• Everyone goes through pain in their life.
• Hurting people hurt people.
• Depression is real.
• We all have highs and lows, mountains and valleys.
• Death stings and families grieve – no matter how old the deceased is.
• God pursues me.
• Servants/volunteers are precious. 
• As the Word says, “Be ready in season and out.”
• Often people will come to you for help or counsel and you realize you’re more messed up then they are. Hah!
• We all stumble and fall – some harder than others.
• You can’t have success, wins, breakthroughs and innovations without risks and failure.
• Smaller churches are usually the most creative and innovative. I watch them for inspiration.
• Weddings, funerals and new births happen non-stop.
• I’ve said it before: Sunday comes every week.
• Baptisms are extremely important and special – never take them for granted.
• Some pastors/ministers are just plan mean. I started to say “jerks”, but that wouldn’t be nice.
• Sometimes God asks you to stay somewhere when you’re begging to leave.
• Sometimes God asks you to leave when you want to stay and fight.
• Never let a denominational affiliation keep you from pursuing friends in ministry. Some of my closest friends/brothers and sisters in ministry are from different denominations. 
• God can and often does speak through lost people to you.
• Most pastors don’t know any lost people. I said: “Most pastors don’t know any lost people.” You have to be INTENTIONAL to get out beyond the four walls and form relationships with those that are not like you, don’t believe like you and may NEVER enter the doors of your church.
• God’s creation/nature is His gift to you and should not be taken for granted. Let it refresh, refocus, encourage and inspire you.
• God changes lives. We simply get to partner with His Spirit.
• Some people will refuse Christ. I have watched people with blinded eyes reject the Gospel and no academic or theological argument or debate could convince them of the truth. God has to draw them to Himself and open their eyes. You can’t debate someone into the Kingdom.
• When you feel your weakest, God uses you mightily.
• The Word truly is a lamp unto my feet.
• Prayer warriers are God-sends.
• I’m thankful for my mom, my wife and a few precious people that consistantly intercede and pray on my behalf.
• Your spouse is along for your wild ride and weathers each storm with you. Sometimes things people say about you hurt them worse than you. 
• Leaders take bullets. Better have your shield up.
• YOU CAN NOT MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. Someone will not like you. Get over it.
• Your devotional life is key. Go too long without it and eventually you’ll get spiritually dry and crash and burn – or burnout.
• Real ministry happens in small groups. Corporate worship is wonderful, but I really see God move in home groups and recovery ministries like Celebrate Recovery and Divorce Care, etc.
• When all is said and done, the people, the memories, those you’re closest to, those that are so special and you’re special to them, are because of unplanned, out-of-the-ordinary events, crises, emergencies, tradegies, etc. It’s hardly ever your “job” or what you “get paid to do” or is on your job description that God uses to allow you to grow closer to an individual or group of people. 
• Life is messy. Don’t oversimplify.
• Stop sending people and money overseas if you’re ignoring your own backyard/city. Some of the poorest and most lost people in the world are in your community. The US is the 4th largest unreached people group in the world. Christians in Africa send missionaries to us. Read that again.
• I’m still young in ministry and there are many, many far much wiser than I.
• Don’t boast in your strengths – you can do those in the natural. The supernatural kicks in in your weakness – that’s where God’s strength is made perfect/evident.

I’ll end with 3 quotes from men I respect. The first is my pastor:

1. “The world for which we were trained no longer exists.” – Pete Briscoe
2. “We as a church don’t have a mission. The mission has a Church.” – Reggie McNeal
3. “Is it easier to invite someone to your church or invite them to go feed the homeless with you?” – Jimmy Spencer

I’m leaving now to head to the airport for my trip to Orange County.  I can not wait to hang out with so many friends and meet new ones. The Idea Camp is sure to be a great experience and I believe, a breakthrough for a new way of doing conferences. Charles Lee is a friend and a true innovator. I’m honored to be speaking at his gathering. See you soon California!

One topic of discussion that came up at last week’s Church 2.0 Local Forum in Phoenix was the ever-increasing new role for Church leaders and staff to be equippers and trainers of new media and technologies to those in their ministry, volunteers, other staff, etc.

One IT staff member of a mega-church remarked that he’s found himself training more and more staff on how to use tools like Facebook, Twitter and TokBox. Another staff remember remarked that she has been personally going over to volunteers’ homes to teach them hands-on on how to use these tools. She’s personally set them up with email, Facebook and Twitter accounts (even if only to follow her she said). 

I think this is a new reality we find ourselves in and will probably make it’s way into the Church 2.0 book (or whatever it ends up being called). We as leaders have always been charged to teach, train, encourage, equip, educate and inform. For the many in your church and even on your staff team that don’t “get it” – you may find yourself acting in a role like a Best Buy Geek Squad or an Apple Store Genius Bar.

Have you thought of this before? Do you think this is valid? I’m not talking about forcing anything on anyone. I’m talking about helping those that have interests and are sincerely open to harnessing these new technologies. My hope is that if you are ready and willing to learn that you will seek out those to learn from. And if you “get it” and have knowledge that you could share, I encourage you to see it as an act of furthuring the Kingdom and the Gospel. So, are you willing to serve on the Geek Squad?

It dawned on me that I had mentioned my conference speaking schedule in an earlier blog post and forgot to post it. Here’s where I’ll be so far in 2009. I hope to see you on the road. Let me know if you’ll be at any of these:

• January: Leadership Network’s Innovation3
• February: Church Solutions Conference
• February: The Idea Camp
• April: Q
• May: Dynamic Church Conference
• June: Saddleback Worship Conference
• July: ECHO Church Media Conference
• August: South Carolina Worship Conference
• September: MinistryCOM 
• November: National Outreach Convention

I’ve blogged about Innovation3 before, but I wanted to blog about it again.  I’ve heard from so many that are “considering” attending. They know the line-up of speakers is great, Robbie Seay Band is leading worship and it’s at my church (crazy chill with Greg) – but they just haven’t made up their minds, yet.

I’ve got 3 new pieces of info for you to consider:

1. Register now and use “Church2.0” as the code and it will give you $50 off per person.
2. I’m teaching a new class (which is born out of my second book – this will be the first time I have spoken publically about what God is stirring in my heart and what my next book will be). My class is Tuesday at 3:00pm and the title is “Unconventional Innovation”.
3. The people that I do know are coming are great folks. We are going to have a blast. I have 5 pastors from around the country staying at my house. I know of some cool cats that are going to be flying in town for I3 and there are several meet-ups going on. I love hanging out, networking and socializing. 

Go HERE to register and remember to use the promo code. If you can… be there!

* So are you coming? Let me know. If not – let me know why.

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and would like to wish you a Happy New Year. We left 12/26 to go to visit family in South Carolina. I went to NewSpring Greenville on Sunday (more about that later). We travel today to Asheville, NC to visit more family. I hope we see some snow!

Also, today is my 13th wedding anniversary. WOW – time flies!

I want to remind you that tomorrow is the deadline to get that special discount for Q. Remember to use the promo code (Church20) to save over $150. Also, you can connect via the Facebook Church 2.0 Q event page HERE.

Also, be aware of where you can catch me early in ’09. I’ll be speaking in January and February here:

• January 8: ChurchTechCamp Dallas – get connected HERE
• January 27-28: Leadership Network’s Innovation3 – register HERE
• Feb. 17: Church 2.0 Local Forum – Phoenix (register HERE on Facebook and HERE if not on Facebook)
• Feb. 17-19: Church Solutions Conference – register HERE
• Feb. 27-28: The Idea Camp – register HERE

So, early in ’09, I’ll be speaking twice in Dallas, twice in Phoenix and once in Irvine, CA. I hope you can make it to one of those. NOTE: The ChurchTechCamp Dallas, Church 2.0 Phoenix and The Idea Camp are all FREE! More dates and cites to come soon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I’ve blogged about this before, but the time-sensitive huge discount for Q runs out Dec. 31st!!!! You have 1 week to act on this opportunity. You can register later, but it will cost over $150 more. 

I’ll be hosting a Church 2.0 Tribe this year at Q. Q was held in New York last year and I couldn’t make it – I really wanted to . This April 27-29 it will be in Austin, TX. I and many other friends will be there. I’d love for you to join us. 

Q is a unique conference for leaders that “get it” and are interested in highly relevant and missional things. Q does cost more than a lot of conferences, but if you register with my coupon code (Church20) – you can register for $525 until 12/31.

More about Q: Q is a gathering where church leaders and cultural influencers from the fields of business, politics, media, education, entertainment and the arts are exposed to the future of culture and the church’s responsibility to advance the common good in society.

Q TALKS are 18 minute presentations given annually at the Q gathering by thought leaders and practitioners on the topics of the future, the church, the culture and the gospel. Be inspired by their big ideas and find ways to discuss and process them with your closest friends and inner circle (the Church 2.0 tribe).

I hope to see some of you in the wonderful city of Austin!

*************************************************************************

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all you!!!

I’m taking a look back at my experiences for 2008. Tomorrow I’ll blog about the 2008 Church 2.0 Local Forums. Today, here’s a look at the conferences I spoke at in 2008:

• Jan. and Feb. I was focused on the move-in to my church’s new worship center
• Mar. – NRB in Nashville
• Apr. – NAB in Las Vegas
• May – Moody Bible Pastors’ Conf. in Chicago
• June – Saddleback’s Worship Conf. & Festival
• July – Christian Supply Worship Conf.  in South Carolina
• August – ECHO Church Media Conference in Dallas
• Sept. – ChurchTechCamp in Pasadena

Have you heard of The Idea Camp? I have and I’m speaking there this coming February, along with some other great friends and facilitators. This is something that my friend, Charles Lee, is putting together and I’m really looking forward to. Here’s the info from Charles:

• The Idea Camp: a FREE hybrid conference for idea-makers to share, network, and implement ideas
  • We are gathering some of the most innovative and creative leaders from around the country to share ideas, intentionally network, and move collaboratively into idea-making. Whether your passion is church leadership, non-profit work, social entrepreneurialism, technology, media, creativity, culture making, church planting, spiritual formation, compassionate justice, etc., this is the conference for YOU.
  • You can learn more HERE and HERE.
• Dates: February 27-28, 2009
• Location: New Song Irvine
• Cost: Register Online for FREE by Creating a Profile at www.theideacamp.com
• Facilitators
  • We are gathering some of most creative and innovative leaders from around country to facilitate meaningful conversations about idea-making. SEE FACEBOOK/WEBSITE FOR CURRENT LIST
• More Info? Email charles@theideacamp.com
• Other Links:
  • Facebook Group

EXTRA:

Read my article that I posted on Monday Morning Insight yesterday HERE. It’s about how to shake things up in your daily routine/avoid ruts. I think you’ll enjoy it.