From Big Sur to Big Sirloins!

Another great today in Omaha. This is the final gathering of this leadership community. The last gathering was in Big Sur, California, so Ryan McReynolds aptly named this gathering "From Big Sur to Big Sirloins." The folks of Christ Community Church give a new meaning to midwest hospitality. It has been outstanding! We started the day at 7:30 to a full breakfast of eggs, sausage, mushrooms, blintzes, fruit, chocolate cake (yea, for breakfast!).

After breakfast we heard from Brad Fieldhouse of kingdomcauses.org, a church multiplication organization that does an incredible job with simple church planting. Brad led us through a simple church experience. Very powerful! We then had another session with Jack Jezreel of JustFaith.org. Again...absolutely profound. I'll post his teachings in the next couple of days.

After Jack, participants broke out to reflect on what they heard, saw and felt in the past 24 hours and created a "what could be" model of externally focused church.

After a lunch of barbecued brisket and homemade peach pie churches broke out for one more "what could be" session to stretch their thinking and spent the afternoon working their "what will be plan."

This evening we had dinner with the CCC team at an Indian restaurant in the Old Market and met with the larger group for dessert and coffee. Great night.

Of course the day was permeated with thoughts and prayers for the victims of Katrina. Leaders of churches were on the phone helping to organize churches for relief efforts. It is times like these where we need to go way beyond ourselves to help those in dire need. This is the time for God's people to shine.