Catalyst Dallas 2012 Retrospective, Day 1: Labs - Melissa

Melissa and Erin McGinnis are currently attending the Catalyst Leadership Conference in Dallas. They will each be posting a retrospective of each day. Below is Melissa's retrospective, interspersed with videos from different organizations represented at the conference.

Video 1: BookShout

Session 1: Mark Batterson

Author of Soulprint, The Circle Maker, and others, this guy exudes humility, honesty, and the Presence of God. He spoke with a fervor that was tangible, touching each person in the audience. He spoke of prayer not as just a conversation with God (though that is important), but as a way of keeping ourselves so wrapped up in God that we let go of our own expectations and watch Him make changes and the amazing impact. In his own words, “When you pray regularly, you can live in the expectation that God will change everything.” He told numerous stories about how prayer were answered in his life, the lives of his friends and those who’ve contacted him after reading his books, a US Congressman, and in his church. He spoke of “drawing a circle,” giving focus to our prayers and setting a canvas for God to paint a masterpiece, which he elaborates on more in his book The Circle Maker. I could’ve listened to him speak twice as long or longer. I have always said that I am no “prayer warrior,” and that prayer was something I needed to “work on,” but after hearing him speak, I realize how significant a part prayer really is to ministry.

Session 2: Chris Seay

The founder of Ecclesia Church Houston, Chris Seay is one of those people that immediately comes to mind for me when I think of “street ministry.” His insights on reaching the lost are so open, honest, and simple, he could truly be called a modern-day Paul. His main point is that to reach your neighbor, you have to find common ground and build a true relationship upon that, rather than constantly dwell on what differentiates. His point, which aligns with Paul’s style of ministry, is that if your neighbors are watching “The Sopranos,” then you should be familiar too, so that you have a basis to understand them and relate to them in a relevant and dynamic way. He is clearly passionate about this, and his passion is infectious. In this session, I felt reaffirmed in my own views regarding relationships and relevancy, and reigited to keep pressing on.

Video 2: Christian Healthcare Ministries

Session 3: Jon Acuff

This was easily the session I most looked forward to today. Jon Acuff is the author of the books Stuff Christians Like (which he signed my copy of today!), and Quitter. He also writes the Stuff Christians Like blog, and works for financial guru Dave Ramsey. He is delightfully funny, and hearing him describe his own thoughts running through his head make me feel less concerned about the circus that performs in my head constantly. In all seriousness, however, what he had to say was incredibly insightful. He outlined three things that leaders need to remember:

1.  Don’t compare. (Direct quote: “You cannot compare your
beginning to someone else’s middle.”)

2. Be smart about social media.

3. Ignore the voices. – He elaborated on how the voices we hear in our heads are
never positive.

He also talked about Jesus in his leadership was “Present” (“Be Present” is this year’s Catalyst theme). All in all, Acuff did not disappoint. Open, honest, insightful, witty, and relevant (not wanting to overuse that word, but it was consistently so all day), he pinpointed some of the things that I personally struggle with (especially comparisons and those nasty little voices).

Session 4: Carlos Whittaker, Amena Brown, & Michael Gungor

This session was almost a sightseeing experience. It was directly aimed at worship leaders, which I am not, unless you count leading kids in "Every Move I Make." Carlos Whittaker is a worship leader and recording artist, Amena Brown a poet (and a fantastic one), and Michael Gungor the lead singer of the band Gungor. Although I greatly enjoyed the session, it was the conversations afterward that truly inspired me. With Amena Brown, I was able to express appreciation for her work and laugh a bit (she has a great sense of humor), and with Carlos Whittaker and a young college student from Oklahoma--we had a brief but meaningful conversation about being the people God created us to be.

And I got to take this photo, where I look awful. I was making a comment and accidentally snapped the photo before I was ready. 

Video 3: A21 Campaign

 

Session 5: Reggie Joiner

The closing session of the day, Reggie Joiner, like Chris Seay, spoke on reaching outside our own world to minister in a meaningful and direct way to those who need to hear it. He used a example of a girl named Jen that he and others have been ministering to; she is a Taoist, churched as a teen, but walked away because of questions and doubts she had that were never answered. He talked about relating to our neighbors as friends first, rather than just a mission, even to the point that we will still be friends with them even if they never believe what we believe. His passion was evident, and, like with Chris Seay, I felt ignited to press in and build relationships with those around me who do not know Christ. Again, I could’ve listened to him speak much longer than he did, and it is because I was so attuned to what he said that I did not take good notes and cannot write more.

Reggie Joiner is the creator of ORANGE Ministry.

Video 4: Kammok International, LLC

I am REALLY looking forward to Day 1 of the Main Event!

Melissa McGinnis is the Children’s Ministry Director for LHF.