Catalyst Thoughts: Day 1

Day 1 is in the books at Catalyst. There were amazing speakers and thought-provoking conversations among our staff, but probably the highlight for all of us was worship led by David Crowder. Dude. Can. Bring. It.

Here are some of the best quotes I wrote down from Catalyst Day 1:

“The most significant thing you do for the kingdom of God may not be something you do but someone you raise.” Andy Stanley Andy was sharing how his own father was a positive spiritual influence on him growing up. There is eternal value in parenting. Hello parents out there! What an incredible encouragement.

“When something hard happens to us, emotion gets the first crack at making sense of what happens.” Brene Brown Dr. Brown shared some ground-breaking research on emotions, how we handle them, and how we can rise again after getting knocked down. Absolutely fascinating stuff.

“Always remain suspicious that God is up to something good.” Margaret Feinberg Margaret shared her own personal journey with cancer and how she chose to fight back with joy.

“If hope is about the future, then why do most churches hang onto the past?” Erwin McManus Erwin was definitely the most passionate speaker on stage yesterday and cast an incredibly compelling vision of what the future of the church could (and should) look like.

“Isaiah 6 says ‘Here am I. Send me!’ while much of Christianity today says ‘Here am I. Fix me.'” Louie Giglio Louie helped drive home the point for leader that what we see as leaders sustains us as leaders. And if we can’t glimpse the glory of God, we’re dead in the water as leaders.

Good stuff! I’ll share reflections on the final day tomorrow.