Final Thoughts

I had heard about the Exponential Conference several months ago from a church planting website. I thought it would be nice to get together with other church planters and hear how they are doings things to find out what is working and what is not. One thing I re-learned that I have known most of my life, but sometimes ignore is that God works. Programs as good as they are can fail. Movements invented by man usually flop. When God’s people are totally dependent upon him, not campaigns or programs, God shows up and he shows up in a big way.

I saw that in many leaders I heard this week. They had first hand testimonies that God is on the move in people’s lives around the world. We heard from a pastor from a communist country in the Asian rim where God is moving and thousands upon thousands are becoming followers of Christ. I go back to the term of being totally dependent upon God for what you are doing. Total dependency happens when you have a calling in your life that you can’t be doing anything else with your life except what you are doing. It overwhelms you and you look for ways to carry out God’s vision.

I want to thank Guy Stevens and Cleveland Hope for covering our registration fees. We had a pleasant surprise when we saw Guy and Carlton Smith from Cleveland Hope at the conference. They, along with Rick Duncan, Lead pastor at Cuyahoga Community Church were in Orlando for a Vision360 meeting and came to the Exponential Conference. The guys at Vision360 are working on some unbelievable church planting strategies for Cleveland, North America, and the world. Go to their website and check out what they are up to. Thanks to Josh Whitehead and Faith Promise Church in Knoxville for covering our airfare, motel, rental car and meals for the trip.

We are excited about exponential church launching in Lake County.