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11 Responses to “Picking and Choosing in Conference Royale”

1. 

   Jared Taft
   

   03. May, 2010

   First: I know what you are feeling. Second: Part of me wants to tell you (and me) to just pick one. But that may not be right. Third: You (I) can’t do it alone.

   What if it was mapped out this way: Start with your family, the people who you are connected to on a deeper level. Love/serve them well. Next, move to your community (coworkers, church members, neighborhood, etc), the people you choose to interact with. Then, spread out into the world.

   It’s hard for me to believe that God would want me fully invested in loving/serving a child in Haiti when I am so shallow with my roommates or afraid to commit & serve a church. make sense?
2. 

   Rick Barnes
   

   03. May, 2010

   Brett,

   On a similar line as Jared, I remember you once telling me about a conversation you had with Olan Stubbs. You went to him and said, “Olan, I really want to help reach the UNA campus, but there’s so many people.” He said, “Brett, just pick 1 or 2 guys and go after them.” Kind of spooky that I remember that, but for some reason I do.

   Could the same be said for the long list of “world concerns?”
3. 

   Philip Cummings
   

   03. May, 2010

   I have no real answer to these questions, but I appreciate your thoughts and agree the burden of the issues can become paralyzing. It’s like we have developed a social conscience ADHD. When I think about people of faith whom I most want to emulate, I realize they were able to narrow their focus to something that affected them personally. They also chose to work within a smaller community creating a ripple effect. I know the popular trend is to leverage convergent media to make a global impact, but that is backwards from the way Jesus connected individuals with God reshaping religious culture or the way Mother Theresa cared for the unwanted calling attention to the plight of the sick and poor.

   I like how Don Miller is talking about telling a better story. His story centers around his own personal loss–growing up with an absent father. Now he’s connecting kids in a similar situation with mentors who will nurture them. He’s making the world a better place. Is his issue as important as child slaves in Haiti? I don’t know, but it is to the kid growing up without a dad. Again, I have no answer to these questions, but I appreciate you sparking some thought this morning.
4. 

   Laura
   

   03. May, 2010

   I remember feeling overwhelmed with this same thought in my young years..even though the battles seemed simpler and fewer back then, they were still overwhelming. You don’t know it, but I even talked to your dad at one point about international adoption (but he was fine with the 3 we had). Anyway, I learned that you can’t do EVERYTHING but you can do SOMETHING. You just have to HEAR GOD and be willing to invest (time, money, etc) where He says. I can’t help everybody; but I can help SOMEBODY. This year I am helping ONE WOMAN in Uganda to learn a trade so that she can support herself and her children. This will be a woman who has no hope and no support, many of them widows with children to feed. I know I should do more; and the weight of it all CAN be paralyzing (which numbs you into doing NOTHING). But, for this year, I am helping ONE.
5. 

   Tyler Williams
   

   03. May, 2010

   Brett,

   Those are major ideas coming to life for so many individuals and each one of them has a mission that needs massive time and financial support. Everyone will have their beliefs an opinions and what is best for one is not for the other.

   I feel the conflict and experience it daily working for a non-profit. I agree with the guys above to a certain degree but I think there’s more to it than that. God has given you a purpose and a passion. You apply that to your daily work. If your putting in 8,9,10 hour days that doesn’t leave you much rime to serve outside of work so to be most effective with actual service, choose the one or two that tug on your heart the most and give them your valuable time. Ministries need people who want to serve continually. Now, that doesn’t make the choice any easier but there just isn’t enough time in the day to giveto everyone.

   MONEY, the lifeblood of the organization. The works of these great minds can never be completed without proper finances. My thought…I could tell you to give all your money to the need that touches you the most. At work it would be amazing if we had people commit their entire years giving to our organization BUT I think unless God has put one or two organizations on your heart go for more. What do I mean by that? I don’t have a home church right now I go to three or four different places. So they recieve some of my tithes but I usually pick twelve ministries that I am either personally connected to or want to help.

   Let’s say someone has $6,000 to donate each year, $500 a month. That’s one to two kids sponsored for the year for food, clothes, and school. That’s water for life for 25 people, that’s food for a week for 500 people, that’s enough to microfinance multiple opportunities, that’s supplies training for someone to mentor, that provides the foundation for a new home, and on and on and on. Yes, you could give all your money to provide water for life for 300 instead of 25 but your a world changer and all those other peoples lives were changed because of that one monthly gift.

   Just an additional thought.
6. 

   Lee Buford
   

   03. May, 2010

   Great thoughts and questions, Brett! A great perspective I heard and try to live by is this: if what you are doing, debating, considering, etc. is in line with glorifying God and seeking the Kingdom first, then pick the one you like.
   We should praise God for the fact that, in many cases, He gives us more than one “good” option to choose from…there’s not only one “right” answer or thing we must or should do.
   Some options or choices may line up more with your gifts and/or interests, and I believe that is part of His goodness and grace to give us options by which we can serve and glorify His name.
   Thanks again…great post!
7. 

   Lindsey Nobles
   

   03. May, 2010

   Great post.

   I’m with you…overwhelmed by opportunity. Trying to figure out what I am called to do. Needing some serious time to process.

   Loved hanging out with you in Chicago. Hope to see you soon!
8. 

   Bryan
   

   04. May, 2010

   Looking at your list, I’m pretty sure these problems were around in the 1990s. Actually, I’m sure these problems have been around since the fall of man. These problems are stems of the sinful nature. The difference is that we are better connected today with more awareness of the issues. Read the old testament. Adultery, incest, murder, deception, corruption, prostitution, poverty, etc all existed then and continues now. Our role is to serve as a part of the body of Christ. Each part has it’s own purpose and place. No part can function alone, but all function as a part of the body to a common goal. Therefore, we are called to a specific purpose. Each one of us that belong to the body. We should focus our efforts wholly to the work of Christ that we are called to do. Knowing what to do is a different animal. In this case, I think we each have to examine our specific gifts, background, and expertise with prayer and guidance of the Holy Spirit to determine what our role is exactly.
9. 

   Brett
   

   05. May, 2010

   Such great thoughts guys! Cool to hear several of you mention “Go with the one your passionate about.” I think that’s important. What connects with your heart on a deep, personal level. I’d be interested to see what it would look like if everyone did this. Would the giving be spread around in proportion to the need or would it all be centered at one or two “popular” need centers? Of course we’ll never know, but it’s an interesting thought.

   Mom, I also agree with you in that you just need to be doing SOMETHING. It’s sad to me that there are still so many American Christians doing NOTHING and not in the game at all.

   I’m thinking about another post on the idea of treating your giving strategy the same as your family budget.
10. 

    Jeremie Kubicek
    

    05. May, 2010

    Brett, when we design our conferences (www.catalystconferences.com or http://www.cfaleadercast.com) we build them to create an experience with the individual. Our mission is to awaken leaders to a higher calling by helping them look at the world a bit differently. While I can’t say what other conferences or events are designed to do, we do try to get people outside themselves a bit by pushing the envelope.

    However, I believe wholeheartedly that it is our individual responsibilities to take input that comes to us through our filter of 1. Who we are in Christ, 2. Who he has made us to be, 3. What our role or calling is within the church and 4. Through the filter of what we are best at.

    Last year we highlighted adoption because we felt like it was a more practical need in the states vs. taking a mission trip. From our highlight there were over 1500 new families that stated they would be open to adoption. There were 13,000 people that attended. For those 1500 something sparked them to consider adoption. And these people now must take the concept through their family filter.

    What I find is that most people don’t have a filter and thus get totally overwhelmed or swayed by every good work.

    I have a business filter (it was created through our division in OKC – http://www.giantpartners.biz – called Strategic Orienteering). I have also created a personal filter to help me make decisions. It ends with a Roman council type thumbs up or thumbs down on the opportunities that come our way.

    Hope that helps.
11. 

    Brett
    

    05. May, 2010

    Really good thoughts Jeremie! Love those 4 filters. That adoption focus at Catalyst in Atlanta was by far the most impactful thing I’ve ever experienced at a conference and truly shifted how I think about that.