I love to learn. And that’s a good thing, because there is so much I don’t know. I was fortunate today to be able to learn from one of the best. When it comes to church planting in North America, the best would be Dr Dr Ed Stetzer. (Is it Dr Dr or is it double doctor?)
Last week Ed was speaking at the Southern Baptist Convention. Tomorrow he is speaking to Mark Driscoll and those Acts 29 dudes. (You have to use words like “dude” when referring to certain movements.)
I guess it was appropriate that Ed squeezed Every Nation in his busy schedule, right between the traditional Southern Baptists and the radical Resurgents.
I learned a lot today. Now the hard part—doing something about what I learned. Of course these days most leaders simply substitute blogging for doing. But since I’m old school, I will attempt to blog and do.
As soon as I met Ed this morning, he mentioned my “accidental missionary” blog where I called people who read his books “church geeks.” I had to immediately clarify that I was not calling Ed a geek and that I was actually using the G-word in the most positive way possible.
That clarified, Kevin York, David Houston, and I got down to the business of picking Ed’s enormous brain about everything related to being the best church-planting movement possible. Here are some classic Ed quotes that helped me in my quest to become a better church planter and an official church geek.
“People and leaders come and go, but values never change.”
Glad to know that people coming and going is normal. Also, I’m glad to announce that—like ’em or not—our values are here to stay.
“Most pastors tend to be less psychologically healthy than the population as a whole, and most mega-church pastors are even less healthy.”
I can’t tell you how much that statement encouraged me, and I guess it also explains me. And Joey. And Ferdie. And other close friends and associates of mine.
“The demons that drive you are the same demons that eventually drag you down.”
That also explains a lot—not just about church leaders, but also about leaders in business, sports, government, and every other field where driven people temporarily thrive then dive. The trick, I guess, is to tame those demons after they have driven us to success, but before they drag us down and destroy what we built. If anyone knows exactly where that line is, please post it. (Or call our toll-free hot-line: 1-800-DYSFUNCTION.)
“They’re idiots.”
This is not what Ed said under his breath about me, Kevin, and David as he left our meeting; it was a candid response to a question about certain self-proclaimed “church experts” who seem to be more passionate about being cool, controversial, and fashionable than reaching the lost. I completely agree with Ed’s double doctor professional assessment.
“The church is not the center of God’s plan, Jesus is, but the church is central to his plan.”
I love the Church and the church, and so does God.
One more Ed quote coming in a future blog.
All for now.
PS: It was a joy to work with a man who modeled a balanced mix of spiritual depth, knowledge, humility, and humor.