Innovate Conference Session - 1 (notes from Eric Geiger)

I'm currently at Thomas Road Baptist Church at the Innovate Church Conference. I've been asked to share my notes from the sessions. So...here are my notes from Eric Geiger, author of Simple Church.

In his opening he referred to church planters as people who are charging the gates of hell with a bucket of water. I LOVE that image!

He says:
-"Drift" occurs when we do not remain committed to the essence of our reason for doing what we're doing.
-The church is in the process of returning to the essence of who are because we have drifted.
-The Gospel is the essence of our faith. (AMEN!)
-He asks, "When considering your church, is Jesus the dominant presence, or is programming the dominant presence?"
-"Drift" never corrects itself. Drift must be addressed if it is to be corrected.

There are 2 types of drift in most churches:
1) The drift of COMPLEXITY
- This is prevalent when all we do at church gets done through multi-tasking.
- Many people brag about their ability to multi-task, but multi-tasking has
been proven to make us less efficient
- We lose 10 IQ points while we perform multi-tasks. Multi-tasking literally
makes us dumber while we are in the process of multi-tasking.
- Studies show that someone under the influence of Marijuana only loses 4 IQ
while they are under the influence. Pastors that require their staff members
to get their job done through multi-tasking would have a smarter, more efficient
staff if they required their staff to begin every task by smoking a joint.
(This was said to make a point against multi-tasking, not promoting the use
of Marijuana)
- Complexity is in excess when we are so busy that we have to outsource precious
aspects of our ministry.
2) The drift OFF MISSION
- If your mission isn't clearly expressed in everything you do, then in some
way you've drifted off mission.
- If your mission isn't clearly stated and restated throughout the organization
and its services, then you've drifted off mission.

Addressing the drift:
1) Clarify and simplify the discipleship process
2) Be careful not to over program your ministry
3) Ensure your mission is embedded into your discipleship process

Grace and Peace