Bill Easums Observations

I just returned from speaking at the Exponential Conference on Reproducing ministries in Orlando.  I have to say it was one of the most stimulating events Ive been to in a long time.

It was like asking how do we plant 100,000 churches over the next ten years? How can that be done? The answer? Every church become a parenting church of a church plant that is going to plant another church that is going to plant another church and so on.

Tim Keller was one of the highlights for me. His message was on target- we need to refocus our attention on Jesus and his full message.

Dave Ferguson was another highlight. He said,

Three keys

• The freedom to say no- this means you have a crystal clear vision of what God wants you to do
• Go! Instead of come. We don’t belong to a church. We aren’t members of a specific church. We are people of the Way, basking in the warm of God’s kingdom of love. That means that every staff person needs to be planning on where he or she is going to go to plant a church.
• No ego. We have to quit squabbling over our pity opinions of tastes.  When we understand grace, there is no place for ego. We can’t care who gets the credit.

Four shifts for reproducing churches to emerge as a movement

• Shift from church growth to missional movement – you can’t build buildings fast enough; values the new, the lost, the edge, the sent rather than the old, the saved, the center, staying
• Shfit from ministry managers to spiritual entrepnuers move people up from the ranks
• Staff shift from reactive to proactive – when you are ready (when you are spiritually ready) you reproduce even if you don’t need the space. Leader readiness -
• From addition to multiplication.