Exponential - Day 1

Let me begin this series of posts by first thanking Todd Wilson for asking me to be part of the blogging team at this year’s Exponential. His invitation to have an inside look at a major conference…as well as the ability to be in such close proximity of some of today’s top Christian leaders had a profound effect on me and my pastorate. Secondly I would like to thank Scott Hodge and Todd Rhoades for putting up with me for three days. I’m definitely an acquired taste and those guys are some of the best men in ministry. God used both of them to speak into my life in ways they can’t even begin to imagine.

Day #1 of Exponential started with a flash…and didn’t let up until Rick Warren left for his flight three days later. In a sense the entire conference was a blur and it is only now that I am able to process everything I heard…and discovered there. The first order of business was to get with Todd Wilson, Scott Hodge and Todd Rhoades to coordinate the blogging and video taping. That meeting never really took place…everytime we tried to sit down to talk somebody we knew would come up to chat. That in and of itself is the beauty of Exponential….the connecting of old friends and the making of new ones…with a few great session talks thrown in for good measure.

At some point Jay Hardwick…my old “Guitar Hero” nemesis joined us…and the “party” went into overdrive. Most of the first day was spent playing a game of “hurry up and wait” trying to set up the interview with Andy Stanley. One minute it was on….the next it wasn’t…kind of like the video of the interview.

The conference kicked off with a bang…the band was REALLY GOOD!!! Ed Stetzer took the stage to offer up some pretty interesting stats on church planting in America. In nutshell he was saying that we American’s suck when it comes to church planting…compared to other parts of the world. From there he had a BUNCH of seasoned church planters hit the stage for a sit-down “round table” discussion about the future of church planting. I know I’ve heard this phrase before…but when Dr. Stetzer said, “You become what you celebrate!” it just seemed to resonate with me. Church pastors have a tendency to really explain what they are against…but never really properly celebrate what they are for…at least this pastor does.

After a break it was time for Andy Stanley. I gotta be honest with you…I had to do another interview and never got to hear Andy’s main session. I understand it was good and have checked out many of the notes that others have blogged about it…I wish I had been in there.

Soon after Andy left the main stage…the interview was on (got Chris Reeder’s question in). I will go on record as saying that Stanley and his entourage was told the interview was going out live…but somehow that didn’t register with any of them. The answers were honest and candid…it was a different Andy Stanley that I’ve ever seen speak at a conference. That was the problem…Andy was pretty candid about the church planting Northpoint is doing overseas…mentioning leaders of those churches in the process. Some of those leaders pastor in parts of the world where Christianity is outlawed…thus the video got pulled…and the remaining copies are being edited for later broadcast. Some highlights of the interview:

1. Andy won’t be blogging or Twittering anytime soon.
2. There is some concern that Los is paid too much because of the clothes he can afford to wear.
3. He was recooperating from back surgery when he hijacked Adam Cleveland’s blog…and on pain medicine…thus explains the mis-spelled words.
4. At 50 Andy still has a drive to speak into the lives of young church planters.
5. When you’ve been successful in church planting it is easy just to sit back and coast on your achievements…but don’t.
6. ChrisElrod.com has had a HUGE impact on the ministry and leadership style of Andy Stanley.

By the way..the video has been edited…is in route to Andy…and should be up pretty soon.

I had to leave the interview early to go start the blogging workshop. I must admit…I was surprised that anyone showed up. Thank God people had questions about blogging or it would have sucked. As much as Todd, Scott and I blog…we actually know very little about the technical side of blogging. It was pretty cool to see some of my friends…Adam Mayfield, Erick Bauman and Bobby Triplett…in the workshop. The biggest surprise was David Foster’s attendance (his book, A Renegade’s Guide To God rocked my world)…I’m sitting up there thinking, “Holy crap David…you should be teaching this workshop…not us”.

After the workshop I packed up…headed to a local restaurant for an invitation-only shin-dig by folks with Fermi and International Mission Board. I was pretty cool getting to hang out with Shawn Lovejoy, Dave Putman and Ed Stetzer in an informal setting. Rick Warren stopped by and I was shocked that he wasn’t there to speak…just hang out…which was really cool. The highlight was getting to sit with Brad Lomenick of Catalyst…and listen to a bunch of passionate young church planters be on fire for God.

The night ended with an hour’s drive home…and only a few hours rest. Day #2 was coming up…