What A Time To Be Alive

I Got A Really Big Team

It’s been a long time coming.

I started going to the Exponential Conference in 2012 (exponential.org) I have been 10 times since then. I try not to miss. It is a discipleship conference masquerading as a church planting conference. What I mean is you have to have a core conviction in church planting: if you plant a church and start worship, you might get some disciples. But if you make disciples, you will always get a church because disciples worship. Put another way: worship does not necessarily make disciples, but making disciples always creates worship.

I have been involved in 4 “Learning Communities” through Exponential, a kind a of seminar where 20 or so people spend time with churches that are good at making disciples.

I have long wanted to bring a key group of people to the Conference. I have been able to bring a few people to the Learning Communities with me. But I have felt that a big crew of leaders learning and fellowshipping could really get something going.

This year, all the pieces came together. Wonderful friends I met 10 years ago sent a generous gift to make it possible to take a team to Exponential. And Trinity Hill also has the staff with the drive to make disciples. And we have an incoming church planting intern, Josh and Casey Barker. And we have key leaders on Vision Teams ready to learn and dream.

Tomorrow through Thursday, we will be in Naperville, IL for Exponential’s regional conference. I have been praying for a long time to get to this point. Does patience yield persistence, or is it the other way around?

There are 14 of us going. Pray for safe travels. Pray that we won’t miss anything God has for us. Pray that each person comes back with a vision and a calling to build up the church.