5 Steps To Making Your Catalyst West Experience Worth Every Second
[adapted from a post I did last year]
Leadership is a funny thing.
It is this thing that so many pastors and ministers aim for on a daily basis.
I have the privilege of being involved in what I consider the greatest leadership event in the world with Catalyst. This week there will be over 3,000 leaders gathered in Costa Mesa to draw from some of the greatest leaders in the world.
There will be iPads and moleskins all over the arena.
Faces will be illuminated by their LCDs and notes will be scribbled and pecked out at a furious pace. Reason being, they see successful organizations and ministries and they want to put into practice what these leaders are doing.
I think there are a few practices on the consumers part that could make their experience in these sort of events a much better one.
1. Realize that those on stage are giving you a picture of a perfect day for them.
Remember your wedding day? Your husband or wife looked as hot as they will look for a long time on that day. The hair. The makeup. The diet. All for that day. And they were beautiful. But not everyday is your wedding day. And not everyday looks like that sermon the speaker just gave you. In all actuality, most days are not that sermon or 5 steps to church growth. They did not follow those 5 steps in order to get to where they are. It was a lot uglier than that. And the mess you are in won’t be solved by a sermon or message.So take it all with a grain of salt, or sugar, or pepper.
2. Your congregation or organization has no idea who Andy Stanley, Matt Chandler, Christine Cain, Judah Smith, or Francis Chan is, but they do know who Jesus is.
These are men and women of God. Working under His anointing. And being used by God. But unless you are following Jesus, no one around you will care if you have mastered the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. The ones you are going home to need to know that your lunch with Jesus had more impact on you than your lunch with author dude.
3. That song that Kari Jobe led. You know the one where 3,000 people sang at the top of their lungs and the Holy Spirit just about blew your heart out of your chest? When your worship leader leads it the next Sunday in your church and only 5 people sing it, it’s ok. 3,000 tired leaders in a room desperate for a refreshing should never be the bar to compare the musical worship on your typical Sunday morning. There is a reason Brad and the team don’t do this every week.
4. These communicators don’t work in your church or organization.
They are theories. Not practices. They might be practices for them. But they are only theories for you. If you have an idiot for a youth pastor and the speaker tells you that he lets his youth pastors call their own shots…
Remember…
HE WOULD NOT LET YOUR YOUTH PASTOR CALL THEIR OWN SHOTS.
5. Leave your overhead projector at home.
You are going to get lots of theories and ideas. You are going to want to take them and place them on your idea transparency over a picture that is your church. Don’t. You will just get depressed. It doesn’t work that way. Your church probably has a lot more curves and a little bigger butt than the speakers church.
They don’t make Spanx for churches. Shake what your mama gave you.
Getting to sit on the inside of what happens at events like Catalyst and such I thought I would give you a heads up as to how to make the most out of your experience. Because this event changes the lives of thousands and with the right framework on your part could change thousands more!
And yes…you can preach better than him and your worship leader can sing better than him too. I know you are thinking it. 
You’re Welcome,
Los
RAIN IT DOWN
Great piece of advice, Los. I think it’s so important for people to remember these things. The theory thing is especially important. Not all the ideas that are shared at events like these can be applied to all churches or organisations.
yup.
Sweet! Looking forward to it!!
You guys coming?!!!!!
yes =) Brent, Alece and I start road trippin down tomorrow morning…so excited!
i.can’t.wait!! seee you there!! <3
YOU TOO!!!
Great reminder from a great post. Looking forward to an awesome experience this year at Catalyst.
See you Wednesday!
Learned the same thing with teacher’s conferences. What is important is the questions that come up and the discussion that follows, not to mention the inspiration. I’m taking a couple of my “sanity days” to come down with my church. C ya in couple of days!
looking forward to seeing you this week!
I laughed at #4 because my youth pastor really is an idiot…
Nice points Los. These can actually carry over to most conference experiences.
Wish I was available for Catalyst West, but hope to catch you on Wednesday with JMM in Costa Mesa!
I’m not going to Catalyst but I’d love to, just so I could take your advice. I’ll do that next time I do the Willow thing.
By the way, man, your worship songs are filling our home all week long, and God is filling my soul through you. Thanks for hanging out in my living room.
Peace.
Spot on!
This will be my 3rd year going to Catalyst West and I am the Minister of Youth and Young Adults at my church of about 240. These are great reminders for sure! There is no way I could just cut and paste all of the ideas I learn at Catalyst. However, I learn so many ideas and theories that challenge me how I am doing things so I will become the best I can be for God, myself, and my church. Catalyst is awesome I am currently in Detroit in the airport waiting for my flight to Chicago to Santa Ana for Catalyst!
Catalyst is not the solution. Catalyst is by definition …..a catalyst. Your unique giftedness fueled by God is the solution.