This year's C3 was the best conference we have ever had at Fellowship Church. The Holy Spirit's presence was unmistakable in the speakers and the audience. The speaker lineup was powerful. Here are a few observations about each of them:
Jentezen Franklin - his talk on mercy was outstanding. Our churches need to be houses of mercy, not houses of judgement and condemnation. He made me rethink my lack of mercy because I am a cynic in many ways.
Christine Caine - I had never heard her speak before. She is a preaching nuclear reactor. Christine spoke several times during the week and at our weekend services. She reminded me that although we are not of this world, we are still placed in the world to make a difference. Too many of us try to live secluded from the world which is the opposite of what Jesus teaches. She said that we are too busy doing church to be the church.
Craig Groschel - He has one of the most unique speaking styles of any pastor I know. Craig has the ability to present his thoughts in a clear and concise manner without a lot of "tricking it up." He challenged the church to "cut the crap" on all the programs that are not important and stick with the basics. He also talked about trying to please people. His best line was "becoming obsessed with what people think is the fastest way to forget about what God thinks."
Bil Cornelius - Bil is one of the most humble guys I know. His talk on prayer was right on. What Bil is doing in Corpus Christi is incredible. He has been a great friend and leader to me over the years.
Ben Young - Ben is one of the most intellectually gifted pastors I know. Yet, he can bring it down to my level. He is so unique in his thoughts that he will say things in a way that I have never heard. He always brings it back to the truth of the Bible. You cannot doubt it or explain it away!
Tommy Barnett - after all these years, he is still consumed with reaching people that most churches won't reach. The homeless, the broken, addicts, prostitutes, etc. Tommy's church and ministry has made a huge difference in the lives of thousands of people in LA and Phoenix. Now he is starting a church in NYC. Does it surprise you? Not me.
Bishop Jakes - what can you say? His talk on Elisha and the widow was excellent. He taught that we need to let God flow out of the capacity God has given us. The more we increase our capicity, the more God will allow us to pour into the lives of people around us. God has an infinite supply of whatever we need, if we have the capacity to receive it. Flow and pour out, flow and pour out.
Ed - I saved the best speaker for last. Ed did a great job of talking about the chairs in our churches and who the chairs represent. His talk on teenage spiritual maturity was great. The talk he did on depression struck a chord with almost every pastor in attendance. We have all been in the dumps before and Ed gave practical and biblical wisdom about how to get out of the hole. He used the life of Elijah as an illustration.
Volunteers and Staff - As great as the speakers were, our staff and volunteers brought the conference to Super Bowl status. It takes a lot of work to put on one of these conferences, but it can't be done without the hundreds of people you don't see you make it happen. Our staff is awesome and this conference impacted us in a way we will never forget.
Worship - over the top cool and creative. It was a great blend of music and elements to focus our minds and hearts on God. Our worship leaders have a heart for worship, which is not always the case in many churches.
I can't wait to get the CD's so I can really break each talk down and meditate over the words and scriptures. My life will never be the same. I pray that everyone who attended felt the presence and power of God. We will be praying for you and it won't be long before 2010 is here! Make plans to be in Dallas next year.
Check out the C3 Recap on www.fellowshipchurch.com and edyoungblog.com.
