Catalyst Conference

Catalyst is a yearly event where church leaders gather to grow in their leadership skills and be refreshed and revitalized for effective service. A great place to start my new work and as all conferences a great time to bond with the members of your team.
In terms of team building I couldn't have asked for a better intro to the team at HCBC. There was a large group and I loved getting to know these men and women - what a great staff!
The conference had an impressive line-up of speakers and leaders: Andy Stanley, Francis Chan, Craig Groeschel, Erwin McManus, Rick Warren, John Maxwell and others. These are proven leaders in the kingdom of God and always have great insights into ministry and leadership. It was a tremendous blessing to be able to take time out and learn from these men.
However, this year the obvious bend of a number of the speakers was an obvious political agenda. It was disconcerting to me to hear several people say that theology did not matter. Half-quoted scripture verses and an obvious bend toward the social gospel (which of course is no gospel at all) as well as anti-war, anti-gun, and anti-everything sentiments were bothersome and somewhat surprising for a conference hosted by Northpoint Community Church.
I am for loving the poor, caring for the sick, supporting the needy, loving the down-trodden and being a provider for the widows and the orphans! As a matter of fact I preached about God's heart for the poor less than a month ago. However, our love for the poor needs to be thoroughly founded in our theology and based in the truths of scripture. There are more than enough verses to support a need to love the poor and care for the sick and needy, as a matter of fact James boldly proclaims that pure and faultless religion is this, to look after widows and orphans in their distress and to keep yourself from being polluted by the world. As ambassadors for our heavenly Father who is the King of compassion and the God of mercy we have to represent him well and be people of mercy and compassion as well, but this social activism must never replace the true Gospel of Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross through which we can be forgiven for our sins, made alive in Christ, adopted into the family of the Heavenly Father and commissioned as ambassadors for the kingdom!