The past few days I’ve been in Orlando at a conference called The Megachurch Pastors Conference. (That may be the worst possible name I’ve ever heard for a conference.) You get invited to this conference when your church attendance passes the 1,000 mark. I’ve been attending for the past ten years.
The Megachurch Conference is one of my favorite learning experiences to attend. We rarely bring in guest speakers, we simply learn from one another.
This year, at the opening dinner, Dave Stone spoke to us. I attended college with Dave at Cincinnati Christian University twenty years ago. This past year, Dave transitioned into the Senior Pastor role, replacing Bob Russell, at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Every weekend more than 18,000 people attend Southeast.
Dave’s “talk” was one of the most important I’ve heard in quite some time. He simply spoke about the lessons he has learned since becoming a Senior Pastor. I think, at some level, his lessons apply to us all. Here are three of them.
Lesson one: I’m not as good, or as bad, as Satan wants to make me think that I am.
Lesson two: My wife and children are more important than the thousands attending my church.
Lesson three: My significance is not to be found through the size of my church–my significance is to be found in my relationship to Jesus Christ.
Thanks Dave!